This is the best video I have ever found on youtube. Went through whole bunch of crappy blogs and articles and all of them were of no use. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you! You do not understand how helpful this video was to me. I was scrambling around, trying to find out how to compress my pdf for an assignment, and luckily I clicked on your video. Your instructions were exactly what I needed. Thanks again, Gary!
I spent hours to read useless articles, and then I end up finding your solution is the only best solution. Perfect. Thanks man. Watched your videos but now subscribed you.
1:44 open "Colorsync utility app" 1:48 then go to the "filters" tab 1:55 Add your own custom one by pressing the plus button 2:00 Give it a significant name, such as "Reduce PDF file size custom" 2:07 Then press the dropdown menu arrow, and hover on "/add image effects component" and click on "image compression" 2:13 Set image compression to "JPEG" 2:15 Set the quality to something higher than the middle, such as 75% for example. That should give a decent compression without getting rid of the document's images quality. 2:28 After setting it, that should be saved automatically. You may now quit the "Colorsync utility app". 2:33 To apply it, open your original PDF, click on "export", 2:38 Click on the "Quartz filter" dropdown menu and select your custom "reduce pdf file size custom option"! AUTOMATOR 2:13 quick action
I was struggling earlier to compress PDF for year using different tools each time. Thank you for a very informative video. This information you shared should be spread to everyone.
I rarely comment or add thumbs up or down. I just watch and learn or laugh or whatever I'm watching and the reaction that comes after. You have answered soooo much for me in this. You have no idea. While I was almost about to spend money on a PDF app of some sort, you saved me money and gave me knowledge about my mac. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thank you for sharing this!!! It amazes me that you can do pretty much everything with the built in tools, yet nobody is sharing the Info! It's also much easier to do than all the other Videos are suggesting.
OMG you literally saved me. My assignment hand-in date is today and my file was WAY too to upload big, and the default quartz filter didn't compress the file enough even though it ruined the image quality. This was perfect; short sweet and just what I needed. Thank you so much!
I don’t know if something has changed in Big Sur, but in order to get a PDF reduced in size and of good quality I have had to set the JPEG quality bar at “one quarter” instead of “3 quarters”… otherwise the size was almost identical to the original 🤔
You don't know how many times I've had to come back to this video for files, I make purse patterns and sell them and I'm constantly trying to load files and being frustrated by large files. Thank you!!!
Hi! At 1:11, you choose the Quartz Filter. I do not have that option. What I do have available on my Mac OS Catalina 10.15.7 is: HEIC JPEG JPEG-2000 OpenEXR PDF PNG TIFF Where may I locate the Quartz Filter please? Thank you!
Gary, thank you. This information is beneficial! I really love how you explain the step-by-step instruction, so that perform the tasks on my Mac is flawless
Hi There.... wondering if you can help. When I open the pdf I want to shrink like you said, I click on export and then reduce size. I change the title like you did but when I check the information on the new pdf again it is just the same size. I've tried it a million times and figure it out. Can you help?
Bless! You! I'm trying to submit my Grad School application and I was beginning to wonder if I am even worthy of such an endeavor!? I'm so grateful that you taught this easily! Wish I would have found your vid first.
This is awesome! I couldn't send my pdfs by email because they were too large. 25M and 23MB and the limit is 25MB. But thanks to this video I was able to shrink them to 10MB and 5MB respectively. So I was able to send them in one email.
For sending large files via email, I recommend sharing them using iCloud or the cloud service of your choice instead. Then the email just includes a link instead of a large attachment and the recipient can better control when and where they download it.
very helpful. been using a web based pdf compressor for ages. worried about the security & privacy of it since the default one don't compress really well
Brilliant! Excellent tutorial - clear and easy to follow, giving great explanations as you go and the end result gives us high-quality PDFs at a fraction of the size. Thank you!
Thank you! I found that if I do the compression your way on MacOS Catalina, the new file was the same file size as the original. By going back into ColorSync Utility and comparing it to the settings of the original "Reduce File Size," there is a second setting that needed to be added called "Color Image Sampling." By adding Color Image Sampling to my own "Reduce PDF File Size Better" using the same settings as the original, my PDF's now can be compressed. 🙌🏼
Noting too that in ColorSync Utility, opposite side of the Reduce File Size, select the dropdown arrow and select the Duplicate Filter option, you can then simply adjust the quality and be done. Then automate if you choose to.
