Compression tools often offer a few presets instead of dozens of technical sliders. On MentorMakers the choices are screen, ebook and printer. The names describe where the document will end up, and the main thing they change is how much detail is kept in the images.
What Actually Changes
A PDF is mostly text (which is already tiny) and images (which are heavy). Each preset re-saves the images at a target resolution and quality:
| Level | Image resolution (approx.) | Best for | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 72 DPI | Reading on screen, strict upload limits | Smallest |
| Ebook | 150 DPI | Email, portals, general sharing | Medium |
| Printer | 300 DPI | Printing and archiving | Largest |
These presets follow widely used Ghostscript settings. The numbers are targets: an image that is already below the target resolution is not enlarged.
Screen
The screen level downsamples images to around 72 DPI. On a phone or laptop, text-heavy documents still look fine, and file sizes drop dramatically — scanned documents can shrink by 80–90%. The trade-off shows when you zoom in on photos or print the page: details become soft.
Use it when a portal has a very small limit, or when the document is only for quick reading.
Ebook
The ebook level keeps images near 150 DPI. This is the sweet spot for most people: signatures, stamps and photos stay clear on screen, and file sizes typically fall by half or more. It is the right starting point for email attachments and job applications.
Printer
The printer level keeps images near 300 DPI, which is standard for good-quality printing. Size reductions are modest, but the document is safe to print or send to a print shop.
How to Choose in Ten Seconds
- Will it be printed? Use printer.
- Is there a strict upload limit under 1 MB? Try ebook first, then screen.
- Just emailing or sharing? Use ebook.
Try It
- Open Compress PDF.
- Upload your file and pick a level.
- Compare the new size with the original, and zoom in on the most detailed part of the page.
If you need a specific target, our guides on getting a PDF under 1 MB and under 200 KB walk through the process.
A Note on Expectations
A PDF made only of text barely shrinks at any level because there is nothing heavy to reduce. If compression "does nothing," check whether your file is already small, or read why a compressed PDF can still be too big.
Real-World Example
A 12-page company profile with product photos starts at 18 MB. At printer level it becomes about 11 MB — still too big for most email. At ebook it drops to around 3 MB and looks good on a laptop. At screen it reaches roughly 1 MB, which is fine on a phone but shows softer photos when zoomed in. The same file therefore suits three different jobs depending on the level you choose.
Keep Two Versions
For important documents, keep an ebook copy for sharing and a printer copy (or the original) for printing. It costs a little storage and saves you from recompressing later.
