Prepare your application files

Pixel Haven · Reviewed 2026-10-04

Start with the instructions

Copy the organisation’s accepted formats, maximum file sizes, required documents and naming rules into a checklist. Requirements vary. A smaller file is not useful if the text becomes unreadable.

Keep an untouched set

Keep the originals before cropping or resizing. Work on copies. Check that every page is upright, complete and in the correct order. Do not remove signatures or supporting pages that the recipient requires.

Prepare photos deliberately

Crop to the requested framing, then resize to the required dimensions. JPEG usually suits photographs; PNG can suit flat graphics. Check the actual exported size and appearance. An exact target may require smaller dimensions or lower quality.

Assemble and inspect

Merge only when a single document is accepted. Open the result, inspect the first and last page and count all pages. Zoom in on small text. Use a clear filename without private identifiers unless explicitly requested.

Make the final check

Compare the prepared files with the original instructions. Open the downloaded files outside the tool. Upload them yourself to the intended application destination and save the recipient’s acknowledgement.

A five-minute submission check

• Confirm the accepted file types, page limit and size limit against the recipient’s instructions.
• Use a copy of the original and give the final export a clear name, such as Application_CV.pdf.
• Open every exported file in a separate viewer; check orientation, small text and all page edges.
• Check that the document belongs to the right person and contains only the information requested.
• Keep the submitted version and the submission reference together.