How to zip a PDF file

Do you need to send PDF files to your friend but they seem a little too big to be included as attachments in an e-mail message? Would you like to lighten them but don’t know which program to use? Don’t worry, it’s a problem that can be solved easily.

All you have to do is insert your PDF documents in ZIP archives, taking advantage of the “standard” resources offered by Windows and macOS or resorting to the use of some ad hoc “third party” programs, and that’s it. Alternatively, you can evaluate the idea of ​​using one of the software or online services specifically designed to “lighten” the PDFs I am about to report to you. Thanks to them, in fact, you can be able to reduce the weight of your documents without excessively compromising their quality.

Furthermore, in the final part of the post, you will find resources designed specifically for mobile devices, both Android and iOS, without necessarily having to go through the computer. But now just chat and let’s get to work to find out, in practice, how to zip a PDF file. I sincerely hope that in the end you can feel very happy and satisfied with what you have learned. Enjoy the reading!

Index

• Create a ZIP file with PDFs
  • Windows Compressed Archive Manager
  • MacOS Compressed Archive Manager
  • WinZIP (Windows / macOS)
  • WinRAR (Windows)
• Programs to zip a PDF file
  • Free PDF Compressor (Windows)
  • Preview (macOS)
• Online services to zip a PDF file
  • PDF Compressor
• App to zip a PDF file

Create a ZIP file with PDFs

To begin with, let’s try to understand what are the software solutions you have from yours to be able to zip a PDF file in the strict sense of the term, that is to say by creating a compressed archive containing the reference document (or documents). To find out more, please read on. Below, in fact, you will find explained how to do this by taking advantage of the functions already included in Windows and macOS and through some third-party programs that you can use as an alternative.

Windows Compressed Archive Manager

If you want to create a ZIP file with your PDF files using Windows, you can first make use of the compressed archive manager already included in the system.

To use it for your purpose, all you have to do is select the PDF file (or files) in relation to which you are interested in going to act, right-click on it, select the Send to option from the menu that opens and then the wording Folder included.

By doing so, a compressed archive in ZIP format will be created in the same location as the source file containing the document you chose to compress. So give it a name of your choice, press the Enter key on your keyboard to confirm the changes and it’s done.

MacOS Compressed Archive Manager

Even on macOS, as mentioned in the previous lines, it is possible to compress PDF files (but not only) within ZIP archives using the included archive manager attached to the system. Let’s see immediately how.

Firstly, locate the PDF file (or files) in relation to which you are interested in intervening, then select it, right-click on it and choose the Compress option from the context menu that opens.

By doing so, a compressed archive in ZIP format will be immediately generated in the same location as the source file, with the PDF you wanted to zip inside. If you want, you can change its name by right-clicking on the ZIP file, selecting Rename from the menu that opens, typing the name you want to give it and pressing the Enter key on your keyboard.

WinZIP (Windows / macOS)

As an alternative to the standard Windows and macOS compressors, you can rely on WinZIP to create ZIP files with your PDFs. It is a historic name in the software world. It is currently owned by Corel, a Canadian company already known for programs such as CorelDRAW and PaintShop Pro, and is available for both PC and Mac. It is paid (costs € 36.54), but can be used in a free trial version.

To download it on Windows, connected to the program’s website, click on the Try it for free button, start the winzip.exe file you just obtained and click on the Yes button in the window that opens. Then press the Next button twice and the End button. Next, click on the Use Demo Version button.

If, on the other hand, you are using macOS, connected to this other web page, presses the Download trial button, open the .dmg package obtained and drag the WinZIP icon into the macOS Applications folder. Then right-click on it and choose the Open item from the context menu, in order to start the program, however, going around the limitations imposed by Apple towards unauthorized developers (an operation that must be performed only at the first start). Finally, click on the Agree button in the window that appears on the desktop and on the Setup button.

Now that you see the main window of the software on the screen, select, using the File Explorer on the left, the PDF (or PDFs) to be zipped, then if you are using Windows press the Add to ZIP button (below) and the OK button in the further window that opens. If, on the other hand, you are using macOS, click on the […] button (always located at the bottom) and on the Add To Zip item in the menu that appears. A ZIP archive will then be created with the PDF in the same location as the source file.

WinRAR (Windows)

Another tool you can appeal to is  WinRAR. It is one of the most popular solutions in terms of file compression on PC. It allows you to open many types of compressed archives (RAR, ZIP, 7-Zip, ACE, CAB, GZip, TAR etc.) and to create new archives, both in ZIP and RAR format, starting from any folder or file, including PDFs. It is paid (costs 36.54 euros), but you can also download a free version that at each start shows a notice that invites you to purchase a license within 40 days (after which the program continues to work but shows the invitations purchase of the license in a more insistent way).

To use it on your computer, go to the program’s website and click the Download button for the 64-bit or 32-bit version of the software for Windows, depending on the variant of the operating system in use on your computer, which you find at the top to the Latest version section.

