How to reduce the size of a pdf document in OS X

Depending on what program you used to create a PDF, the file size of your PDF file can be quite large. If you combine two or three PDF files together using preview, you can also end up with a bloated PDF file.  The best way to reduce PDF file size is with Acrobat professional, which can do all sorts of magic on PDF files. Sadly we can’t all afford Acrobat Professional, so here is a free way to make a PDF file smaller.

Reduce file size will degrade your photo quality. Use it wisely.

UPDATE: Here is a quicker way (thanks to Henry below for the tip)- you can now do this from within Preview!

You can reduce file size by using preview.
1. Open PDF file
2. Click “File” and then “Save As”
3. Under “Quartz Filter” drop down list, select “Reduce File Size”
4. Rename and save the file. [In case you do not like the quality.]

Firstly, open the PDF file in ColorSync utility. The ColorSync utility is found in the utility folder of the applications folder of your computer. If you don’t know how to find that, simply right click (or option click if you have a one button mouse) on the PDF file, and select from the menu open with,  ColorSync utility.

This will open your PDF file in colour sync utility. Go down to the bottom of the window to the drop-down menu on the left that says ‘Filters’  and select ‘reduce File Size’.  Then click the button in the bottom right  of the window that says ‘Apply’.

This will go through and re-compress the images in your PDF to make the file size smaller.

The images will not be quite as sharp, but the field will be much smaller.

Don’t forget to save the file after you’re finished.

You may want to use ‘save as’  instead of ‘save’ so that you still keep the original (higher quality) version of your PDF file.

EXTRA READING:

If you want to be able to change the quality of the file that is saved, check out this great article from macworld:

http://www.macworld.com/article/1168311/shrink_preview_files_without_ruining_image_quality.html#lsrc.nl_mwhints_h_crawl