Finally something that works. Thank god for the colosync utility. The quartz reduce file would actually double the size of my PDF instead of reducing it.
HELP, this actually INCREASED the size of my PDF from 225MB to 1.7 GB. I've tried numerous times, and confirmed the steps you gave, and settings. What the?!?!?!
Hello! i had tried this method by opening first the preview method and then export; next: quartz there I choose reduce size. but when i check the new document it says 43kb when the previous document was 9kb. i don't know what i am doing wrong
I did the steps- got the compressed size then used the color sync utility app - downloaded using better and the file is back to where it started 🥺 still MB. Like your sample 3 is small and looks good when my sample 3 looks good but it’s not small? I don’t understand . I’m using a Mac book air 2020
This seemed like great info. But, I need the reduced size files to still be searchable and very good quality. And they are. I farted about with the settings (I had no idea colorsync could control things like that - it's awesome to know). Thank you very much!
Dude, thank you so much! You saved so much of my time. 👌I was making a scan in the notes app and these pdf files are getting so big for email attachment that it is unusable. :D
Hi Gary, thanks for sharing, that’s very kind of you! I use macOS Big Sur, I am able to go to the “add image effects compression-image compression” then no options underneath. What to do in this case? A lot of thanks
Hi, excellent video. I'm trying to compress and combine many files. I add the Combine PDF Pages next to the Apply Quartz filter to PDF Document. Any recommendation ?
Wouldn't it be possible to store window names along with their size & position, then restore based on window name matching? Wish this script could do that!
What an awesome post! Seems like most folks recommend the default quartz filter; which in my case was too aggressive (like in Gary's case, but worse). This totally did the trick!
Great tip! Note that when using the Automator method you don't see how long it takes to compress the file (say if you have a huge file). I would click to open the file or look at the Get info and nothing would happen nor was the size changed; however, since I tried the Preview method as well I realized it took a few minutes to compress the file (over 700 GB reduced to 1GB :O and still great images!!!) So note that if you use the Quick action, wait a bit. Also, I assume there may be a way to have Automator notify you when the compress is complete?
Yes, all I had to do is to add a "display notification" action at the end of Gary's instructions and voilà! When the action is complete I receive a notification (and you add sound ;) ). Oh want a happy camper I am, thanks again Gary!!!
Hi Gary, your video was very clear but for some strange reason my file size doesn't change at all after following your steps carefully....what am I missing. Please help!!!
Hy Gary it's Luigi writing from Italy. Thanks for everything, you are great. I tried to do what you told but, after using Utility ColorSync, the dimension of the file are always the same, I can't understand what I am doing wrong, can you help me?
thank you for this educational video. Everything I know about computers is from being self taught. It all worked well except my automator utility is diffefernt than what is shown so I couldn't use it. I only had about a dozen to reduce so it didn't take that long to do, plus repition makes it easier to learn. Thanks again.
Thank you so much for this great, in depth, easy to understand video on how to compress PDF's. I can't believe I followed all of the instructions! It worked...you rock...I subscribed!!!
This is the best video I have ever found on youtube. Went through whole bunch of crappy blogs and articles and all of them were of no use. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you! You do not understand how helpful this video was to me. I was scrambling around, trying to find out how to compress my pdf for an assignment, and luckily I clicked on your video. Your instructions were exactly what I needed. Thanks again, Gary!
I spent hours to read useless articles, and then I end up finding your solution is the only best solution. Perfect. Thanks man. Watched your videos but now subscribed you.
1:44 open "Colorsync utility app"
1:48 then go to the "filters" tab
1:55 Add your own custom one by pressing the plus button
2:00 Give it a significant name, such as "Reduce PDF file size custom"
2:07 Then press the dropdown menu arrow, and hover on "/add image effects component" and click on "image compression"
2:13 Set image compression to "JPEG"
2:15 Set the quality to something higher than the middle, such as 75% for example. That should give a decent compression without getting rid of the document's images quality.
