“File size should not exceed 200 KB” or “Max 1 MB” is a common message on job portals, university admissions and government forms. Scanned PDFs made on a phone are often several MB. Here are three ways to fix it, from easiest to most powerful.
Method 1: Compress the PDF
- Open the PDF Compressor.
- Choose your PDF.
- Try Standard first. It keeps text sharp and selectable but saves less space.
- If the file is still too big, use Strong. It turns each page into a compressed image, which shrinks scanned documents a lot.
- Download and check the size.
Good to know: Strong mode makes text unselectable, because each page becomes a picture. For form uploads that is usually fine; for documents you need to edit, keep the original.
Method 2: Rebuild the PDF from smaller images
If your PDF came from phone photos (Aadhaar, mark sheets, certificates), you often get a smaller and clearer file by starting again:
- Compress each photo with the Image Compressor. For a 200 KB PDF with two pages, aim for about 80–90 KB per image.
- Combine them with JPG to PDF.
Method 3: Upload only the pages they need
If the form asks for one certificate but your PDF has ten pages, cut out just the pages you need with the PDF Splitter. Fewer pages means a smaller file.
Which method should I use?
- Text PDF made on a computer (resume, letter): Method 1, Standard.
- Scanned or photographed documents: Method 1 Strong, or Method 2.
- Long PDF, form wants one document: Method 3, then compress.
Tips
- Scan at 150–200 DPI. 300 DPI or higher makes big files with little visible benefit on screen.
- Greyscale scans are smaller than colour, if the form allows them.
- Check that the text is still readable before you upload.
All these tools run inside your browser, so your documents stay on your device.
Frequently asked questions
How do I reduce a PDF to under 200 KB?
Use the PDF Compressor in Strong mode for scanned PDFs. If it is still too big, rebuild the PDF from compressed images with JPG to PDF, or keep only the pages you need.
Will compressing a PDF reduce quality?
Standard mode keeps text sharp. Strong mode converts pages to JPEG images, which makes text unselectable and can soften small print.
Is it safe to compress Aadhaar or certificates online here?
ToolSandook processes PDFs inside your browser, so the file is not uploaded to our server.