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J
josiahm29169243
Inspiring
June 3, 2025
Question

How to Reduce PDF Size when exporting Artboards as a PDF in Photoshop

  • June 3, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 1080 views

I have a 20 artboards that I want to save as a multipage PDF...but I need the size to be 5MB Max.

 

How do I reduce the size...there is no option to do so when Exporting my Artboards as a PDF.

 

Also my photoshop file is so large that the "Save As Copy" option doesn't even allow me to save it as a PDF.

3 replies

Stephen Marsh
Community Expert
Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
Community Expert
June 11, 2025

What are the dimensions in px for the 20 artboards?

 

Does the PDF also require the same px sizes for each page?

 

If you save each artboard to a separate file (export as or via the artboards to files script) is the total of all files size on drive smaller than the target?

 

You can also take a look at my multi-layer to multi-page PDF save script here:

 

 

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-ideas/new-feature-request-layers-to-pdf/idc-p/14901556

JR Boulay
Community Expert
JR BoulayCommunity Expert
Community Expert
June 3, 2025

Open the resulting PDF with Acrobat Pro and use File menu: Save as Other: Optimized PDF

 

Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe
J
josiahm29169243Author
Inspiring
June 11, 2025

Okay then what do I do specifically?

 

J
josiahm29169243Author
Inspiring
June 11, 2025

I was able to reduce the PDF I made in Photoshop from nearly 420,000kb to 5936kb

I just went a head and set the Image compression to MAXIUM

 

Then I went through CLEAN UP section and checked all the boxes

I also went to DISCARD USER DATE and checked all the boxes

 

A
Community Manager
AlekeCommunity Manager
Community Manager
June 3, 2025

Hi @josiahm29169243!

One thing you could try is reducing the file size by unchecking layers and also unchecking "Preserve Photoshop editing capabilities" when saving your PDF. In the Compression tab, you can also adjust the image quality to help bring the size down.

Hope that helps—let me know how it goes!
Alek

*(If you mention me with an @, like @Aleke, I’ll get a notification and can respond faster.)*
    J
    josiahm29169243Author
    Inspiring
    June 11, 2025

    The way I exported my multipage artboard file as a PDF is I went to File > Export > Artboards to PDF.\

     

    I don't see the option to "Preserve Photoshop editing capabilities" when saving your PDF. 

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