Compress Image to 20 KB
Bring a scanned signature, thumb impression or small photo under 20 KB so a strict application portal accepts it on the first try.
Compress Image
or drag JPG, JPEG, JFIF … files here ·
Up to 95 MB each· 20 files at once· Removed after 30 min
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Never shrink below this width when downscaling. 0 means no minimum.
Optionally set the dimensions before compressing. Forms that specify pixels as well as KB need both.
Pixels for the side you chose above.
The search for the target size will not go below this quality; it downscales instead.
4:2:0 halves color resolution and saves a lot on photos; 4:4:4 keeps sharp edges on text, logos and screenshots.
Lossy PNG quantises colors (like TinyPNG) and is far smaller; lossless keeps every pixel.
Files are deleted 30 minutes after processingPrivacy policy
What does a 20 KB image look like?
A clean signature or a small passport-style photo still looks sharp at 20 KB; what has to give is the pixel size, not the content, so expect an image a few hundred pixels wide.
- Target
- 20 KB
- Lowest quality
- 40 of 100
- Downscaling
- On
Where the 20 KB limit comes from
Twenty kilobytes is the most common ceiling for a scanned signature on recruitment and exam portals in India. An upload guideline published on the IBPS registration site, for example, asks for a signature of 10 to 20 KB at about 140 × 60 pixels, and a photograph of 20 to 50 KB. In the same guideline, 20 KB is also the floor for the photograph, so one number works as the top of one window and the bottom of another.
UPSC uses 20 KB the other way round. Its 2026 CAPF examination notice says neither the photograph nor the signature may be smaller than 20 KB. Before you press Compress, read which way your form uses the number: as a maximum you stay under it, as a minimum you stay above it, and this preset is built for the first case.
One guideline, four size windows
- 10–20 KBSignatureIBPS guideline
- 20–50 KBPhotographIBPS guideline
- 20–50 KBLeft thumb impressionIBPS guideline
- 50–100 KBHandwritten declarationIBPS guideline
Only the signature sits at 20 KB, which is why this page is mostly about signatures. The photograph and thumb impression belong on the 50 KB page, and the declaration needs roughly 100 KB. Limits change between recruitment cycles, so take the numbers from the notice for your own exam rather than from any summary, this one included.
Getting a signature scan under 20 KB
Sign in black ink on plain white paper, scan or photograph it in good light, and crop tightly around the ink. Cropping matters more than any setting: a signature that fills its frame keeps its strokes sharp at 20 KB, while one floating in a full page of white has to be scaled down until the line is thin and soft.
With the target set, the tool first lowers JPG quality until the file fits. If quality reaches the lowest value allowed and the file is still too large, it reduces the pixel dimensions step by step. A guideline that names pixels, such as the 140 × 60 suggested for IBPS signatures, can be met at the same time by setting Resize first to that width before compressing.
- What you see: The portal says the file is larger than 20 KB.
- What to do: Set the target to 19 KB. Some sites count a kilobyte as 1,000 bytes, others as 1,024, and a little headroom covers both.
- What you see: The portal says the file is smaller than 10 KB.
- What to do: Start from a larger scan, or switch off Allow downscaling so the tool keeps your pixel size and adjusts quality only.
- What you see: The form rejects the file type.
- What to do: Set Output format to JPG. A PNG or HEIC renamed to .jpg is still the old format inside, and careful portals check.
- What you see: The signature looks gray and faint.
- What to do: Scan it again in brighter light and crop closer, so the ink takes up most of the picture.
What changes inside the file
Location data, camera details and other metadata are removed by default, which saves a little room and keeps private details out of an official upload. Orientation is applied to the pixels, so a phone photo taken sideways arrives upright. The color profile stays, unless you need every byte and switch it off under Metadata & color profile.
If the form gives a print size such as 3.5 × 4.5 cm instead of pixels, the Resize Image tool turns centimeters into pixels first. For the full set of compression modes, quality levels and formats, see the Compress Image tool.
Compress an image to 20 KB in three steps
Add the image
Drop the scan or photo on the box above, or press Choose Files. JPG, PNG, HEIC, WebP and most other image types are accepted.
Keep the 20 KB target
Target size is already set to 20 KB. If the form also gives pixel dimensions, open Dimensions and set them under Resize first.
Compress and download
Press Compress, check the size shown next to the file, and save it. The result always lands at or just under 20 KB.
Compress to 20 KB questions
Can a full-color photo really fit in 20 KB?
Yes, at a modest pixel size. A face photo of a few hundred pixels across fits comfortably; a 12-megapixel phone photo does not, so the tool reduces the dimensions once quality alone is not enough. Forms that ask for 20 KB usually expect a small image anyway.
The form says 10 to 20 KB. Will my file be too small?
Only if the source is tiny. The tool aims for the highest quality that stays under 20 KB, so a normal scan lands close to the limit rather than far below it. If the result is under 10 KB, start from a larger, sharper scan.
Why does my signature look blurry after compressing?
The scan was probably reduced in pixels to reach the target. Crop the white margin around the signature before you upload it, so the pixels go to the ink rather than to empty paper, and scan at 200 dpi or more.
Should a 20 KB signature be JPG or PNG?
Use JPG unless the form says otherwise. Most portals list JPG or JPEG only, and a JPG of black ink on white paper compresses well. A PNG of the same scan is often larger at this size.
Is 20 KB the same as 20,000 bytes?
Not always. Some systems count 1 KB as 1,024 bytes and others as 1,000. The difference is small, but if a portal rejects a file that shows exactly 20 KB, set the target to 19 KB and try again.
Can I compress the photo and the signature in one batch?
Yes, but every file in a batch gets the same target. If the photo needs 50 KB and the signature 20 KB, give the photo its own target with Settings for this file, or run two batches.
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