Compress a PDF to 100 KB for an online form
Target size is set to 100 KB. Pages, text and fonts are kept; only the pictures inside get smaller.
When a form asks for a PDF under 100 KB
Many online application forms, for jobs, exams, admissions, scholarships and government services, take a document only if the PDF is under a size limit, and 100 KB is one of the tightest. A mark sheet or certificate scanned on a phone is often several MB, so the upload is refused.
This page is set up to reduce PDF size to 100 KB. It is the file size that changes, not the page: each page keeps its size on paper, its text and its fonts. The scans and photos inside are made smaller in steps, from 150 DPI down to 72 DPI at most, and you get the first step that fits under 100 KB, so the PDF stays as clear as the limit allows.
100 KB is not much room. A page or two of scans usually fits; a long scan may not. If even the smallest step is over 100 KB, you still get the smallest version we could make, with a note saying how big it is, so you can decide what to do next.
How to compress a PDF to 100 KB
- 1Select your PDF
One file at a time on the free plan, up to 25 MB.
- 2Keep the target at 100 KB
Target size is already chosen. Type a smaller number if your form's limit is lower.
- 3Compress and download
The finished size is shown next to the file before you save it.
Getting a stubborn PDF under 100 KB
- Upload only the pages the form asks for. Every page adds to the size.
- Scan in black and white or grayscale where the form allows it: those scans come out smaller.
- If the scan is a phone photo, crop it to the page before you make the PDF.
- A photo or signature the same form asks for is a picture, not a PDF: compress the picture itself to its own limit.
Questions people ask
How do I reduce PDF size to 100 KB?
Select the PDF on this page and press Compress: Target size is already set to 100 KB. It is the file size, in KB, that goes down. Pages keep their size on paper, and their text and fonts stay as they are; only the pictures in them are made smaller.
What if my PDF cannot get under 100 KB?
You get the smallest version we could make, and a message that says it could not reach 100 KB and how big the file is. Pictures are never taken below 72 DPI, so the text in a scan stays readable. Remove pages you do not need, or scan again in grayscale, and try once more.
My form counts 1,024 bytes per KB. Will the file pass?
Yes. Here 1 KB is 1,000 bytes, so a file under 100 KB here is also under 100 KB on a form that counts 1,024 bytes per KB.
Will the text in my certificate still be readable?
Typed text and fonts in the PDF are kept exactly, so they stay sharp. Text that is part of a scan gets softer as the picture shrinks, but it is never taken below 72 DPI. Open the result and check it before you upload.
Is my document kept on your servers?
No. It is deleted from our servers 24 hours after you upload it, with the compressed copy. Nothing is used for training and no person looks at your files.
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