The 367 KB problem
iLovePDF and Smallpdf offer Low / Medium / Extreme. Extreme on an 800 KB scan often lands at 367 KB. The portal asked for 300. The fix is a search that stops only when the byte count is under the cap.
Image vs PDF
Compressing a JPEG is a quality + dimension search. A PDF that wraps photos is not smaller until you rasterize pages and rebuild. Use PDF 200 KB or PDF 300 KB.
What each ceiling buys you
- 10 KB: the tightest signature and exam caps.
- 20 KB: SSC / UPSC photos.
- 50 KB: passport and ID.
- 100 KB: university and visa scans.
- 200 KB: the default of most forms.
Passport photos also need centimetres. Use the photo maker.