Dummy 1 MB PDF File
Generate and download a dummy 1 MB PDF file. The download is exactly 1,048,576 bytes, created in your browser and never uploaded.
Need a different size? Make a dummy PDF file of any size from 4 KB to 100 MB.
Testing with a 1 MB PDF file
One megabyte is the default nginx client_max_body_size. Because multipart uploads add headers to the request body, a PDF of exactly 1 MB is already over that limit, while a 500 KB PDF passes.
With the default 10 pages most of a 1 MB file is padding after the final %%EOF marker, so it tests file size rather than page count.
A default PDF keeps the same 10 pages and the same document part of about 23 KB at every size, and only the trailing comment grows, so a slowdown that appears at 5 MB or 10 MB is caused by bytes, not by the PDF’s content.
- Exact size (binary)
- 1,048,576 bytes
- Decimal equivalent
- 1,000,000 bytes
- Base64-encoded size
- 1,398,104 bytes
- Pages
- 10 (default; choose 1 to 200 in Options)
Exact size and boundary files for 1 MB
Set the unit to B and enter these byte counts to test either reading of 1 MB.
| Limit defined as | One under (should pass) | At the limit | One over (should fail) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binary 1 MB | One under (should pass) 1,048,575 B | At the limit 1,048,576 B | One over (should fail) 1,048,577 B |
| Decimal 1 MB | One under (should pass) 999,999 B | At the limit 1,000,000 B | One over (should fail) 1,000,001 B |
Limits closest to 1 MB
A 1 MB file is exactly at nginx (1 MB); under PHP (2 MB), AWS Lambda (6 MB), API Gateway (10 MB), Outlook with Exchange (10 MB), Outlook with internet accounts (20 MB), Gmail (25 MB) and Cloudflare Free and Pro (100 MB). Sent as base64 text it grows past nginx.
| Limit | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| nginx client_max_body_size (default) | 1 MB 1,048,576 B | Requests with a larger body get HTTP 413. |
| PHP upload_max_filesize (default) | 2 MB 2,097,152 B | Also capped by post_max_size, so raise both. |
Other dummy PDF file sizes
Smaller: 500 KB PDF. Larger: 5 MB PDF. Or see the full dummy PDF file generator.
Other 1 MB dummy files
The same size in another file type.
1 MB PDF file FAQ
Is the 1 MB PDF file exactly 1 MB?
Yes: 1,048,576 bytes in binary units. For a decimal 1 MB, set the unit to B and enter 1,000,000.
How many pages does a 1 MB dummy PDF have?
10 pages of A4 text by default. The page count is an option and does not depend on the file size: choose 1 to 200 pages in Options and the file stays exactly 1,048,576 bytes. If the pages need more than 1 MB, the tool says the minimum size they need.
Is a 1 MB dummy PDF mostly filler?
With the default 10 pages, yes. The document is about 23 KB, so most of the 1,048,576 bytes is a PDF comment after the final %%EOF marker, outside the document structure. More pages mean less filler.
Will a 1 MB PDF file pass the nginx client_max_body_size (default)?
Probably not. At exactly 1,048,576 bytes it equals the 1 MB limit in binary units, and a form upload adds a few hundred bytes of multipart boundary and headers, so the body ends up over. Counted in decimal megabytes (1,000,000 bytes) the file is 48,576 bytes over. Test one byte under to see it pass. As base64 it is 1,398,104 characters, over the limit, and that is the size that counts in a JSON body or an email.
Is the file uploaded anywhere?
No. It is generated in your browser and never leaves your device.