The Complete Guide to PDF Compression: Algorithms, DPI & Best Practices

Published: 2026-02-28 | Read Time: 6 min read

An in-depth technical exploration of Flate stream compression, DCT/JPEG2000 downsampling, font subsetting, and structure optimization.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between lossless and lossy PDF compression?

Lossless compression optimizes internal byte streams and metadata without changing image pixels. Lossy compression resamples image resolutions and applies JPEG compression to achieve much smaller file sizes.