Every Indian exam and government portal wants the same two files, a photo and a signature, and every one of them wants them slightly differently: a different pixel size, a different KB range, sometimes a printed name and date on the photo. This page collects the numbers in one table, explains the rules that apply everywhere, and shows how to get a file that passes the size check first time. Read the rule below first; it matters more than any number here.
Rule: your notification wins. Boards change pixel sizes and KB limits between years, and some now capture the photo live instead of accepting a file (SSC CGL 2026 does). The table reflects the notifications current in September 2026. Open your own form's instructions, find the three numbers (pixels, minimum KB, maximum KB) and use those, even where they disagree with this page.
The reference table
| Form | Photo | Signature | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC (CGL, CHSL, GD, MTS) | 3.5×4.5 cm, JPEG, 20 to 50 KB | 4×2 cm (about 140×60 px), JPEG, 10 to 20 KB | CGL 2026 uses live photo capture; only the signature is uploaded |
| UPSC | JPEG, 20 to 300 KB, 350×350 to 1000×1000 px | Same range as the photo | Name and date printed on the photo, taken within the last 10 days |
| NEET (NTA) | JPEG, 10 to 200 KB, passport style | JPEG, 4 to 30 KB, running hand | Plus a postcard 4×6 inch photo at 50 to 300 KB |
| JEE Main (NTA) | JPEG, 10 to 300 KB | JPEG, 4 to 30 KB | Same photo rules as NEET |
| IBPS, SBI, RRB banks | 200×230 px, JPEG, 20 to 50 KB | 140×60 px, JPEG, 10 to 20 KB | Thumb impression 240×240 px at 20 to 50 KB; declaration 800×400 px at 50 to 100 KB |
| Passport Seva | 630×810 px, JPEG, 10 to 250 KB | Not uploaded in most cases | Upload attempts are limited; no glasses since 2025 |
| Passport size (generic) | 3.5×4.5 cm = 413×531 px at 300 DPI | Varies by form | Fits most "passport size" boxes at 20 to 200 KB |
| PAN (Protean, UTIITSL) | 3.5×2.5 cm at 300 DPI, JPEG, under 50 KB | 2×4.5 cm at 300 DPI, JPEG, under 50 KB | Aadhaar itself takes no uploads; the photo is captured at the centre |
Each row has its own preset on IGCOMPRESSOR with the numbers filled in: SSC, UPSC, NEET and JEE, IBPS and SBI, Passport Seva, passport size and PAN. If your form is not listed, the reduce image size in KB page takes any three numbers.
Photo rules that apply everywhere
The size check is automatic. The photo check is done by a person, often months later at document verification, where a technically valid file can still fail.
- Recent. Most notifications say within the last three months; UPSC says within 10 days. Don't reuse the photo from your school ID.
- Plain, light background. White or off-white, evenly lit, no shadow on the wall. A daylight photo against a white wall from a phone works; a studio isn't required unless the notification says so.
- Face size. Head filling about 70 to 80% of the height, eyes in the upper third, looking straight at the camera, neutral expression, both ears visible where possible.
- No glasses, no cap. Passports stopped accepting glasses in 2025, and most boards say the same. Religious headwear that leaves the full face visible is generally fine; check the notification.
- Colour, JPEG, no filters. Beauty modes, portrait blur and colour filters can get a photo rejected at verification even though the portal accepted the file.
- Name and date strip. UPSC and NTA (NEET, JEE) want the candidate's name and the date of the photo printed on it. Add a white strip with plain black text below the face in any editor, then resize.
Scanning a signature that passes
Most signature rejections come from the scan, not the size. Sign with a black pen (blue only if the form says so) on plain white paper, larger than you normally would, in running hand; NTA rejects signatures in capital letters. Photograph it from directly above in daylight, or scan it at 300 DPI. Then crop tightly around the ink so no paper edge, shadow or table shows.
A clean signature on white compresses to very few bytes, which is good for the maximum and bad for the minimum; see the next section. Do not sign on the phone screen with a finger unless the form explicitly allows it; boards compare the uploaded signature with the one you write on exam day.
The minimum-size padding trick
Ranges like 10 to 20 KB or 20 to 50 KB have a floor, and clean scans fall through it: a signature at 140×60 px is often 5 KB, and a 200×230 photo can come out at 15 KB. Portals reject both as too small.
The form presets on this site pad the JPEG up to the minimum automatically. Padding adds comment segments inside the JPEG, which every viewer and every portal ignores, so the pixels stay identical and the size check passes. When you use the general KB tool instead, open More options and set Min (KB) yourself. Never "fix" a too-small file by raising the quality to 100 or re-saving it as PNG; the first bloats the file unpredictably and the second changes the format.
Step by step: an SSC or bank form on a phone
- Open the SSC photo and signature page, or the IBPS / SBI page for 200×230 and 140×60 pixels.
- In the Placement menu choose the photo preset, tap Choose photos and pick the photo. Drag the preview so the face is centred with a little space above the head.
- Check the readout: it should show the pixels and "Between 20 KB and 50 KB". Tap Download.
- Switch the Placement menu to the signature preset and drop the cropped signature scan. It resizes to 140×60 and lands between 10 and 20 KB, padded if needed. Download.
- Upload each file into its own slot on the portal, then open the portal's preview to confirm the right image is in the right box.
Changes to watch for
The trend is towards live capture and stricter checks. SSC CGL 2026 takes the candidate's photo through the camera during registration, so the only file you upload is the signature. UPSC now runs applications through its One Time Registration portal, where the photo rules have tightened (name and date on the photo, taken within 10 days). NTA added the postcard-size photo for NEET. Expect other boards to follow, and re-read the instructions every time you apply, even for an exam you sat last year.
What this can't do
A resizer makes a file that passes the automatic size and pixel checks. It can't fix a blurred or badly lit photo, a signature in capitals, or a photo from 2019. If a number here and a number on your form disagree, the form is right and this page is out of date.
Checklist
- Read the notification: pixels, minimum KB, maximum KB, format, any name-and-date rule, live capture or upload
- Photo: recent, plain light background, face 70 to 80% of the height, no glasses or cap, no filters
- Signature: black ink, white paper, running hand, tightly cropped
- Use the matching preset, or type all three numbers into the KB tool
- Confirm the "Between … and …" readout, then download
- Check the portal's preview after uploading, and keep both files for the next form