Methods to reduce the cross section (e.g. rolling, swaging and/or drawing) of the superconducting wires by the powder-in-tube (PIT) method were compared in the capability to densify the superconductors. It was found that the density of the superconductor saturates at a maximal value in the first few steps. Parameters, such as friction between the roll and the tape, area reduction rate, size of the roll etc., during the flat-rolling were investigated to evaluate the effects on the final dimensions and properties of the superconducting tapes.