How to compress a PDF to under 1 MB
Job portals, university applications and government websites often reject files over 1 MB, and some ask for less than 200 KB. A scanned certificate or ID can easily be several megabytes. Here's how to get it under the limit.
Open Compress PDF →Steps
- Open Compress PDF on PDFoxen.
- Select your PDF.
- Look at the estimated size shown for each level and pick the first one that is under your limit.
- Click Compress and download.
- Check the file size in your downloads folder before uploading it.
Getting really small files
Scans are the hardest to shrink because every page is a photo. Remove blank or extra pages with Remove pages first; each page removed cuts the size directly.
If you are building the PDF from phone photos, use JPG to PDF and choose the smaller page size option. It is easier to start small than to shrink later.
Common questions
How do I check the size of my PDF?
On Windows, right-click the file and choose Properties. On a Mac, select it and press Cmd + I. On a phone, the Files app shows the size under the name.
Can I compress to an exact size like 100 KB?
You can't pick an exact number, but the estimates let you choose the level closest to your target.
Will the document still be readable?
Yes. Text stays sharp. At the strongest level, photos and stamps lose some fine detail, so check the result before submitting.
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