Choose a PDF or photo
How small should the file get?
Without a target size, ReduPDF compresses in a balanced way. With a target size, it automatically compresses as much as needed to stay under it.
Limits the longest edge of the photo in pixels — independent of the target size.
Advanced settings
Only needed if you want to set a specific image quality instead of a target size.
Start shrinking
Why an application gets so large
The photo. A phone or camera delivers twelve megapixels and more — 4000 × 3000 pixels, three to six megabytes. On the CV the picture is about 4 by 5 centimetres. For a screen, 400 to 600 pixels on the long edge are enough; for a print at 300 dpi, about 600. The camera photo has forty times what will ever be seen.
The certificates. Scanned certificates and diplomas are page images; in colour at 300 dpi each weighs one or two megabytes, at 600 dpi a multiple of that. Why that is, and which setting is enough, is explained on Shrink a scanned PDF.
The export from Word. When saving as PDF, Word often embeds images at their original resolution even if they are shown tiny in the document. A two-page CV with a photo can weigh four megabytes that way.
Four steps to get under the limit
- Assemble the package. Cover letter, CV, certificates — in that order, as one PDF if the portal asks for it.
- Choose a target size. Use the portal's limit. If none is stated, pick “under 2 MB”: that fits practically every portal and every email.
- Check the result. Zoom in on the photo, on your signature and on the grades in the certificate. Those three spots decide whether the package looks professional.
- Upload. You keep the original unchanged on your device — ReduPDF creates a new file.
What resolution an application photo needs
HR departments read applications on screen. A photo with 600 pixels on the long edge is razor sharp there; if the package is printed, 600 pixels at 4 by 5 centimetres equal 300 dpi — print quality. Anything above 1000 pixels is dead weight.
Some portals want the photo as a separate file with a pixel or kilobyte requirement, such as “max. 1000 × 1000 pixels” or “under 500 KB”. For that, ReduPDF's image mode has the setting Maximum image size: it limits the longest edge in pixels, independently of the target size in megabytes. Load the photo itself for this rather than the PDF package.
One file or several — what portals and applicant tracking systems expect
Most portals want a single PDF; some have separate fields for cover letter, CV and attachments. Follow the portal's instructions — and if it gives none, one file in a clear order is the most pleasant for the reader.
Larger companies use applicant tracking software that reads the CV automatically: name, positions, degrees. That works only if the text in the PDF is real text, not an image. In its first stage ReduPDF compresses exclusively the embedded images — the photo and the scanned certificates — and leaves the CV's text untouched. It stays selectable, searchable and readable for the software.
A scanned, signed CV, on the other hand, is an image from the start. If the portal wants to extract text, save the CV as PDF directly from Word or Pages and scan only the signature.
Frequently asked questions
How many dpi does an application photo need?
For display on screen, 600 pixels on the long edge are enough; in print that equals 300 dpi at 4 by 5 centimetres. A photo above 1000 pixels brings no visible benefit, only file size.
Do certificates suffer from the compression?
Usually not visibly: ReduPDF reduces to a resolution that is sufficient for screen and print. After shrinking, check the grades and the stamp — if they look blurry, choose a more generous target size or upload the certificate separately.
Everything in one file or separately?
Whatever the portal specifies. If there is no instruction: one file in the order cover letter, CV, certificates. It is the most pleasant for the reader and can be brought under the limit as a whole.
Can the applicant tracking software still read my CV afterwards?
Yes, as long as only the images are compressed — which is the normal case. The CV's text remains real text. Only with an extremely small target size does ReduPDF rebuild pages as images; the result tells you when that happens.