Compress PDF to 1 MB

How to compress a PDF below 1 MB

1. 1

   Choose a PDF

   Click Choose PDF or drag the file onto the page. The file stays on your device.

2. 2

   Click Compress PDF

   The 1 MB limit is already set, so there is nothing to type. If the PDF is already under 1 MB, you get it back unchanged.

3. 3

   Check the result

   You will see the size before and after. If the file cannot get down to 1 MB, the page tells you how much too big it is and shows the Try a lower resolution button.

4. 4

   Download the file

   Before the download we check that the smaller PDF opens, has the same number of pages and has not lost any text.

What fits in 1 MB

1 MB is enough for most text documents and for a few pages scanned in black and white. A colour scan, a presentation or a report with photos may need stronger compression, and the photos will then lose some sharpness. If the form counts 1 MB as a million bytes, set a custom limit of 976 KB in Compress PDF. After downloading, open the file and check that everything important is still readable.

Where you will see a 1 MB limit

A 1 MB limit appears in many forms and systems, but not all of them count a megabyte the same way. The limit is a ceiling, so the finished file usually comes out a little smaller than 1 MB. The tool counts 1 KB as 1,024 bytes and 1 MB as 1,024 KB. If the form counts differently, or you are not sure how it counts, set a custom limit with a small margin on the main Compress PDF page.

An ordinary text document or a short scan usually fits, while a document full of photos may not. The size of a PDF depends more on photos, scans and fonts than on the number of pages. A text-only document often fits with no visible change, while a scan may need its pages saved at lower quality. After downloading, compare important details, signatures, stamps and thin lines with the original.

What to do if the PDF will not fit in 1 MB

If the file cannot get below 1 MB, you can download the smallest version the tool managed to make and see how far over the limit it is. Then click Try a lower resolution. The file may get smaller still and the text stays selectable, but photos, stamps and thin lines will be less sharp, so look at the result before you send it.

If that is still not enough, cut down the document, not its readability. Use Delete PDF pages to drop pages the recipient does not need, keep only the required ones with Extract PDF pages, or Split PDF into several smaller files. If the recipient accepts bigger files, choose a higher limit in Compress PDF.

Privacy

All processing takes place in your browser. Your PDF is never uploaded to a server, and no data remains after you close the page.

FAQ