TryImager

Document Scan Compressor

Scans of certificates, marksheets and ID documents are the files that fail upload limits most often, because a phone camera produces several megabytes of detail for what is essentially black text on white paper. This page opens the target-size engine at 200 KB, which is generous enough to keep text readable on most A4 scans. Lower it if your portal demands less, and always zoom into the preview to confirm the small print is still legible before you submit.

Processed in your browser

Drop your image here

or choose an image from your device

Accepts JPG, PNG or WEBP · No fixed size limit — we adapt to what your device can handle. Very large files may take longer or show a warning.

When you need this

  • Uploading a certificate or marksheet to a portal with a KB limit
  • Emailing a scanned document without hitting an attachment cap
  • Reducing a stack of phone-camera scans before submitting them

How to use it

  1. 1Upload your scan or document photo.
  2. 2The target is preset to 200 KB — change it to whatever the portal actually allows.
  3. 3Run the tool and read the measured output size in the result panel.
  4. 4Zoom into the preview to check the text is still readable, then download. If it looks mushy, raise the target and run it again.

Frequently asked questions

How small can I go before the text becomes unreadable?

For a typical A4 scan, 150–250 KB usually keeps body text sharp. Below about 100 KB, lossy compression starts to smear the edges of small characters. Text suffers from compression earlier than photographs do, so be more conservative here than you would be with a holiday snap.

Would resizing help more than compressing?

Often, yes. A scan photographed at 12 megapixels has far more resolution than the document needs. Reducing the width to around 1600–2000 pixels usually holds the text crisp and cuts the file dramatically before any quality loss is required.

Should I convert the scan to grayscale?

If the document is genuinely black and white, grayscale removes colour noise from the paper and helps the encoder, often producing a smaller and cleaner file. Don't do it for documents where a coloured stamp or signature matters.

Is my document or ID photo uploaded anywhere?

No. The image is decoded and re-drawn entirely inside your browser with the Canvas API. Nothing is sent to a server, nothing is stored, and closing the tab discards everything.

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