Guides & how-tos

PDF tips & guides

Step-by-step guides for shrinking, combining, splitting and fixing PDFs, plus the background you need to choose the right format and keep sensitive documents private.

Compress·Sep 26, 2026·7 min read

Why Is My PDF So Large? 8 Causes and How to Fix Each

A 300-page novel can be smaller than a 5-page scan. Here's how to work out what's actually making your PDF heavy, and the fix that matches each cause.

Read the guide

Guides·6 min read

PDF vs JPG: Which Format Should You Use?

Use PDF for documents and JPG for photos. That rule covers most cases, but knowing why helps you avoid blurry text, 12-attachment emails and rejected uploads.

Rotate·5 min read

How to Rotate a PDF Permanently (and Why It Keeps Flipping Back)

If a PDF snaps back to sideways every time you open it, your viewer only rotated the view. Here's how to save the rotation into the file itself.

Extract·5 min read

How to Extract Pages From a PDF Into a New File

Only need three pages out of forty? Extracting them into a new PDF makes a smaller file and shares nothing you didn't mean to share.

Privacy·7 min read

PDF Privacy Checklist: 8 Things to Check Before You Share a Document

What you see on the page isn't always everything in the file. Run through these eight checks before you send a contract, an ID scan or a bank statement.

Guides·6 min read

How to Scan Documents to a Small, Readable PDF

Most oversized PDFs start at the scanner. Get the resolution and colour settings right and your scans stay sharp, small and ready to upload.

Compress·5 min read

How to Compress a PDF to Under 1 MB, 500 KB, 200 KB or 100 KB

Job portals, government forms and email all set hard size limits. Here's how to hit a specific file size without guessing, and what to try when a PDF refuses to shrink.

Privacy·6 min read

PDF Tools That Don't Upload Your Files: iLovePDF vs Smallpdf vs PDF24 vs PDF Perfect (2026)

Most free PDF websites process your file on their servers and delete it later. That's often fine, but not for every document. Here's what each popular tool says it does with your file, and how to check any site yourself.

Compress·6 min read

How to Compress a PDF Without Losing Quality (2026 Guide)

Every compression method trades something for size. Here's how to choose the trade that keeps your document looking right, whether it's a scan, a photo-heavy report or a text contract.

Merge·5 min read

How to Merge PDF Files Online for Free (Step-by-Step)

Scanned receipts, multi-part reports, signed contracts split across emails — merging PDFs is one of the most common document tasks. Here's how to do it right.

Split·5 min read

How to Split a PDF Into Multiple Files (No Software Needed)

A 200-page report doesn't need to travel as one file. Here's how to break a PDF into exactly the pieces you need — by page, by count, or by size.

Edit·5 min read

How to Edit a PDF Online for Free — No Sign-Up Required

You don't need a full desktop suite to fill in a form, fix a typo, or rotate a sideways scan. Here's what a browser-based PDF editor can actually do.

Tips·5 min read

PDF Too Large to Email? 7 Ways to Reduce the File Size

'Message not sent — attachment too large' is one of the most common inbox headaches. Here's exactly how to get your PDF under the limit.

Guides·6 min read

8 Free PDF Tasks You Can Do Online Without Installing Any Software (2026 Guide)

You don't need Adobe Acrobat installed to handle 90% of what people actually do with PDFs. Here's the full list — and what to watch for before uploading anything.