When the download is complete, open the WinRAR-xxx-xxit.exe file and, in the window that appears, click first on the Yes button and then on the Install button. So put the checkmark next to the types of files you want to open automatically with WinRAR and press the OK and Close buttons to complete the setup.

Now, locate the PDF (or PDFs) on your computer that you want to zip, right-click on it and choose the Add to archive option attached to the context menu that opens.

In the window that appears, select ZIP in the Archive format section, indicate the name you want to assign to the compressed archive in the appropriate field at the top, select the compression method you prefer from the Compression method drop-down menu and click the OK button. The generated ZIP archive will be saved in the same location as the source file.

Programs to zip a PDF file

Let’s now pass to the programs designed specifically for compressing PDF files only. You can evaluate its use if the results obtained using the software for creating compressed archives that I have already told you have not convinced you or in any case if you prefer to rely on something more specific. To find out more, please read on.

Free PDF Compressor (Windows)

The first of the programs designed specifically for zipping a PDF file that I want to invite you to consider is  Free PDF Compressor. It is a free software for Windows operating systems only that allows you to reduce the weight of PDF files in a few clicks.

To use it, connect to the software website and click on the Download Mirror button, in order to download it to your computer. Next, open the installation package called freepdfcompressor_setup.exe and follow the wizard that is proposed to you.

In the window that opens, click on the Yes button, click on the  Next button and accept the conditions of use of the application by placing the checkmark next to  I accept the agreement. In conclusion, click again on the Next button for four consecutive times, then on the Install and Finish buttons and that’s it!

At the end of the setup, the Free PDF Compressor window will open automatically on the desktop. Then press the Browse button and choose the PDF document on your computer that you want to compress. Then indicate the location where you want to save the output file by clicking the Save As button.

Finally, select the quality in which you want to obtain the output document by choosing one of the options attached to the Settings section (eg Screen 72 DPI for the minimum level of quality and weight or Prepress 300 DPI for the maximum level of quality) and click on the button  Compress to make the imported PDF smaller in the application.

Preview (macOS)

Do you use a Mac? I have great news for you, you can zip a PDF file without using any external application. All you need is the Preview utility included in macOS and through which you can not only view documents in this format (and images) but also export PDFs and significantly reduce their weight.

How you do it? Nothing simpler. Open the PDF you want to work on and select the Export item from the File menu. In the window that opens, choose the PDF option from the Format menu and Reduce file size from the Quartz filter menu, then choose the folder in which to save the compressed file and press the Save button to complete the operation.

Keep in mind that Preview’s optimization system significantly reduces the weight of PDFs but, alas, also their visual quality. If you want to get more balanced results, you need to download additional quartz filters from the Internet and install them on your Mac, as shown in my guide on how to compress a PDF file on Mac.

Online services to zip a PDF file

You don’t want or can’t download additional programs on your computer and would like to understand what are the online resources you can use to be able to zip your PDF files? Then immediately test the special services that I have reported below. They work from any browser and operating system!

PDF Compressor

A great online service that I invite you to consider is PDF Compressor. It is completely free, very easy to use and protects the privacy of users by deleting the documents that are uploaded to its servers within 1 hour of uploading. Also this tool, has no limits to tighten you in terms of maximum weight of the documents on which to act and you can upload a maximum of 20 files at a time. Note that it does not act by changing the resolution of the files.

To exploit it, connected to its home page and drag the PDF file (or PDFs) on which you intend to intervene in correspondence with the item Drag your files here. If you prefer to upload the file manually, click the Upload files button and select the PDF on your computer from the window that opens.

Then wait for the upload procedure to be started and completed and for the PDF to be compressed, then you can download it by clicking on the Download button located on its preview. If you have uploaded more than one file and you prefer to download the compressed versions simultaneously, in the form of an archive, click on the Download all button located at the bottom of the screen.

App to zip a PDF file

Using special applications, you can be able to zip your PDF files even on the move. You ask me what are these apps? Take a look at the list below to find out right away. There are both for Android and iOS, both free and paid. The choice is yours!

• Compress PDF( Android / iOS ) – app that allows you to compress PDF files on the go by selecting documents from the device memory or from supported email and cloud storage services. Note that the app needs an Internet connection in order to function. It’s free, but offers in-app purchases (starting at € 4.99 on Android and € 10.99 on iOS) to speed up the compression process.
• iLovePDF( Android / iOS ) – app that provides its users with various useful tools for editing, converting and compressing PDFs. To work, it requires that the device used is enabled to connect to the Internet. It’s free, but offers in-app purchases (starting at $ 5.99) to get around some limitations.
• PDF Compressor by ZeroAppStudio( Android ) – another app for Android devices only belonging to the category object of this tutorial that allows you to reduce the size of PDFs. Just specify the compression rate and that’s it. It is completely free.
• PDF Compressor by xu jianwei( iOS ) – specific application for iOS that offers the possibility to compress the size of PDF files, especially those with images and photos. It allows you to choose between various compression parameters and is equipped with a pleasant user interface. It costs 5.49 euros.