Compress a PDF to 100KB

Is 100KB realistic for my file?

A one or two page document made from text, such as a letter or a certificate exported from Word, usually gets under 100KB easily.

A scanned page is harder. A single A4 scan in colour is often 500KB to 2MB before compression. Strong compression and grayscale can often bring it close to 100KB, which is why the extra steps below matter.

Several scanned pages in one file are unlikely to fit in 100KB while staying readable. If the portal allows it, upload one page per file.

Steps that get a PDF under 100KB

• Remove every page the form doesn't ask for with Remove PDF Pages.
• Convert colour scans to grayscale with Grayscale PDF. Grey images need far less data.
• Compress with the strongest level on this page.
• Zoom in on the result. If names, numbers and signatures are still readable, you are done.
• Still too big? Rescan at 150 dpi in black and white, then compress again.

Check before you upload

Systems count kilobytes slightly differently, as 1,000 or 1,024 bytes. Aim for 95KB or less to be safe.

On Windows, right-click the file and choose Properties to see the exact size. On a Mac, select it and press Command and I. On Android and iPhone, the Files app shows the size under the file name.

Can I choose an exact size such as 100KB?

You choose a compression level rather than an exact size. The strongest level combined with the steps above gets most single-page documents under 100KB.

Will the text still be readable?

Text stays sharp because it is stored as text, not as an image. Scans lose some detail, so always check the result before you upload it.