Getting your documents ready for online forms

Online application forms are strict. The photo must be under a set size. The document must be one PDF. The format must be JPG. A small mistake can mean a rejected upload an hour before the last date. Here is how to get ready without stress.

Read the rules first

Before you touch any file, write down what the form asks for: file type, maximum size, size in pixels for photos, and any rule about colour or background. The rules differ from one website to another, so always follow the page you are filling. Do not trust a number you remember from last year.

Photos and signatures

1. Take the photo against a plain light wall in good light.
2. If it is the wrong format, change it with Convert images.
3. If it is too big in size, convert it to JPG and choose Smaller files.
4. Check the new size on your phone. If it is still too large, run it again from the original.

Note that this changes the quality, not the pixel size. If the form wants an exact width and height in pixels, you will need to crop or resize in a photo app first.

Documents as one PDF

1. Photograph or scan each page straight and in good light.
2. Turn photos into pages with JPG to PDF.
3. Join several PDFs, such as marksheets and certificates, with Merge PDF. Put them in the order the form lists them.
4. If the final file is too big, use Compress PDF.

When the size limit is small

If the limit is something like 200 KB, try Balanced first, then Smallest. Keep the number of pages as low as you can. Black and white scans are far smaller than colour ones. Remove pages the form does not need with Split PDF.

Before you upload

• Open the final file and look at every page.
• Check the file name. Some portals reject spaces or special characters, so use simple names like marksheet.pdf.
• Keep a copy of every file in one folder, with the application number in the folder name.
• Do all this early. Websites are slow on the last day.

Privacy

Your certificates and ID are private. With Luvkaam the files stay on your device while you work on them. Still, delete extra copies from shared computers and cafes when you finish.