How to get a PDF under 1 MB or 2 MB for a university portal
Application portals often cap each document at 1 MB or 2 MB. Transcripts, ID copies and certificates scanned on a phone are usually bigger than that. This is how to fit them.
Before you start
- Check the exact limit on the portal. Some say MB per file, some per application.
- Check the accepted format. Most want PDF.
- Keep your original scan. Compress a copy.
Steps
- Open the Compress PDF tool.
- Choose your PDF.
- Pick 1 MB or 2 MB, matching your portal.
- Press Shrink PDF and wait. Large scans can take a little while because everything runs on your device.
- Download the result and upload it.
Several documents, one upload
If the portal wants a single file, join them first with Merge PDF. Put them in the order the portal asks for, then compress the combined file.
Tips
- Compress after merging, not before, so you only hit the limit once.
- Look at the result before you upload. Make sure names, dates and numbers are readable.
- If it is still too big, remove blank or duplicate pages with Remove pages.
Is it private?
Your documents are processed in your browser and never uploaded. That matters for IDs and transcripts.