Compress a PDF to under 1 MB

How it works

1. Drop the PDF. It is read in the browser and never leaves your computer.
2. Nothing to set: the target is 1 MB and the compression level follows from it.
3. Press the button. Expect a visible drop on a colour scan of more than a few pages — at this size that is the trade, not a fault.
4. Check the size in the list. If it did not reach 1 MB, the answers below say why and what to do instead.

Frequently asked questions

Which forms ask for 1 MB?

The strict ones: job application portals, visa and residence systems, and forms that collect one attachment per field rather than one per case. Those systems store a lot of small files and cap each one hard.

Will a colour scan still be readable?

A few pages, yes. A long colour scan of typed text, mostly — the letters survive being re-encoded far better than photographs do. What suffers is anything with a photograph or a coloured stamp on it, which at 1 MB can come back visibly blotchy.

Should I scan in greyscale instead?

If you know the limit in advance, yes. A greyscale scan of the same document starts at perhaps a third of the size, so it reaches 1 MB with quality left over rather than being squeezed into it. This page cannot undo a colour scan that has already been made.

Is the text still selectable afterwards?

Yes. Only the images are re-encoded; a text layer is carried across untouched, so copying, searching and screen readers all still work. A tool that rasterises to hit a size costs you all three.

Is my file uploaded?

No. The PDF is opened, re-encoded and rebuilt inside the browser tab, which is the whole point when the document is a contract or a passport scan.