2:28 After setting it, that should be saved automatically. You may now quit the "Colorsync utility app".
2:33 To apply it, open your original PDF, click on "export",
2:38 Click on the "Quartz filter" dropdown menu and select your custom "reduce pdf file size custom option"!
AUTOMATOR
2:13 quick action
I was struggling earlier to compress PDF for year using different tools each time. Thank you for a very informative video. This information you shared should be spread to everyone.
I rarely comment or add thumbs up or down. I just watch and learn or laugh or whatever I'm watching and the reaction that comes after. You have answered soooo much for me in this. You have no idea. While I was almost about to spend money on a PDF app of some sort, you saved me money and gave me knowledge about my mac. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thank you for sharing this!!! It amazes me that you can do pretty much everything with the built in tools, yet nobody is sharing the Info! It's also much easier to do than
all the other Videos are suggesting.
As usual, I am startin looking for a solution on TH-cam, and that's when I found this gold channel! Thanks a lot!
Thank you very much. I think this is the most convenient way to reduce the size of pdf and still keep its quality to an acceptable level.
OMG you literally saved me. My assignment hand-in date is today and my file was WAY too to upload big, and the default quartz filter didn't compress the file enough even though it ruined the image quality. This was perfect; short sweet and just what I needed. Thank you so much!
How wonderful is it to find every Mac related solution here on this channel!
Have so much to learn from you. Thanks Gary!
I don’t know if something has changed in Big Sur, but in order to get a PDF reduced in size and of good quality I have had to set the JPEG quality bar at “one quarter” instead of “3 quarters”… otherwise the size was almost identical to the original 🤔
I'm having the same issue, I followed it step by step but the quality is still the same :(
You don't know how many times I've had to come back to this video for files, I make purse patterns and sell them and I'm constantly trying to load files and being frustrated by large files. Thank you!!!
Hi!
At 1:11, you choose the Quartz Filter. I do not have that option. What I do have available on my Mac OS Catalina 10.15.7
is:
HEIC
JPEG
JPEG-2000
OpenEXR
PDF
PNG
TIFF
Where may I locate the Quartz Filter please?
Thank you!
Best video I've found. Even tried these automatic converters and couldn't even convert it to less than 20MB. Thank you so so much. bless you.
This was a great tip Gary! Another hidden gem.
Gary, thank you. This information is beneficial! I really love how you explain the step-by-step instruction, so that perform the tasks on my Mac is flawless
OMG this helped us all these years later....! I am so glad you're still around doing these videos sir!!!!
Hi There.... wondering if you can help. When I open the pdf I want to shrink like you said, I click on export and then reduce size. I change the title like you did but when I check the information on the new pdf again it is just the same size. I've tried it a million times and figure it out. Can you help?
Came here expecting another video which just explains the quartz filter but found GOLD!
Bless! You! I'm trying to submit my Grad School application and I was beginning to wonder if I am even worthy of such an endeavor!? I'm so grateful that you taught this easily! Wish I would have found your vid first.
This video is very helpful.
Thank you so much @Macmostvideo 🙏🏽
Be Blessed.
THANK YOU, THIS VIDEO SAVED 1 YEAR OF MY WHOLE LIFE
This is awesome! I couldn't send my pdfs by email because they were too large. 25M and 23MB and the limit is 25MB. But thanks to this video I was able to shrink them to 10MB and 5MB respectively. So I was able to send them in one email.
For sending large files via email, I recommend sharing them using iCloud or the cloud service of your choice instead. Then the email just includes a link instead of a large attachment and the recipient can better control when and where they download it.
very helpful. been using a web based pdf compressor for ages. worried about the security & privacy of it since the default one don't compress really well
Once again you and your channel, open a new pathway of understanding for the Mac!!! Thanks again Gary 🙂
You never cease to amaze me… Thanks, Gary
Awesome video. Landed on this after struggling with all crappy videos on using paid tools.
Thank you! Finally a way to have more control of the compression! The built-in was too heavy handed and butchering the original quality.
