Compress a PDF to under 1 MB

1 MB is a frequent limit for CVs, application forms and multi-page scans on job sites and university portals. This page is set to 1 MB: drop the PDF in and download a copy under the limit. Nothing is uploaded to howITwork.net.

Before you compress a CV

A CV made in Word or Google Docs is usually well under 1 MB already. If yours is larger, the cause is almost always a large photo or logo inside it. Replacing that picture with a smaller one keeps the text sharp and selectable, which this tool cannot do because it redraws pages as pictures. Use this tool when the file is a scan, or when you cannot edit the original.

Scanned documents

• Around 10–15 scanned A4 pages fit in 1 MB and stay readable.
• Very long scans may need to be split with split PDF.
• If the result looks too soft, remove pages you do not need with extract pages and try again.

Other limits: under 200 KB or any size.