Open the scan or photo, set Maximum size to the portal's limit (20 KB, 50 KB, 100 KB, 200 KB, 300 KB or 500 KB) and download the copy once its size shows under the limit. The tool lowers the quality first and the resolution only if it must, all in your browser.
How to compress a scan or photo to a size in KB
- Choose the photo, scan or PDF of your Aadhaar, PAN card, marksheet or certificate. Add the back if the form wants both sides in one file.
- A photo taken on a table is cropped to the document's edges and straightened for you; if it missed, choose Adjust under the preview and drag the corners. Use Rotate to make the writing upright.
- Move Maximum size to the portal's limit: 20 KB, 50 KB, 100 KB, 200 KB, 300 KB, 500 KB, 1 MB or 2 MB. Choose JPG for a photo or signature, PDF for a document.
- Wait for the copy's size to appear beside Download, check that the text still reads, and download it.
The sizes Indian forms ask for
Every portal states its own limits, often a range with a minimum as well as a maximum, and changes them between notices. Read the current instructions on the form; these are examples of what they say:
- UPSC: the photograph and the signature as JPG, each between 20 KB and 300 KB and between 350 and 1,000 pixels a side; the photo ID as a PDF.
- PAN application (Protean): the photograph and the signature as JPEG at 200 DPI, up to 50 KB each; supporting documents as PDF, up to 300 KB per page.
- National Scholarship Portal, for the scholarships for students with disabilities: each document as PDF or JPEG, up to 200 KB.
When a form gives a range such as 20 KB to 50 KB, set the slider to the top of it, 50 KB. The tool aims just under the size you choose, so a copy made for 20 KB can come out under a 20 KB minimum and be refused.
What happens to the copy
The tool lowers the JPEG quality first and keeps the full resolution while it can. Only when even the lowest quality is too big does it shrink the picture, step by step. If the size still cannot be reached, it says so and gives you the smallest copy it managed; cut the margins with Adjust, or send one page at a time.
A PDF it exports contains images of the pages: text you could select in the original becomes part of the picture, and form fields are not kept. For a form with a pixel limit, such as UPSC's 350 to 1,000 pixels, a very small target can take the picture under the minimum, so check the size the portal reports after upload.
The e-Aadhaar PDF from UIDAI is protected with a password, and this tool cannot open a protected PDF. Use a photo or scan of the card or letter instead, and mask the first 8 digits if the recipient does not need your full number.
Common questions
How do I compress a PDF to 200 KB?
Open the PDF, set Maximum size to 200 KB, keep PDF as the format and download the copy once its size shows under 200 KB. Each page becomes an image, so the text is no longer selectable.
How do I compress a photo to 20 KB or 50 KB?
Open the photo, choose JPG and set Maximum size to 20 KB or 50 KB. If the form's limit is a range, pick its top value, since the copy lands just under the size you choose.
Does 200 KB mean 200,000 or 204,800 bytes?
Portals use both readings. The tool counts 200 KB as 200,000 bytes, so a copy under it passes either way.
Can I compress my Aadhaar card PDF?
A photo or scan of the card, yes. The e-Aadhaar PDF downloaded from UIDAI is password protected, and the tool cannot open a protected PDF.
Are my documents uploaded?
No. The copy is made in your browser, on your device. Once the page has loaded and the file is open, the tool keeps working offline.
