Target around 300 KB using the 500 KB preset — the iterative tiers usually land a text-heavy PDF in the 200–400 KB band, which is exactly where you want it for Passport Seva, SSC / UPSC uploads, and DS-160 supporting documents. Browser-only, free, no upload.
We do not yet ship an exact 300 KB target, so we route you to the closest preset and explain what to expect.
The compressor currently ships five fixed targets: 50 KB, 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB, and 1 MB. For a 300 KB goal the 500 KB preset is the right entry point. The tool iterates quality tiers from high to low and stops at the first one that fits under 500 KB. For a typical text-heavy PDF that is tier 1 (scale 1.5, JPEG quality 0.6), which produces roughly 250–450 KB depending on the number of pages and images.
If your result comes out at 380 KB and you want it closer to 300 KB, switch to the 200 KB preset. You trade a tier of quality for a smaller file. A custom target slider is on the roadmap — for now, two presets bracket any size you need.
pdf.js and pdf-lib handle everything locally. No uploads, no server processing, no cloud storage.
Clean output, no email gate, no subscription prompts.
Iterative tier escalation — we try highest quality first and drop only as needed. You get the sharpest result that stays under the chosen cap.
We tell you what size came out and at which tier. If you need tighter, drop to the 200 KB preset.
Expected output per tier on a typical 10-page text document. Photo-heavy PDFs will be larger.
| High (tier 0) | 2.0 × 0.8 — ~900 KB. Above the 300 KB band. |
|---|---|
| Medium (tier 1) | 1.5 × 0.6 — ~420 KB. Often where the 500 KB preset lands — near the 300 KB band. |
| Low (tier 2) | 1.0 × 0.4 — ~180 KB. Used by the 200 KB preset. |
| Very low (tier 3) | 0.75 × 0.3 — ~95 KB. |
| Extreme (tier 4) | 0.5 × 0.25 — ~55 KB. |
| Last-resort (tier 5) | 0.4 × 0.18 — ~35 KB. |
Opens the tool with the 500 KB preset pre-selected — usually lands in the 300 KB band.
Compress toward 300 KB
Private, free, no server.
The compressor currently ships five fixed targets — 50 KB, 100 KB, 200 KB, 500 KB, and 1 MB. For a 300 KB goal we recommend the 500 KB preset: the tool iterates through quality tiers from highest to lowest, so a text-heavy PDF usually lands in the 200–400 KB band. If the result is above 300 KB and you need tighter, step down to the 200 KB preset. A custom target slider is coming, but two adjacent presets bracket any size you need.
Passport Seva in India lists 300 KB as the ceiling for supporting documents like Aadhaar, PAN, and address proof. The US DS-160 caps the visa photo at 240 KB but supporting documents often go up to 300 KB. Several Indian exam portals — SSC, UPSC, state commissions — use 300 KB for scanned marksheets and certificates. University admissions portals commonly sit at 300 KB too.
Tier 1 (scale 1.5, JPEG quality 0.6) is usually the right place. The tool picks the tier automatically, but that is where most text-heavy PDFs land for a ~300 KB result. Output is crisp on screen and prints acceptably for supporting documents.
Not with target-size compression, which re-renders each page as a JPEG. If the text layer matters (you need Ctrl+F after compression), stay at tier 0 or target 1 MB. For the typical use case — uploading a legible scan to a portal — losing the text layer is fine.
No. Compression runs entirely in your browser with pdf.js and pdf-lib. You can verify with the network tab — zero requests during compression.
Compress to 50 KB
Most aggressive preset
Compress to 100 KB
Common e-form cap
Compress to 200 KB
DS-160 & PAN upload
Compress to 1 MB
Email attachment friendly
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Compress PDF on iPhone
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