How to prepare a PDF for an online form
Quick answer: work in this order — scan or photograph the document, straighten and crop it, put the pages in order and remove what the form didn't ask for, make it one file per document, sign it if the form wants a signature, and compress last, to the portal's stated limit. Then open the file once yourself before you upload it.
Most rejected uploads are not wrong documents. They are the right document in the wrong file: sideways, too heavy, four documents in one PDF, or saved under a name the portal will not take. Every step below happens on your device — none of these tools upload your file anywhere.
First, read the portal's own rule
Each portal publishes what it accepts, and the limits differ more than people expect. These four are taken from the portals' own documents:
| Portal | Format | Size |
|---|---|---|
| UPSC candidates' portal — certificates | 50 KB – 300 KB | |
| UPSC — photo ID scan, photograph | JPG | 20 KB – 200 KB |
| NTA (NEET, JEE Main, CUET) — every document | 50 KB – 300 KB | |
| RRB — SC/ST certificate for a free train travel pass | PDF only | under 400 KB |
| GST registration — proof of constitution of business | JPG or PDF | up to 1 MB |
| GST registration — most other proofs, photographs | JPG or PDF | up to 100 KB |
The file name can matter too. UPSC asks for each document under an exact name — caste_certificate, board_certificate, photo, signature — and says a document will not be uploaded if any other file name, format or size is used. Read your own notification before you start; boards change these between years.
From paper to a PDF
A phone photo of a page is not a scan. It arrives at an angle, with the desk in the frame, and portals reject it as unreadable more often than any other upload.
- Photograph each page, then let the tool do the work. The document scanner finds the edges of the page, corrects the angle so a photo taken from above becomes a straight rectangle, and cleans up the shadows.
- Already have photos? JPG to PDF puts them into one PDF in the order you choose.
- Photo and signature files for an exam form follow their own pixel and KB rules — those are in the exam photo and signature guide.
Straighten it, trim it, drop what wasn't asked for
- Sideways pages: rotate the PDF itself, so it opens the right way up for the officer who reads it — not just on your screen.
- Scanner margins: crop the page down to the document. This also cuts the file size before you compress anything.
- Pages out of order: reorder, rotate and delete in one view.
- Pages nobody asked for: remove them — the blank back of a form, or the bank statement months outside the period the lender wants.
- One document per file: if two certificates ended up in one PDF, split it.
One file, or several?
The portal decides. A form with one upload box per document wants separate files, each named for what it is. A form with a single box for "supporting documents" wants them merged into one PDF, in the order the checklist lists them.
When a portal dictates file names, use them exactly as written, including the underscores. It is the cheapest rejection to avoid.
Sign it, or mark the copy
- A form that asks for your signature on the PDF: draw or place your signature and save. Some offices still want a self-attested paper copy signed in your own hand — check what the instruction actually says.
- Sharing a copy outside the portal: watermark it with what it is for, so it cannot be passed off as an original.
- Numbers that shouldn't travel: mask the Aadhaar number on a photocopy, or redact account numbers before sending a statement to anyone who doesn't need them.
Get under the size limit — last
Compress after everything else, because cropping the margins and removing pages already make the file smaller without touching quality. Then:
- Compress the PDF to a level, or straight to a target KB.
- If it still won't fit, IBPS's own scanning guidance is the right instinct: go back to the scan and lower the resolution and number of colours, rather than crushing a finished file.
- Open the result and read the smallest text on it. A file that meets the limit but cannot be read gets rejected at verification instead of at upload.
When the portal wants images, not a PDF
Some portals accept only JPG for certificates. Turn each page into a JPG at the resolution you choose, then check the KB limit for images — it is usually smaller than the PDF one.
A locked PDF will not merge or compress
eAadhaar and bank statements arrive password-protected, and a locked file cannot be combined, compressed or read by the portal. Remove the password first and save an open copy. The exact password format is in the eAadhaar PDF password guide and, for banks, the bank statement password guide.
Page numbers and searchable scans
Two things forms rarely ask for, but people often need: page numbers, for tender documents, project reports and court filings that must be paginated; and OCR, which makes a scan searchable so you can copy an account number out of it. OCR is for your own records — no portal requires it.
Before you upload — the last check
- It opens without a password.
- Every page is the right way up, and readable.
- Only the pages the form asked for, in the order it listed them.
- The format and the size the portal states, not the one you remember from last year.
- The file name the portal dictates, if it dictates one.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the portal keep rejecting my PDF?
Usually the file is heavier than the limit, in the wrong format, or saved under a name the portal doesn't accept. Check the notification for the format, the size range and the file name, in that order. A scan that is too dark or crooked is the next most common reason.
How do I get a PDF under 300 KB without making it unreadable?
Crop the scanner margins and remove pages you don't need first, then compress to the target. If it still won't fit, rescan at a lower resolution in greyscale rather than compressing a finished file further — that is what IBPS's scanning guidance advises for oversized scans.
Should I upload one PDF or a separate file for each document?
Follow the form. One upload box per document means separate files; a single box for supporting documents means one merged PDF, in the order the checklist gives.
Does the file name matter?
On some portals, yes. UPSC requires each document under an exact name, such as caste_certificate or board_certificate, and says a document will not be uploaded if any other file name, format or size is used.
Can I upload a password-protected PDF?
Remove the password first. A locked file cannot be merged or compressed, and whoever opens it at the other end has no way past the password.
Is a phone photo of a document acceptable?
Often yes, if it looks like a scan: straight, cropped to the page, evenly lit and readable. A document scanner corrects the angle and the shadows, which is what makes the difference.
Do I have to sign each page?
Only if the instruction says so. Self-attestation means you sign the copy yourself, and some offices still want that signature in ink on a printed copy rather than placed on the PDF.
Upload limits are set by each portal and change between notifications and years. The figures above come from the portals' own documents, but confirm them against your own notification before you upload.