About compressing to this size
1 MB is the usual limit for resumes, portfolios and supporting documents on job portals, and a safe size for email. Scanned documents of 10–20 pages usually fit at good quality.
How it reaches 1 MB: each page is redrawn as a JPEG image, and the tool searches resolution and quality settings for the best-looking version that is still under 1 MB. This works best for scanned PDFs and photos of documents. Typed PDFs (from Word or a website) are usually small already — if yours is already under 1 MB, the tool tells you and keeps it unchanged.
Good to know: because pages become images, text in the compressed file can’t be selected or searched. That is fine for uploads, but keep your original for editing.
Tip: For a typed resume exported from Word, the PDF is usually already small — check its size before compressing.
Need a different limit? 100 KB · 200 KB · 300 KB · 500 KB · 2 MB — or type any size into the “Target size” box above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compress a PDF to 1 MB?
Choose your PDF above — the target is already 1 MB — and click “Compress PDF”. Download the result once it says it is under 1 MB.
What if it can’t get under 1 MB?
You’ll get the smallest version possible and a note. Tick “black & white”, or remove extra pages with Delete PDF Pages, then try again.
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. Compression happens in your browser, so private documents never leave your device.
Can I still read the text after compressing?
Yes, it stays readable, but it becomes part of an image, so you can’t select or copy it.