Single-page government forms
Portals that cap an uploaded declaration or affidavit at 20 KB are usually expecting one typed page with a signature image. Those files compress well because the letters are drawn as text, not pixels.
Runs entirely in your browser
Compress a PDF to 20 KB
20 KB is one of the tightest PDF limits on the web. It is achievable for short, text-only documents — and usually impossible for scans.
Verified 20 KB ceilingText stays selectable when possibleNo upload
- No uploads
- No account
- No watermark
document.pdf
——Analysing…
Advanced options
Your file stays in this browser tab. Closing it deletes everything.
Compressing your PDF…
0%Preparing…
Large files can take a minute. The interface stays responsive — you can keep scrolling while it works.
That file could not be compressed
No uploadNo sign-upNo watermarkWorks offline
Files never leave your deviceNo uploadsNo accountNo watermarkNo file storageWorks offlineOpen target sizesMeasured output
The realistic picture
What 20 KB actually means for your document
Most upload forms that ask for 20 KB are designed for a photo or a signature, not a multi-page document. A PDF built from typed text, with no photographs and no scanned pages, can often be squeezed into 20 KB while staying readable. A scan of the same page usually cannot, because even a single low-resolution page image is larger than the entire budget.
This tool tries every strategy that makes sense: first it rebuilds the file structure and strips metadata, then it recompresses embedded images while keeping text selectable, and only as a last resort does it rasterise pages. You always see the measured result, and you are never told a target was reached when it was not.
Where this limit shows up
Four situations that ask for 20 KB
Tiny email attachments
When a mail server rejects a message because of a strict per-message limit, a 20 KB one-pager usually slips through where a 300 KB export does not.
Text-only receipts and tickets
Booking confirmations and invoices exported from accounting software are mostly text and simple rules, so the structural pass alone can often get them under 20 KB without touching quality.
Honest expectations
What fits in 20 KB, and what does not
These are typical outcomes from real documents, not promises. The compressor reports the measured result for your specific file.
| Document type | Outlook |
|---|---|
| 1 page, typed text only | Usually possible, often 6–15 KB. |
| 2–3 pages, typed text | Possible if there are no images or logos. |
| Any scanned page | Unrealistic — one page scan rarely fits. |
| Document with photos or charts | Not possible without severe blur. |
Keep it private
The file is read in your tab and never transmitted.
Keep it readable
Text and vectors survive unless rasterising is the only option.
Keep it honest
A target is only marked met when the measured bytes fit.
Questions about compressing to 20 KB
Specific answers for this size limit, including when it is the wrong choice.
Why is 20 KB so hard to reach?
Every PDF carries a fixed overhead: fonts, a page tree, cross-reference data and a content stream. A page of embedded text alone can be 10–20 KB once fonts are included. Photographs and scans add hundreds of kilobytes per page, so a 20 KB ceiling leaves almost no room for them.
Will my text still be selectable at 20 KB?
If the file can be compressed through the structural or image passes, yes — the text stays as text. If the tool has to rasterise pages to get under the limit, the result is an image-based PDF and text is no longer selectable. The report tells you exactly which path was taken.
What if 20 KB is impossible for my file?
The tool measures the real output at each quality level and stops when further changes would make the document unusable. You get the smallest file it could produce, its actual size, and a clear note that the target was not met — never a false success.
Is a 20 KB PDF accepted by government portals?
Only if the portal accepts the visual quality. Low-resolution scans can be rejected by automated checks even when the file size is correct. When in doubt, upload the clearest version that fits and check the preview before submitting.
Can I compress to 20 KB on my phone?
Yes. Everything runs in the browser on your device, including mobile Chrome and Safari. Very large input files may hit memory limits on older phones, and the tool warns you before that happens.
Other limits