Trouble Uploading Your PDF CV?

If your PDF CV will not upload to your profile, the file is almost certainly too large. Here is how to check, and how to fix it in a couple of minutes.

The size limit #

Your PDF CV must be 2 MB or smaller.

There are two reasons for this. A smaller file uploads reliably to your profile, and it arrives cleanly when we email your CV to a casting director. Casting teams receive hundreds of CVs, and a bulky attachment is the quickest way to annoy the person you are trying to impress.

Check your file size first #

• Windows: right-click the PDF and choose Properties. The size is on the General tab.
• Mac: select the PDF and press Cmd + I, or right-click and choose Get Info.
• Phone: open the file in your Files app and look at its details.

If it says 2 MB or less and still will not upload, skip to the last section.

Why a CV is usually too big #

Nearly always it is the headshot. A photo straight from a camera or phone can be 5 MB on its own, and the CV carries all of that weight even though it is shown at the size of a postage stamp. Scanned pages and decorative backgrounds have the same effect.

Fix it on your own computer #

Try these first. Nothing leaves your device, which matters when the file contains your phone number, agent details and date of birth.

• Mac (Preview): open the PDF in Preview, choose File, then Export, set the Quartz Filter to Reduce File Size and save. This alone usually gets a CV well under the limit.
• Word (Windows or Mac): open your CV document, choose Save As or Export, pick PDF, and select Minimum size (publishing online) before saving.
• Google Docs: choose File, Download, PDF Document. Google produces a compact PDF by default.
• Shrink the photo itself: replace the headshot in your CV with a copy resized to around 800 pixels wide, then export the PDF again. On screen it looks identical. Your enCAST profile already shows your full-quality photos, so the CV does not need a large one.

If you need an online tool #

If you only have the finished PDF and cannot re-export it, a free online compressor will do the job. Two we know work:

• iLovePDF Compress: no account needed, choose Extreme compression for a photo-heavy CV.
• Adobe Acrobat online: works well, but without an Adobe account you can compress only one file every 24 hours, so use it when you are confident of a single pass.

Whichever tool you use, download the compressed copy, check its size, and delete the upload from the service afterwards if it offers that option. Your CV is a personal document.

Upload it again #

Go back to your profile, remove the old PDF if one is there, and upload the new file. Open it once after uploading to make sure the text and photo still look sharp.

Still having problems? #

If the file is under 2 MB and still will not upload, or you are unsure at any step, get in touch with us here. Tell us the file size and what you see when it fails, and we will sort it out with you.