When you need a PDF under 1MB
“Maximum file size: 1MB” is a common condition on online application forms. Documents photographed on a phone or scanned at high resolution can exceed 1MB in just a few pages.
Résumés and job applications
More job applications in Japan now ask for résumés (rirekisho), entry sheets and work histories as PDFs. A résumé with an ID photo contains an image, so it can easily go over the limit.
ID documents and certificates
Uploading a copy of your My Number card, driver’s license or other certificates often comes with a size limit.
Tax returns and other applications
Scanned receipts and deduction certificates add up quickly. Check the size limit in the instructions.
Quotes, invoices and other work documents
Keeping files around 1MB is safer when uploading to a client’s system or sending by email.
Limits vary by site and organization. Always check the instructions where you’re submitting.
How this tool gets your PDF under 1MB
The tool first compresses only the photos and scanned images in your PDF, keeping text and layout as they are wherever possible. If that gets it under 1MB, text can still be selected and copied.
Only if that isn’t enough are pages turned into images to shrink further, and never below a quality where text stays readable. If 1MB can’t be reached while keeping text readable, the tool tells you, and you can still download the smallest file it made.
If your PDF won’t go under 1MB
PDFs with many pages or photos may not fit. Try these:
- Delete pages you don’t need (blank or unrequired pages) before compressing
- Split the PDF by document and check whether you can submit several files
- If color isn’t needed, convert to grayscale before compressing
- If a larger size is allowed, compress to under 2MB instead
We count 1MB the smaller way
Sizes can be counted two ways: 1MB as 1,000,000 bytes or as 1,048,576 bytes. This tool uses the smaller definition (1KB = 1,000 bytes, 1MB = 1,000,000 bytes), so your file stays under the limit either way.
Your documents stay on your device
Your PDF isn’t uploaded to a server; it’s processed in your browser. Documents with personal information, such as résumés and ID copies, are compressed without leaving your device. The data is discarded when you close the page.
Works with documents scanned on your phone
Open this page in your iPhone or Android browser and select a PDF from the Files app or Google Drive. No app is needed. Long PDFs are faster on a computer.
Check before you submit
- Small text such as names and dates is readable in the preview
- Photos and seals aren’t blurred beyond recognition
- Pages are in the right order and orientation (fix them with Rotate PDF or Reorder PDF Pages)
- Keep the original file too (text may not be selectable after compression)