Compress a document scan to 150 KB

What 150 KB holds

150 KB is roomy enough for a readable A4 scan. A document at 800x1100 pixels keeps its text sharp and its lines clean. Photos benefit too, with a 700x700 portrait looking nearly untouched at this size.

Scanned text is where 150 KB shines. The extra headroom over a 100 KB cap means edges of letters stay crisp instead of fuzzing into the background. That difference matters when an officer has to read your name and dates.

Where the 150 KB cap lives

Many government job portals and admission sites set 150 KB for uploaded documents, mark sheets, and certificates. It is a deliberate step up from the photo caps, because a full page needs more detail than a face.

Scan in grayscale if the document has no important color. A grayscale scan compresses much smaller than full color, which leaves more of your 150 KB budget for actual sharpness rather than storing color you do not need.

Fitting a multi-page document

If a portal wants several pages in one file, each page eats into the 150 KB total. Compress each scan separately first, then check the combined size. Trimming wide margins and straightening crooked scans also frees up space without touching the text itself.

Grayscale buys a scan real headroom

A scanned document photographed in colour spends a large part of its budget storing colour information that carries no meaning. The page is black text on white paper, and the colour channels are recording paper tint and scanner cast.

Converting a text scan to grayscale before compressing leaves far more of the 150 KB for the letterforms themselves. Keep colour only when it is part of the document, such as a signature in blue ink or an official seal that needs to be identifiable.