How to Reduce PDF Size for Government Forms (Without Image Resize)
Government portals often reject PDFs that exceed size limits. This guide shows how to reduce PDF size safely — without resizing images or damaging readability.
Why government portals reject PDF uploads
- Strict size limits (100KB, 500KB, 1MB)
- Scanned PDFs contain high-resolution images
- Extra blank pages increase file size
- Large margins waste space inside the PDF
Step 1: Compress the PDF (primary solution)
- Open Compress PDF.
- Upload your government form PDF.
- Select a balanced or strong compression preset.
- Download the compressed PDF.
Most portals accept PDFs below 1MB. Compression alone solves the majority of upload rejections.
Step 2: Remove unnecessary pages
- Open Delete pages.
- Remove blank or instruction pages.
- Keep only mandatory pages.
- Download the cleaned PDF.
Step 3: Crop extra margins (optional but effective)
- Use Crop PDF.
- Trim large white margins.
- Apply cropping to all pages.
Cropping does not resize images — it simply removes wasted space.
Common government forms with PDF size limits
- UPSC, SSC, Banking exam uploads
- Visa & passport applications
- University admissions
- Government job onboarding forms