How to prepare a PDF for a government or court portal
Online front desks, tax offices, courts and universities all accept documents as PDF, and almost all of them reject files for the same few reasons: too heavy, in the wrong format, out of order or protected. This is how to get it right the first time.
First, read the limit on the form itself
Limits change from one institution to another and over time, so the only reliable number is the one printed next to the upload box. Some forms stop at 1 or 2 MB per file, others accept several files of 10 MB or more, and some also cap the number of attachments. Write down three things before you start: the maximum size per file, how many files you may attach, and whether they must be PDF.
When a form says “maximum 1 MB”, aim for slightly less. CLEKARA counts 1 MB as 1,000,000 bytes, the strictest reading, so a file it marks as under 1 MB is accepted whichever way the website counts.
Scan it well from the start
Most of the weight of a scanned PDF comes from the scan settings. For text documents, 200 dpi in grayscale is plenty and weighs a fraction of a 600 dpi colour scan. With a phone, Scan to PDF flattens the page, removes shadows and builds a single PDF from several photos.
If the institution asked for photos or receipts you already have as images, turn them into one PDF with JPG to PDF instead of uploading loose pictures.
Put everything together before compressing
If the form wants a single file, merge the PDFs in the order the procedure lists them, remove empty backs with Remove blank pages, and only then compress. Compressing each part and merging later usually gives a heavier result.
Compress to the exact size
Open the page for your limit — 500 KB, 1 MB, 2 MB, 5 MB or 10 MB — where the target is already filled in. CLEKARA chooses the gentlest setting that fits; if that is not enough it lowers the resolution of the images step by step and tells you how far it went, so you know what to check before sending.
Open the result and read a page at normal zoom. If stamps, signatures or small print are no longer legible, the file is too compressed for that procedure, whatever its size.
If it still does not fit
Convert it to grayscale when colour does not matter: it frees a lot of room for sharpness. Remove pages nobody asked for. If several attachments are allowed, split the document into parts and name them in order (01, 02, 03).
Why documents get rejected
Password-protected PDFs: the institution cannot open them, so remove the password first with Unlock PDF if you know it. Digitally signed PDFs: any compression or merging breaks the signature, so sign last, after the file is final. Images renamed to .pdf, file names with odd symbols, and scans rotated sideways are the other usual suspects.