How the tool gets your PDF under 1MB
- First it tries a lossless clean-up. If that's enough, your PDF keeps selectable, searchable text.
- If not, it re-renders each page as an image, starting at high resolution and stepping down only until the file fits.
- It stops at the first setting that's under 1MB, so you get the best quality that meets the limit.
What fits in 1MB
A typed document of dozens of pages usually fits easily without any loss. For scans, 1MB is typically enough for roughly 5–15 pages at good on-screen readability, depending on how dense the pages are. Long scanned documents may need to be split into parts.
If it still won't fit
- Remove pages the form doesn't need — blank pages and duplicate copies are common.
- Split the document into separate files if the portal allows multiple uploads.
- Re-scan in black and white or greyscale at 150 DPI instead of colour at 300 DPI.
Frequently asked questions
Will my text still be readable?
Yes. Pages are only rendered as images when needed, and the tool starts at high resolution, so text stays readable on screen.
Can I still select or copy text afterwards?
If the gentle clean-up was enough, yes. If pages had to be converted to images, the result tells you, and text won't be selectable.
Does 1MB mean 1,000KB or 1,024KB?
This tool uses 1MB = 1,024KB. If a portal is strict about 1,000KB, pick a custom target of 950KB.