Quick answer
Set the target to 200 KB. The tool repacks the PDF first without changing it; if that is not enough it redraws the pages at 150, 110, 96, 72, 60 and 48 dpi and stops at the first step that fits. At 96 dpi an A4 page has 0.89 million pixels, so 200 KB allows about 1.84 bits per pixel for one page, and extra pages share the same limit.
| Resolution | A4 page in pixels | Bits per pixel available |
|---|---|---|
| 150 dpi | 1241 × 1754 | 0.75 |
| 110 dpi | 910 × 1286 | 1.40 |
| 96 dpi | 794 × 1122 | 1.84 |
| 72 dpi | 595 × 842 | 3.27 |
| 60 dpi | 496 × 701 | 4.71 |
| 48 dpi | 397 × 561 | 7.36 |
These figures are computed with the same formulas as the Compress PDF to 200KB above. Change the inputs in the tool to see your own result.
Compress PDF to 200KB reduces a PDF until it is under 200 kilobytes, a common ceiling for job applications, visa and admission forms and online registrations. It tries a lossless repack first and only lowers the quality of page images when the file is still too large, using the gentlest setting that fits. At 200 KB you can usually keep two or three scanned pages readable. The work happens in your browser, so the documents you handle never leave your device.
Made for everyone. Typical uses:
A two-page scanned application of 1.1 MB typically becomes 120 to 190 KB at around 96 to 110 dpi, with print that is clear on a screen. A typed resume that already weighs 150 KB may be returned almost unchanged after the lossless step.
Three or four pages of dense scans are the practical limit at 200 KB. Photos of documents taken with a phone are the heaviest input, so retake them as scans when you can. When images are lowered the text is no longer selectable, and a file that is already as small as it can be this way is reported rather than inflated.
Accuracy: Files are processed with established open-source libraries and tested with real PDFs. Open the result and check it before you send or publish it.
Expert Tip
If a form asks for several documents with one combined 200 KB limit, compress each file separately, add up the sizes, and only then merge them with the Merge PDF tool, so you can see how much room each document has.
Two hundred kilobytes is a common ceiling for job applications, admission forms, visa support documents and registration portals. It is twice the room of the 100 KB limit, and that doubling matters more than it sounds: it is the difference between a two-page scan that has to be pushed to the lowest quality and one that can stay comfortably legible.
As a rough guide, a screen-readable scan of a mostly-text page takes between 60 and 120 KB, so two or three pages fit under 200 KB, and more only when the pages are very simple.
The Compress PDF to 200KB tool starts by repacking the file losslessly. Typed documents, exported reports and files that contain duplicate resources often shrink here with no visible change. When the file is still above 200 KB, the pages are re-rendered as images at a sequence of settings from about 150 dpi down to 48, and the first one that fits is used.
This staircase is deliberate. Rather than applying one heavy setting to everything, it gives the gentlest result that meets your limit, so a file that is only slightly too big stays sharp.
Use this size when a form asks for a single combined document or a few separate ones.
Several simple fixes work better than lowering quality further. Remove pages that are not required with the Split PDF tool. Replace colour scans with grayscale. Re-scan at 150 dpi instead of 300 or 600 dpi, because a high-resolution scan holds far more data than the compression can recover without loss. If a portal accepts several files, compress each one separately and upload them one by one.
When the limit is combined across files, compress each one, add up the sizes, and only then join them with Merge PDF. That way you can see how much room each document has instead of guessing.
The file is processed in your browser, so it is not uploaded, stored or shared. Always open the result and read dates, numbers and names before submitting. If it is not clear enough, the 500 KB version leaves more room for quality when the portal permits it.
Most files that miss a limit do so because of how they were made, not because the tool failed. A few habits make 200 KB much easier to reach.
Pick the right method for scans, slides, photos and text documents, hit email and upload limits, and stop big PDFs at the source with better scan and export settings.
How much a PDF can shrink, why scans are the problem, how many pages fit under each size limit, and how our tool reaches a target without ruining the text.
Three ways to split a PDF, the page-range syntax with worked examples, what happens to links and bookmarks, and when to split before you compress or send.
Explore more in PDF Tools, read the guides and articles, or see how we test our tools.
Reduce PDF file size to a target you set, or with lossless optimizing or a smaller image-based copy.
Best for getting a PDF under the size cap of a job, visa, school or government upload form
Extract specific pages from a PDF file.
Best for sending only the relevant pages of a long report or contract
Combine multiple PDF files into one.
Best for combining a cover letter, CV and certificates into one application PDF
Shrink a PDF to under 100 KB for strict upload limits.
Best for uploading a marksheet or certificate to a portal with a 100 KB cap
Shrink a PDF to under 500 KB for email and forms.
Best for emailing an invoice, statement or contract to a client whose server limits attachments
Convert JPG and PNG images to PDF.
Best for combining phone photos of paperwork into one document