ShrinkPDF

Compress a PDF to 2 MB.

A CV with a portfolio or a scanned application bundle fits in 2 MB at the Balanced level. Drop it and read the size.

ShrinkPDF
Drop PDFs here
or a link to a PDF
QualityImages 150 dpi, text untouched
Files never leave your device

What fits in 2 MB

2 MB is the limit of web forms rather than exam portals: applicant tracking systems, immigration uploads, council benefit claims. At the Balanced level (images at 150 dpi) a scanned A4 page is roughly 80 to 250 KB, so an eight- to twenty-page scan fits; at Smaller (72 dpi) a page is 30 to 90 KB and twenty pages fit with room to spare. A CV exported from Word with a photo is under 2 MB already unless the photo is a full-resolution camera file, and Balanced brings that one down to a few hundred kilobytes without touching the text. A portfolio PDF with twenty photos fits at Balanced and looks fine on a screen; at Sharper (300 dpi) it would not.

Where the 2 MB limit shows up

  • LinkedIn: for a resume uploaded to your profile or to Easy Apply, "we recommend a file size less than 2MB and the file format must be either Microsoft Word or PDF".
  • IRCC (Immigration Canada): "Depending on what you're applying for, the limit can be as low as 2 MB." The help page suggests exporting PDFs at minimum size with images at 96 or 150 dpi, which is what the Balanced and Smaller levels do.
  • GST registration (India): e-KYC documents, uploaded when Aadhaar authentication is declined, have a "maximum size for upload" of 2 MB.
  • UK councils and the GOV.UK Design System use 2 MB as the model error message ("The selected file must be smaller than 2MB"); individual services set their own number, so read the one on the form.

Steps

  1. Drop the PDF into the tool above. A CV and a cover letter together is fine; each is compressed separately.
  2. Read the new size. Under 2 MB: download.
  3. Over: switch to Smaller, or see below.

If it is still over 2 MB

  • Switch to Smaller. Scanned references and certificates read fine at 72 dpi. Keep Balanced for a portfolio, where the images are the point.
  • Take the portfolio out of the CV. Application forms usually have one field for the CV and another for supporting documents. Two files under 2 MB are easier than one file under 2 MB.
  • Export the source at a lower quality. Word, Pages, InDesign and Canva all have an export setting for image quality. "Minimum size" or "web" gives a file the compressor can bring down further.
  • Rescan at 150 dpi. A phone scan of a reference letter at full camera resolution is 5 MB per page before anything else happens.

Frequently asked

Will a compressed CV still parse in an ATS?

Yes, if the CV was text to begin with. Compression rewrites images and copies text through as text, so the parser reads the same words. A CV that is a scan of a printed page was never parseable, compressed or not.

Which level for a design portfolio?

Balanced. It keeps images at 150 dpi, which is above what a laptop screen shows at fit-to-width. Sharper (300 dpi) is for printing and makes the file two to four times larger.

Does the tool change fonts or layout?

No. Text, fonts, vector graphics and form fields are written out as they were. Only raster images are resampled and recompressed.

Is my CV uploaded anywhere?

No. The compression engine runs inside your browser and the file stays on your device. The site does not keep it.

Nearby limits: 1 MB. All sizes: compress a PDF to a target size.

Ready? Drop your PDF into the tool at the top of this page.

Compressed on your device, never uploaded. No sign-up.

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Size limits on this page were checked on .