Compress PDF to 400 KB
Compress a PDF to 400 KB for attachment limits that sit between the strict 100 KB forms and roomy 1 MB uploads, with scans that stay pleasant to read.
Where you meet a 400 KB limit
Online tax and benefit filings, school and course platforms and some company expense tools accept attachments up to about 400 KB. It is enough for a short scanned contract or a handful of receipts, provided the scans are compressed. A phone photo of a receipt is typically 2 to 4 MB, so even one photo needs reducing.
What fits in 400 KB
- Six to twelve scanned pages, or a short signed contract.
- Five to ten receipts photographed with a phone, combined into one PDF.
- A long text document, even with a few charts.
- Four color pages with photos at good quality.
For receipts and expense reports
- 1Turn phone photos into one PDF with JPG to PDF, then compress the result to 400 KB.
- 2Photograph receipts on a dark, plain background; it compresses better than a patterned table.
- 3One receipt per page keeps them easy to check; the tool sizes each one fairly.
Questions about compressing to 400 KB
Can I compress several PDFs to 400 KB at once?+
Merge them into one PDF first, then compress that file. To keep them separate, compress them one after another; each takes a few seconds.
Why is a text-only PDF hard to shrink?+
Text is already stored compactly. What remains is mostly the embedded fonts, which are trimmed to the characters actually used but cannot be removed without changing how the text looks.
Does the target work with password-protected PDFs?+
Unlock the PDF first with Unlock PDF (you need its password), then compress it.
Where does the processing happen?+
In your browser. The PDF is never uploaded, which also makes it fast on slow connections.
Will a tax or expense portal still accept the compressed receipts?+
Yes. The result is a normal PDF; amounts, dates and stamps on scanned receipts stay readable at 400 KB as long as the file has no more than about a dozen pages.