Check all three portfolio limits
TUM’s document glossary specifies a digital PDF containing only your own work samples for the Architecture master’s application: at most 15 pages, at most 20 MB and page dimensions no larger than DIN A4. Upload the portfolio through the online application. The Architecture programme page provides the application instructions.
Treat size, page count and dimensions as separate checks. A small file can still contain too many pages or oversized sheets. These sources were checked on the date above; this guide does not establish an application deadline or promise the same rules for a future intake.
1. Export a complete portfolio from the source
Keep the editable original. Arrange the final selection and captions in your design application, set the page format and export directly to PDF. Preserve vector drawings and selectable text where possible. Do not turn whole pages into images simply to reduce the file size.
Check every exported page’s dimensions in your PDF viewer or authoring application. PDFMinto compression does not resize PDF sheets or edit layouts. If the portfolio exceeds 15 pages or the permitted format, revise the source deliberately; do not delete required work just to make a file smaller.
2. Combine finished sections only if needed
If your completed portfolio is split across ordinary PDFs, use Merge PDF to arrange and download it. The official portfolio handout excludes the title page and table of contents from the 15-page count; check the current upload instructions. Merging does not necessarily reduce file size.
Merge PDF runs in your browser. It accepts up to 40 files, 30 MB total and 200 PDF pages, but rejects encryption, digital signatures, forms, annotations including links, and attachments. Keep the original; for incompatible authored files, return to the source application and export the complete portfolio there.
3. Try a smaller target only when needed
If an eligible portfolio is over 20 MB but within PDFMinto’s 30 MB input limit, open Compress PDF and try a custom target of 19.8 MB (19,800,000 bytes). This is a suggested margin, not TUM’s required setting or an interpretation of its byte accounting. Download the result and check its actual byte size.
Compression runs on the server; local temporary working files are deleted when the task ends. It supports up to 200 pages and rejects encrypted, digitally signed or interactive-form PDFs. It cannot guarantee a target. If the input exceeds 30 MB, reduce oversized embedded images in the source export first. If the output remains too large, revise the export instead of sacrificing legibility.
4. Compare drawings before uploading
Open the exact downloaded file beside the original. Check every page, page order and dimensions, then inspect thin lines, hatching, dimensions, small captions and image detail at a useful zoom. Confirm that no work or text is missing. If compression makes details unclear, use a better export or seek guidance from the programme.
Check the saved file’s bytes and page count, then upload it yourself to the correct TUMonline field. Inspect any portal preview and retain the confirmation it supplies. PDFMinto neither submits applications nor guarantees institutional acceptance. If a complete, readable original already meets the rules, skip compression.
Frequently asked questions
Can compression turn an A3 portfolio into A4? No. Set the correct layout in the source application and export it again.
Can I split the portfolio into several uploads to bypass 20 MB? Do not assume this is permitted. Follow the portfolio field’s instructions and ask TUM if they are unclear.
Will every drawing remain equally sharp? Image compression can reduce detail. Review the actual output and keep the original.
Does this apply to Landscape Architecture? No. Check that programme’s own portfolio instructions; do not transfer the Architecture MA limits.
Page counting: additional official guidance
The official portfolio handout explicitly excludes the title page and table of contents from its 15-page count. The general glossary wording does not spell out this exception. Check the current handout and your TUMonline field before removing content. This clarification was checked on 23 October 2026.