Compress PDF to 2 MB
Recommended compression is pre-selected to hit this limit.
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How to compress a PDF to 2 MB
2 MB is a light touch. Recommended compression usually gets a large scanned document under the line while leaving images looking essentially unchanged.
Who asks for 2 MB
University submission systems, grant portals and many government e-filing services settle on 2 MB as the per-document cap. It is large enough for a properly scanned multi-page document, which is why it is a popular compromise.
If you are only slightly over
Being a few hundred kilobytes over the line is the easiest case there is — Recommended compression will clear it comfortably. If you need more headroom for a very long scan, try 5 MB, or split it with Split PDF.
Need a different size limit?
Frequently asked questions
Will a 2 MB PDF still look good?
Yes. At this size compression is barely working, so the visible difference from the original is minimal.
Can I compress a 100-page scan to 2 MB?
Often yes, though very high-resolution scans may not make it. The result screen shows the exact size before you download.