Many exam and recruitment forms want the photo, and sometimes the signature, at 20 KB or less. A phone photo can be a hundred times bigger than that, so getting it under 20 KB without a blocky face takes a little care. This page opens Compress image with a 20 KB target ready.
Your photo is compressed in your browser and saved straight to your device, so your face and the details on the form never reach anyone else's server.
How to compress a photo to 20 KB
- Choose your photo, or several, or drop them onto the page.
- Check that Compress to shows Target size and Target size (KB) says 20.
- For a head-and-shoulders photo, type about 300 into Longest side (px), so the quality can stay higher at this small size.
- Select "Compress image" and read the note: it gives the final size, the quality used and the pixel size.
- Open the downloaded photo at full size and check the face before you upload it.
Pixels and kilobytes at 20 KB
File size depends on two things: how many pixels the picture has and how strongly it is compressed. A portrait a few hundred pixels across usually fits in 20 KB at decent quality; a full-size phone photo doesn't, however low the quality goes.
The tool lowers the quality first and reduces the pixels only when it must. Choosing a sensible Longest side yourself usually gives a cleaner face than letting the quality fall all the way to its minimum.
When the form gives exact pixels or a minimum
Forms often state a width and height in pixels as well as a range in KB. This page only sets a maximum. For an exact size and a minimum, use Resize image: type the pixels, choose Crop, and fill in Keep under (KB) and At least (KB). Check your form's notification for the exact numbers.
For the signature, Signature for forms removes the paper and sizes the ink in one step.
Frequently asked questions
Can I compress a photo to 20 KB without losing quality?
Not entirely; 20 KB is very small, so some detail goes. A modest pixel size, a crop to the head and shoulders, and a photo taken against a plain wall all help it look clean, because plain areas need very few bytes.
Why is my 20 KB photo so small in pixels now?
Quality alone couldn't reach 20 KB, so the width and height were reduced too, and the note says by how much. If the form needs exact pixels, use Resize image instead.
My form wants a file between 10 and 20 KB. Can this do it?
This page makes sure the file is no more than 20 KB. To make sure it is at least 10 KB as well, use At least (KB) in Resize image, which pads the file invisibly when needed.
Does 20 KB here match the portal's 20 KB?
Yes. A KB is counted as 1000 bytes, the stricter way, so the file is within 20 KB however the portal counts.