Brilliant! Excellent tutorial - clear and easy to follow, giving great explanations as you go and the end result gives us high-quality PDFs at a fraction of the size. Thank you!
Thank you! I found that if I do the compression your way on MacOS Catalina, the new file was the same file size as the original. By going back into ColorSync Utility and comparing it to the settings of the original "Reduce File Size," there is a second setting that needed to be added called "Color Image Sampling." By adding Color Image Sampling to my own "Reduce PDF File Size Better" using the same settings as the original, my PDF's now can be compressed. 🙌🏼
Noting too that in ColorSync Utility, opposite side of the Reduce File Size, select the dropdown arrow and select the Duplicate Filter option, you can then simply adjust the quality and be done. Then automate if you choose to.
This is awesome solution Never knew about Automater function that is built in the Mac OS.Thank you!
Finally something that works. Thank god for the colosync utility. The quartz reduce file would actually double the size of my PDF instead of reducing it.
HELP, this actually INCREASED the size of my PDF from 225MB to 1.7 GB. I've tried numerous times, and confirmed the steps you gave, and settings. What the?!?!?!
That means that the original was already well compressed and you should obviously stick with that.
@@macmost Thanks. Too bad, considering it’s sluggish on my iPad Pro.
You always help me to fix most problems from Mac easy to understand, right to the point I love you💚, my best teacher.💚
Thank you, you made my day.
Hey 👋 great 👍 video 🎥 Gary!
Can this compression technique be done on an iPad?
Not at all like this. You'd need to get an app that does it for iOS to do it on the iPad.
macmostvideo any ones you can suggest?
@@Dave610Jones Sorry, no, I don't use any. Search around in the App Store and see what looks like it may do the job for you.
macmostvideo ok thanks
Good point! I'm interesting in these actions on iPad. Maybe we'll find something with shortcuts. Gary what do you think?
Hello! i had tried this method by opening first the preview method and then export; next: quartz there I choose reduce size. but when i check the new document it says 43kb when the previous document was 9kb. i don't know what i am doing wrong
I did the steps- got the compressed size then used the color sync utility app - downloaded using better and the file is back to where it started 🥺 still MB. Like your sample 3 is small and looks good when my sample 3 looks good but it’s not small? I don’t understand . I’m using a Mac book air 2020
Gary - you are amazing! How do you come up with these esoteric, but useful ideas?
You’re a life savior!!! Thank you so much!!! ❤
Thanks Gary! So helpful. I've never messed with Automator before. I have to send alot of PDFs for work an this is a lifesaver!
Wow, thank you! Didn't know, one can do that on mac. Very useful
You are a gem to mac community.
This seemed like great info. But, I need the reduced size files to still be searchable and very good quality. And they are. I farted about with the settings (I had no idea colorsync could control things like that - it's awesome to know). Thank you very much!
And i was uploading files.. using 3rd party apps.. to compress, and then i found you, man im happy!
The second method was most helpful , thank you !
You are a legend, Sir.
Man, you have saved my life again. God bless you!
Dude, thank you so much! You saved so much of my time. 👌I was making a scan in the notes app and these pdf files are getting so big for email attachment that it is unusable. :D
I had no idea that you could even customize this. Thanks!
Thank you for helping people.
Hi Gary, thanks for sharing, that’s very kind of you! I use macOS Big Sur, I am able to go to the “add image effects compression-image compression” then no options underneath. What to do in this case? A lot of thanks
Not sure why you are seeing something different. Maybe start over.
Very nice and easy way to teach this feature!! I thank you so much
Such a great and useful video. Thank you so much. Even after years, these videos will be so helpful. 🙏
Thanks - that is a great tip tutorial. Helped me get a PDF below a max size limit for an upload.
Hi, excellent video. I'm trying to compress and combine many files. I add the Combine PDF Pages next to the Apply Quartz filter to PDF Document. Any recommendation ?
Not sure what you are asking. To combine them is relatively easy. Select several PDF files, then Control+click and then Quick Actions, Create PDF.
Solved my problem simply and quickly! Thanks!
This was a ridiculously helpful video, thank you very much.
