Compress a PDF to under 100 KB
For forms that won't take anything bigger. We keep as much quality as 100 KB allows and say so if your file can't fit.
Drop pdf files here, or browse
Up to 1 file, 100 MB each
Need to combine files first? Merge PDF.
What fits in 100 KB
100 KB is a tight limit. We ran eight test PDFs through this tool. Here's what happened at 100 KB:
| Test file | Before | After | Images |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-page scanned certificate | 282 KB | 90.7 KB | 120 dpi |
| 1 slide with a photo and a chart | 118 KB | 59.8 KB | 300 dpi |
| 5 pages of scanned notes | 669 KB | 86.8 KB | 50 dpi |
| 4 phone photos of documents | 4.93 MB | 108.3 KB (missed) | 50 dpi |
| 10-page scan at 300 dpi | 8.76 MB | 297.3 KB (missed) | 50 dpi |
The single scanned page is the sweet spot. At 120 dpi its 7 pt small print was as easy to read as the original. The slide fitted without losing any resolution at all. Text-only PDFs we tried (a 1-page certificate and a 5-page document) were already under 10 KB, so we handed them back untouched.
The five pages of notes did fit, but only at 50 dpi. Headings still read, normal text was hard work, and subscripts were lost. Roughly, 100 KB holds one or two scanned pages at a quality you'd want to submit.
When 100 KB isn't possible
Two of our files couldn't get under 100 KB even at the lowest setting, and we said so instead of pretending. A long text-only report (300 pages) also stopped at 547 KB: when a file is mostly text and fonts, shrinking images doesn't help. If that happens:
- Upload fewer pages. Split the PDF and send only the page the form asks for.
- Rescan at 150 dpi in black and white or grey, rather than colour at 300 dpi or more.
- Check whether the form accepts a larger file, and pick that size instead.
How to get a PDF under 100 KB
- Add your PDF above. 100 KB is already selected.
- Press Compress PDF and wait a few seconds while we try several settings.
- Read the result card. It gives the exact size in bytes, and the image resolution we used.
- Open the file, zoom in on the smallest text, and upload it only if you can read it.
How it works
Step 1
Add your PDF
Drop in the file. 100 KB is already picked for you.
Step 2
We search for the best fit
The server tries image resolutions from 300 dpi down to 50 dpi and keeps the sharpest version that is still under 100 KB. It takes a few seconds.
Step 3
Check, then upload
At 100 KB, small print is the first thing to suffer. Open the result, zoom in on the smallest text, and only then upload it.
Your files, your privacy
Every tool on this site processes your files in the browser or deletes them immediately after server-side processing. No human sees your documents. Ever.