Compress images in the source document (reduce resolution to 150–300 DPI)
Convert images to efficient formats before exporting (JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics)
Remove embedded image data you don’t need (cropping and eliminating unused areas)
Use “Optimize PDF” / “Reduce File Size” options in your editor
Downsample images during export (target 150–300 DPI for screen use)
Remove unnecessary metadata (author, thumbnails, comments, form data)
Disable or remove document thumbnails and previews
Use lighter fonts or subset fonts (embed only used characters)
Convert to a “linearized/web optimized” PDF if supported
Flatten layers/annotations when possible (remove separate layers)
Remove comments, form fields, and unused objects if not required
Recreate the PDF from the clean source file (avoid “PDFs made from PDFs”)
Use PDF compression tools (e.g., Ghostscript, online PDF optimizers, desktop compressors)
If using Ghostscript, run with PDFSETTINGS like /screen or /ebook (where appropriate)
Re-export with a lower quality preset (screen/ebook) instead of print/high quality
Split the document into smaller PDFs if only parts are needed frequently
Ensure the PDF isn’t already optimized (check file size drivers like images, fonts, and metadata)