How to make documents under 200 KB for online forms (certificates, marksheets, ID)

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Many online forms ask for documents under 200 KB.

It can be a certificate, a marksheet, an ID or a caste certificate.

A phone scan is often 1–5 MB. So it gets rejected.

You can fix this in a few minutes. Follow the steps below.

First: per file or total?

Read the line next to the upload button.

Not sure? Treat it as one file under the limit. That is the safe choice.

Also check the format. Some boxes take only PDF. Some take only JPG.

Example: IGNOU

The IGNOU admission FAQ says:

Source: IGNOU FAQs (PDF). This file is from 2023. Check the live portal before you upload.

Here the limit is per document.

Size table: what fits in 200 KB

These are rough guides from our own tests, not official limits.

How to prepare: scan clean

A clean scan gets smaller easily.

1. Keep the paper flat on a table.
2. Use daylight or a bright tube light. No shadow of your phone.
3. Hold the phone straight above the page.
4. Crop out the table and fingers.
5. Use black-and-white or greyscale for text-only pages.
6. Keep colour only if the form asks for it, or if the seal is in colour and must show.

Tip from us: a scan around 150 DPI in black-and-white is usually clear and small. This is our advice, not an official rule. Some notices set their own DPI. For example, RRB NTPC 2026 asks for at least 100 DPI for the signature.

Step by step: make it under 200 KB

Step 1: Remove extra pages

Does your PDF have blank or extra pages?

Open Delete PDF pages. Remove them.

Need only one page from a big file? Use Split PDF.

Fewer pages means a smaller file.

Step 2: Photos to one PDF (if needed)

Have JPG photos but the form wants a PDF?

Use JPG to PDF.

Form wants many certificates in one file? Use Merge PDF. Then compress the merged file.

Step 3: Compress to the limit

1. Open Compress PDF.
2. Choose your PDF.
3. Pick the 200 KB limit. You can also type your own limit.
4. For text-only pages, turn on black-and-white.
5. Download the file. Check the size shown.

Your file stays on your device. Nothing is uploaded to us.

Note: Compress PDF saves each page as an image. So after compressing, you cannot select or copy text in the PDF. This is fine for most form uploads. Keep the original if you need the text.

Form wants a JPG, not a PDF? Use Compress image to KB.

Step 4: Zoom and check

Do not upload without checking.

1. Open the new file.
2. Zoom to 100% or more.
3. Check that you can read:
   • your name and roll number
   • marks or dates
   • the seal or stamp
   • the signature of the officer
4. If anything is blurred, compress again with a slightly higher limit. Or scan again more cleanly.

A blurred seal can lead to rejection at document verification.

Step 5: Keep the original

Save the original scan in a separate folder.

You may need a different size for another form. Always start again from the original, not the compressed copy.

Still above 200 KB?

Try these in order:

1. Remove one more page you do not need.
2. Switch to black-and-white.
3. Crop the empty white border.
4. Set a slightly lower limit, like 180 KB, and check clarity again.
5. Scan again in better light. Shadows and grey paper make files bigger.

Upload still rejected? Read Why your upload was rejected.

Official sources

Always use the limit on your own form. Examples we checked:

• IGNOU FAQs (photo 100 KB, signature 100 KB, documents 200 KB each)
• National Scholarship Portal FAQ and user manual (the limit depends on the scheme)
• Telangana Graduates' MLC voter registration (Form 18), Suryapet district notice