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detailed_fact3541
Participating Frequently
Oct 14, 2026 5:25 AM UTC
Answered

How can I reduce the file size of scanned PDFs in Adobe Scan?

Hello Adobe Community,

I regularly use Adobe Scan to scan documents, but some PDFs become quite large, especially when scanning multiple pages or documents with images.

Is there a way to reduce the PDF file size directly in Adobe Scan without significantly affecting the text quality or readability?

I would appreciate any tips or recommended settings for creating smaller PDFs that are easier to share by email or upload to websites.

Thanks in advance for your help!

      Amal Jaiswal
      Amal JaiswalCorrect answer
      Community Manager
      Oct 14, 2026 12:14 PM UTC

      Hi @detailed_fact3541

      I hope you are doing well, and thanks for reaching out. Large file sizes are common when scanning many pages or pages with images, because Adobe Scan builds the PDF from high-quality camera images, so the size grows with the number of pages.

      Here are a few things you may want to try:

      1. If your document is mostly text, choose a Grayscale or black and white color option before saving the scan, which can make the PDF smaller.

      2. Once scanning is done, go to home page, next to your scan file , tap on three dots and tap on compress PDF (Option available with Scan premium service)

      3. You can also try to use the compress PDF option in the Acrobat Reader mobile app via the premium subscription. You can find the steps for Android here and for iPhone here. 

      Let us know how it goes.

      Regards,
      Amal

       


       

      View reply

      2 replies

      practical_help03d8
      Participant
      Oct 16, 2026 6:36 AM UTC

      In Adobe Scan you can shrink a scanned PDF by lowering the scan resolution and enabling compression before saving.
      1. Open the Scan settings, set Image Quality to Medium or Low.
      2. After scanning, tap the three‑dot menu and choose “Compress PDF” (if shown).
      3. For further size reduction, use a local browser tool such as pdf.editool.online (Disclosure: I work on this tool) and apply its structure‑preserving or stronger image compression mode. https://pdf.editool.online/en/compress-pdf?ref=kgysuacy

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      Amal Jaiswal
      Community Manager
      Amal JaiswalCommunity ManagerCorrect answer
      Community Manager
      Oct 14, 2026 12:14 PM UTC

      Hi @detailed_fact3541

      I hope you are doing well, and thanks for reaching out. Large file sizes are common when scanning many pages or pages with images, because Adobe Scan builds the PDF from high-quality camera images, so the size grows with the number of pages.

      Here are a few things you may want to try:

      1. If your document is mostly text, choose a Grayscale or black and white color option before saving the scan, which can make the PDF smaller.

      2. Once scanning is done, go to home page, next to your scan file , tap on three dots and tap on compress PDF (Option available with Scan premium service)

      3. You can also try to use the compress PDF option in the Acrobat Reader mobile app via the premium subscription. You can find the steps for Android here and for iPhone here. 

      Let us know how it goes.

      Regards,
      Amal

       


       

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