I have about a dozen separate PDF files from different scans that I need to turn into a single document, and the upload portal only accepts one file under 10 MB. Is there a way to combine them and keep the total size small enough, on my Windows laptop?
I had the same issue with scanned contracts. I combined the files into one PDF first, then used PDF Suite’s compression option to reduce the size, and checked the final file was under the portal’s 10 MB limit before uploading.
If your scans are pictures heavy, try lowering the scan quality before saving them, that cuts size a lot. Also print each one as “Microsoft Print to PDF” first, sometimes that shrinks them before you combine. What are you using to combine them right now?
- Insert the pages or scans into a blank Microsoft Word document.
- Go to File > Save As and choose PDF from the file type list.
- Select the ‘Minimum size (publishing online)’ option before hitting save, which should keep it well under 10 MB.
Start by checking whether you can rescan at grayscale and a lower resolution, say 150 dpi, since that shrinks scans far more than anything you do afterwards. Then open the files in Word, which converts them, put them in order and save as one PDF. Keep a backup of the originals first.
I usually drop the scans into PDFcap and use the merge option, then hit compress until it is under 10 MB. That has worked for me on Windows without needing an account.
Avoid sending them through random websites that ask you to sign up, they tend to keep copies. Not sure how it handles really huge scans but for a dozen pages it should be fine.
I would first check the scan settings, since color pages and high DPI are usually what push a combined file over 10 MB. If the pages are mostly text, rescanning in grayscale at around 200 DPI often keeps them readable and much smaller.
After combining, open the result and check that all pages are in the right order. If it is still too large, I would try converting color pages to grayscale before uploading.
Had the same thing with a batch of scanned tax papers. In PDF Suite, combine the files first using the merge tool, then save the merged copy and run Compress or Optimize PDF on it. For scans, reducing image resolution to about 150 dpi and choosing grayscale usually saves a lot while keeping text readable. Keep the originals, and check the final file is under 10 MB before uploading.
yeah this is pretty easy. i use pdfsam basic on windows, it’s free, just merge the files then run the compress/optimize step on the combined pdf. if it’s still over 10 mb, you can lower the scan image quality a bit and that usually shaves it down enough.
@dark_frost I had this happen with my thesis appendix scans. Rescanning in grayscale definitely helped keep the final size down. My old laptop would just freeze up if I tried to process high DPI color images anyway. I ended up pasting the lower resolution images into one Word document and saving it as a PDF. It stayed well under the submission portal limit.
@distracted_hunter honestly that site works fine if you just have a few pages. to be fair i usually paste my supplier invoices into word and just save it as a minimum size pdf. it saves time when i am rushing.