Why 100 KB?
A 100 KB ceiling usually appears on older government and exam portals that were designed for slow connections. Typical documents are a single certificate, a signed declaration or a one-page ID proof. It is a tight limit, so it suits short documents rather than full reports.
How the tool gets there
Every page is drawn by pdf.js inside your browser, saved as a JPEG and placed into a fresh PDF with pdf-lib. In target mode we start at 150 DPI and lower the resolution and quality in small steps until the whole file is 100 KB or less. The first step that fits wins, so you get the sharpest version that passes.
When it will not fit
Long or full-colour documents may not squeeze into 100 KB while staying legible. Rather than produce a mush of pixels, the tool reports the smallest size it reached. Your best moves are to upload just the required page with Extract PDF pages, or to try the 200 KB preset if the portal allows it.
Good to know
- Text becomes part of an image, so it can no longer be copied or searched.
- A PDF that is already mostly text and tiny may not get smaller at all.
- Nothing is uploaded; the file is processed in your browser.
Where the 100 KB limit applies
Usually single-page documents on older exam and state government portals: a caste or domicile certificate, an NOC, a signed declaration or a one-page ID proof.
Expected results at 100 KB
| Pages (scanned) | Budget per page | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 page | about 100 KB | Text crisp on screen; photos fine |
| 3 pages | about 33 KB | Readable on screen; small print may soften |
| 10 pages | about 10 KB | Large text only; consider fewer pages |
| 25 pages | about 4 KB | Usually too tight – split or remove pages |
Born-digital PDFs (exported from Word or a bank website) are often already under the limit – check the size first. These are rough guides: colour, page size and scan noise change the result.
Can’t get below 100 KB?
When the tool reports the closest size above the target, the document simply has more page detail than the budget allows. In order of effect:
- Send fewer pages. Remove blank, duplicate or unneeded pages with Delete PDF pages, or keep only the required ones with Extract PDF pages.
- Split it. If the portal allows several uploads, cut the file into parts with Split PDF and compress each part.
- Rescan in greyscale at 150 DPI. Colour and 300–600 DPI scans waste most of the budget on paper texture.
- Crop dark borders from phone scans before making the PDF – black edges cost a lot of bytes.