What to expect
200 KB is an achievable target for most short and medium documents. Use the Recommended level first; if the file is still over, switch to Strong. Text-only PDFs are already small and may not change much.
Still over the limit?
- Drop to the strongest level.
- Remove pages you do not need before compressing.
- Combine a modest scan-resolution reduction with compression.
Where 200 KB limits show up
Government and scholarship portals, bank KYC forms and school admissions frequently ask for supporting documents under 200 KB each. A one to three page scan of a certificate, ID card or fee receipt usually fits comfortably.
Scan settings that help
- Scan text documents in greyscale or black-and-white instead of colour - it can halve the size.
- 150 DPI is sharp enough for any document read on screen.
- Use your phone scanner app's "document" mode, which flattens the page and whitens the background.
Double-check the result
Open the compressed PDF and zoom in on small print such as dates, roll numbers and signatures. If anything is hard to read, use a lighter level and remove pages instead.