# Compress PDF for government offices

_Updated July 2026 · Arthize · https://arthize.com/for/government/compress-pdf_

Arthize lets public-sector teams compress a PDF in a private workspace — free, with no watermark. Compressing a PDF reduces file size — often 50–90% on image-heavy scans — by down-sampling images and stripping redundant data, while keeping text selectable.

## Why government offices compress a PDF

A records officer redacts personal identifiers from a document before a public-records release, converts it to PDF/A for the archive, and merges the case file into a single record.

**Built for case files.** Whether it's case files, public records, forms, Arthize's compress pdf keeps the work inside your private workspace. Public records contain personal data that must be redacted before release, and files must be handled on trusted infrastructure.

## What matters when you compress a PDF

PDF file size almost always comes from embedded images, not text.

Down-sampling scans to a lower DPI usually gets an image-heavy file under 1MB.

Light compression is visually lossless for most documents.

## How to compress a PDF

1. **Open the compress tool** — Sign in and open the Compress tool.
2. **Add your PDF** — Upload the oversized file; it is processed privately.
3. **Pick a compression level** — Higher compression down-samples images more; light compression keeps them crisp.
4. **Download the smaller file** — Most image-heavy PDFs drop well under 1MB with no visible quality loss.

## FAQ

### How do government offices compress a PDF for free?

Compressing a PDF reduces file size — often 50–90% on image-heavy scans — by down-sampling images and stripping redundant data, while keeping text selectable. On Arthize it's free with no watermark, and the file is deleted after the job — which is why public-sector teams can use it for case files without a confidentiality risk.

### Is it private to compress a PDF sensitive case files?

Yes. Public records contain personal data that must be redacted before release, and files must be handled on trusted infrastructure. Files are processed inside your private Arthize workspace and deleted after the job.

### How do I compress a PDF to under 1MB?

Compressing a PDF reduces file size — often 50–90% on image-heavy scans — by down-sampling images and stripping redundant data, while keeping text selectable. On Arthize it's free with no watermark and processed privately.

### Will compressing a PDF lose quality?

Compressing a PDF reduces file size — often 50–90% on image-heavy scans — by down-sampling images and stripping redundant data, while keeping text selectable. On Arthize it's free with no watermark and processed privately.