Wouldn't it be possible to store window names along with their size & position, then restore based on window name matching? Wish this script could do that!
Not sure what you mean. This video is about compressing PDF files... ? Maybe you should see this video: th-cam.com/video/Xa531fDcsX4/w-d-xo.html
What an awesome post! Seems like most folks recommend the default quartz filter; which in my case was too aggressive (like in Gary's case, but worse). This totally did the trick!
This is what I call a truly helpful video!
This is pure gold!! Thanks a lot Gary, you have saved me few hours of my life
Dude, THIS IS GREAT!! Thank you for this explanation! PDF looks amazing now!!
thank you so much I needed this for college! you really helped me out thank you again!
Great tip! Note that when using the Automator method you don't see how long it takes to compress the file (say if you have a huge file). I would click to open the file or look at the Get info and nothing would happen nor was the size changed; however, since I tried the Preview method as well I realized it took a few minutes to compress the file (over 700 GB reduced to 1GB :O and still great images!!!) So note that if you use the Quick action, wait a bit. Also, I assume there may be a way to have Automator notify you when the compress is complete?
Yes, all I had to do is to add a "display notification" action at the end of Gary's instructions and voilà! When the action is complete I receive a notification (and you add sound ;) ). Oh want a happy camper I am, thanks again Gary!!!
Hey, thank you for making this video. It really helped. you're awesome! Many sincere thank you's for this!
Gary, quartz filter is GONE in Big Sur on my MacPro. It was there? Any idea how I can get it back? Thanks.
This was extremely helpful. 🤗
Thank you for the help really needed this. Is there a way to do this or simular on iPad?
I'm sure there must be some apps. Maybe the Shortcuts app too?
Truly a great video and quite concise and to the point ! Great presentation cheers !
Thank you! This video saved me so much time!
Thank you! You are the expert and always so helpful! BRAVO!!!
Hi Gary, your video was very clear but for some strange reason my file size doesn't change at all after following your steps carefully....what am I missing. Please help!!!
Perhaps the file was already compressed as much as it could be.
Man, worked like a charm! Thanks for your help!
Amazing! Thank you so much. I had to compress a portfolio and your advice really helped me.
Just what i needed..Thanks alot
Thanks Gary you saved me a ton of time. Keep up the good work bro.
Has saved me sooooo much hassle!!!!
Really thank you
You can't imagine how much time you saved! Very clear information and simple
To apply. ( 💐from Egypt)
Exactly what I needed!
Appreciate the tip on this. Very helpful... good easy to follow directions. Thanks Gary.
Hi Mate, very helpful tutorial, I appreciate.
Thanks for sharing! have a great day!
Hy Gary it's Luigi writing from Italy. Thanks for everything, you are great. I tried to do what you told but, after using Utility ColorSync, the dimension of the file are always the same, I can't understand what I am doing wrong, can you help me?
If the file isn't getting smaller, that just means that the images are already well-compressed and that technique won't get the file any smaller.
Thank you, it is really helpful. Channel subscribed. You deserve it.
Very helpful AS ALWAYS SIR. You should have 1M subscribers
this video was reeeaaly useful. Thanks
Wow...did this come in handy today. Easy to understand. Great share. Thanks!
my files stay the exact same size. Can anybody help please?
same issue m1 ventura .....
My self created filter is not showing
Thanks so much! Needed a quick fix for uploading a coloring book to Etsy, worked perfectly!
Thanks, man! You made my day.
thank you for this educational video. Everything I know about computers is from being self taught. It all worked well except my automator utility is diffefernt than what is shown so I couldn't use it. I only had about a dozen to reduce so it didn't take that long to do, plus repition makes it easier to learn. Thanks again.
Bruh ! You saved me big time. Thank you !!!
Thank you so much for this great, in depth, easy to understand video on how to compress PDF's. I can't believe I followed all of the instructions! It worked...you rock...I subscribed!!!
Thank you very much, you save lots time and taught me something new. Happy Thanks giving and live long...:)!
Thanks so much for this. Just made my life a whole lot easier!
You've safe my life. Thank yoy soooo very much!!
Dude thank you! Very helpful video