Thesis or dissertation as PDF: how to submit correctly

2 min read·25 July 2026

Submitting a thesis as PDF has specific formatting requirements. Learn to avoid the most common mistakes and prepare your document correctly.

Typical thesis requirements

Most universities have requirements for the thesis PDF: 12 pt font size for body text, 1.5 or double line spacing, margins of at least 2.5 cm, page numbers at the bottom right (or bottom center), a separate title page, a table of contents after the title page, and an abstract on the first content page.

Page numbering in the thesis

Theses typically use two-part numbering: Roman numerals (i, ii, iii) for front matter (abstract, table of contents, preface) and Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) for the main text. Configure the Page Numbers tool: front matter pages → Roman style, start at i; main text → Arabic style, start at 1. Download the combined PDF.

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Check and adjust margins

If your thesis PDF has margins that are too small (e.g. due to a faculty template), use the Margins tool on PDFrust to increase them. Note: enlarging margins shifts the text but does not change font size. After adjustment, verify no text or figures fall outside the page.

Compress for upload portal

University portals (Brightspace, Canvas, Moodle) have file size limits of typically 25–100 MB for theses. Use the Compress tool if your PDF is too large due to attached appendices or figures. For scientific figures with lots of detail: choose high compression quality to preserve readability.

Flatten for final submission

When the thesis is final (after approval by your supervisor), flatten the document so nobody can edit it. Use the Flatten tool. Save the flattened document as the official version. Then review once more to ensure all pages are correct and formatting is right.