By PAYATE
Government portals, job sites and university applications often reject files that are too big: "maximum file size 100KB", "PDF must be under 200KB", "upload limit 1MB". This guide shows how to get your PDF under the limit for free - in most cases in less than a minute - and what to do when one pass is not enough.
Table of contents
Step 1: Compress the PDF
- Open Compress PDF.
- Select your file. It is processed on your device, so private documents are never uploaded.
- Start with Recommended. The tool shows the old and new size before you download.
- Still too big? Run it again with Extreme.
Scanned documents and PDFs made from phone photos usually shrink by 70-90%, which is often enough to go from 2-3MB to under 300KB.
Step 2: Remove what you do not need
File size grows with every page. If the form only needs your ID card, do not upload the whole 10-page scan. Use Split PDF to extract the pages you need, or Delete PDF Pages to remove blank or duplicate pages, then compress again.
Step 3: Rebuild the PDF from smaller images
If your PDF was made from photos, the fastest way to a tiny file is to rebuild it:
- Convert the pages to pictures with PDF to JPG at 96 DPI.
- Turn them back into a PDF with JPG to PDF using the A4 page size.
For black-and-white documents, Scan to PDF with the "Document" look or Grayscale PDF removes color data and saves even more space.
Typical sizes to expect
| Document | Before | After "Extreme" |
|---|---|---|
| 1-page ID scan from a phone | 2-4 MB | 80-200 KB |
| 5-page scanned contract | 8-15 MB | 400-900 KB |
| Text-only PDF from Word | 100-300 KB | usually already small |
Text-only PDFs are already compact. If yours is still above the limit, the problem is usually embedded pictures or too many pages.
Common mistakes
- Compressing a password-protected file. Remove the password first with Unlock PDF.
- Zipping the PDF. A .zip file is rarely accepted by upload forms and barely reduces PDF size.
- Taking photos in the highest resolution. A 12-megapixel photo of an A4 page is much larger than needed.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compress a PDF to exactly 100KB?
Compression cannot target an exact size, but Extreme compression on a single scanned page usually lands between 80KB and 200KB. Remove extra pages if you need to go lower.
Will the text still be readable?
Yes. Recommended and Extreme keep documents readable on screen. Text becomes part of an image, so it cannot be selected.
Is it safe to compress ID documents online?
With our tool, yes: compression runs in your browser and the file never leaves your device.
Can I compress a PDF on my phone?
Yes. Open the Compress PDF page in your mobile browser and select the file from your phone or cloud storage.
Try it now: Compress your PDF →
