Scanned PDFs are fundamentally different from digital PDFs. Every page is a full-resolution image, which means a 10-page scan can easily reach 30MB. Standard compression helps, but scans require a different strategy — optimizing image data without making text unreadable.
Drop the scanned PDF into the compression tool. It works with scans from any source — flatbed scanners, phone cameras, multifunction printers.
For scans, stronger compression yields the best results. The tool focuses on reducing image resolution while preserving text contrast.
Check the output to ensure text remains readable. If quality is too low, try medium compression instead.
The compressor identifies that each page is an embedded image rather than digital text, and applies image-specific optimization.
Scans at 300 DPI are resampled to 150 DPI — sufficient for screen reading and most printing. This alone cuts file size by 75%.
Text contrast is maintained even at lower resolutions, keeping scanned documents readable after compression.
A digital PDF stores text as vector data — lightweight mathematical descriptions of each character. A scanned PDF stores text as photographs. Every letter, every line, every margin is captured as pixels. At 300 DPI in color, a single letter-size page produces an image of roughly 2550x3300 pixels — about 8 megapixels. Multiply by 10 pages and you have 80 megapixels of image data.
Standard PDF compression targets metadata and font optimization, which barely affects scans because scans have neither metadata nor fonts to optimize. For scans, you need image-level compression: reducing resolution, converting color scans to grayscale where appropriate, and applying JPEG optimization to each page image.
ModernPDF handles this automatically when it detects a scanned document.
Discovery documents, court filings, and archived contracts are often scanned at high resolution and need compression for digital workflows.
Patient intake forms, referral letters, and insurance documents arrive as bulky scans that need to fit email and portal size limits.
Receipt scans, tax forms, and financial statements accumulate quickly. Compressed scans save storage and transfer faster.
Property documents, inspection reports, and deed copies are frequently large scans that need to be shared via email or uploaded to MLS systems.
Choosing the right resolution after compression depends on what you plan to do with the document:
300 DPI (original scan quality): Required for archival, legal submissions that specify DPI, and documents you plan to OCR later. Keep full resolution if storage is not a concern.
200 DPI: A good middle ground. Text remains sharp enough for printing, and file size drops by about 55% compared to 300 DPI. Suitable for most professional use cases.
150 DPI: Ideal for screen-only viewing — email attachments, portal uploads, and digital archives. File size drops by 75% compared to 300 DPI. Text is readable but may look slightly soft if printed.
100 DPI: Emergency compression for extremely tight size limits. Text is readable on screen but not suitable for printing. Use this only when a 100-200KB limit is non-negotiable.
ModernPDF's compression levels roughly correspond to these DPI targets, letting you choose the right balance for your specific need.