What if my PDF can't be compressed to the target?

The tool compresses as far as it can. If it can't reach the target, the download still gives you the most compressed version possible — and tells you the actual size achieved.

Will this affect text quality?

Text is stored as vectors and is never degraded. Only embedded images are resampled. At low DPI settings, images may look softer but text stays sharp.

How is this different from regular Compress PDF?

Regular compress uses quality presets (screen/ebook/printer) without a size guarantee. This tool guarantees the output is at or under your chosen size limit.

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Compress PDF to Size

Compress a PDF to an exact target file size

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Drag & drop PDF here

or click to browse

Target size

Files are deleted automatically after 1 hour

About Compress PDF to Size

Many government portals, job application sites, and academic submission systems enforce a strict file size limit — often 1 MB, 2 MB, or 5 MB. Standard PDF compressors give you quality presets but no guarantee you'll land under the limit. Compress PDF to Size lets you set an exact target — say 2 MB — and the tool automatically tries multiple compression levels until it gets as close as possible to that size without going over. The tool first tries lossless stream optimisation to remove redundant metadata and compress internal data structures. If that's sufficient to meet your target, the PDF is downloaded with no quality loss. If the file is still too large, it progressively reduces image resolution — starting at 150 DPI, stepping down through 120, 96, 72, and 48 DPI — stopping as soon as the target is achieved. This is ideal for: uploading resumes and supporting documents to job portals, submitting financial documents to bank or government portals, attaching reports to email when inbox limits apply, and meeting university or scholarship application size requirements.