Compress Image to 20KB
Get a photo or signature under 20 KB as a JPG, optionally within the pixel size the form asks for.
What this page is for
Application, exam and government forms often set a hard ceiling of 20 KB on a photo or signature, and sometimes a pixel size as well. A phone photo is a hundred times that. This page lowers JPEG quality first, then dimensions, until the file is under 20 KB.
Typical uses at this size: signatures and small ID photos on government and exam application forms.
The rule: under 20 KB, and the size the form states
There is no universal standard. The form itself states the limit, often as a range such as "10 KB to 20 KB", and sometimes a pixel size such as 200 x 230. Enter that pixel size in the max width and height boxes and the page keeps the photo inside it.
We count 1 KB as 1,000 bytes, the stricter reading, so the file is also under 20 KB on forms that count 1,024. If the form also sets a minimum, check the result size against it: a very small signature can come out below a minimum and needs a larger scan.
Worked example
Signature photographed on a phone, 3024 x 4032, 2.6 MB. Cropped to the signature and set to max 280 x 140 px, it lands around 8 to 15 KB at a readable quality.
How to use it
- Crop the photo or signature on your phone first, so only the part the form wants is left.
- Tap Choose photos.
- If the form gives a pixel size, enter it as max width and max height.
- Tap Compress to 20 KB.
- Check the size and dimensions in the result, then download.
Questions
Why does my signature look blurry?
At very small sizes the page has to shrink dimensions. Scan the signature in dark ink on white paper and crop tight before compressing; it keeps far more detail.
The form says KB but my phone says the file is bigger. Why?
Phones sometimes round sizes, and some count 1 KB as 1,024 bytes. The size shown on this page is exact, in 1,000 byte kilobytes.
Can I set exact pixel dimensions?
Max width and height keep the photo inside that box with its shape unchanged. If the form needs an exact shape, crop to that shape first.
Does it remove location data?
Yes. Re-encoding drops the photo metadata, including GPS location.
Is anything uploaded?
No. It all happens in your browser.
Related tools
Sizes and results are estimates produced by your own browser. A file that fits the cap is not a guarantee that the destination will accept it: services change their limits, and some check more than size. On iPhone and iPad, Safari limits memory and codecs, so large files can fail there that work on a computer. Keep your original file.