How I Solved a Simple Problem: Compressing PDFs Without Killing Quality

One small problem kept coming up again and again while working online: PDFs that were just too big.

Whether it was:

uploading documents to websites
sending files via email
or sharing links with clients

File size limits kept getting in the way.

So I started looking into compressing the PDF in a way that actually works. Not just shrinking files, but doing it without ruining the quality.

The problem with most solutions

Most tools I tried fell into two categories:

Good compression, terrible quality
Decent quality, almost no size reduction

Neither was really usable in real-world scenarios.

What I ended up building/using

I wanted something simple:

no login
no unnecessary steps
fast processing

So I started using (and refining) a simple web-based tool:
https://ilovepdfapp.com/compressing-the-pdf/

It does one job:
Upload → compress → download

What I learned along the way

A few interesting things about PDF compression:

Most file size comes from images, not text
Medium compression usually gives the best balance
Re-compressing already compressed files hurts quality fast

Also, simplicity matters more than features for this kind of tool.

Why this matters (from a builder perspective)

This isn’t a “big startup idea.”

But it solves a real, repeat problem:

Students need it
Freelancers need it
Businesses need it

And people don’t want complexity. They want something that works instantly.

What I’m thinking next

I’m considering adding:

batch compression
API access
more document tools in one place

But trying to keep the core experience fast and minimal.

Would love feedback

If you’ve built or used similar tools:

What features actually matter?
Would you pay for something like this, or keep it free?
Any better approaches to compression?

Always open to honest feedback.