How to Resize a Photo and Signature for SSC, UPSC & Bank Exam Forms
Filling an online exam application should take minutes, but most candidates lose an hour fighting the photo and signature upload. The portal demands an exact pixel size and a tiny file weight, and rejects anything that doesn't match. Here is a clear, portal-by-portal explanation of the numbers and a free way to hit them every time.
The four things every portal checks
- Dimensions โ the width and height in pixels (e.g. 200 ร 230).
- File size โ the weight in KB (e.g. photo 20โ50 KB, signature 10โ20 KB).
- Format โ almost always JPG/JPEG.
- Content โ a plain-background photo and a signature on white paper in dark ink.
Typical requirements across major exams
| Exam / body | Photo | Signature |
|---|---|---|
| SSC (CGL, CHSL, MTS) | ~40 KB, 3.5ร4.5 cm | ~30 KB |
| UPSC | 20โ300 KB | 20โ300 KB |
| IBPS / bank exams | 20โ50 KB, 200ร230 px | 10โ20 KB, 140ร60 px |
| Railway RRB | 15โ40 KB | 15โ40 KB |
| State PSCs | varies, check notice | varies |
Always confirm the exact numbers in the official notification, because they change slightly between recruitment cycles. The method below works for any of them.
Step 1 โ Get the photo right
- Use a recent, front-facing photo against a plain light wall.
- Open Image Studio and choose the Exam photo 200ร230 preset (or Passport 35ร45 for cm-based forms). It crops to the exact size without stretching the face.
- Slide the quality down until the file is comfortably under the KB limit. For a small photo this is invisible to the eye.
- Download the JPG.
Step 2 โ Get the signature right
- Sign inside a box on plain white paper using a black or dark-blue pen.
- Photograph it straight, in good light.
- In Image Studio choose the Signature 140ร60 preset and lower the quality to hit 10โ20 KB.
- Download.
If your document upload is also over the limit
Some forms also ask for a scanned certificate or the full application as a PDF with its own size cap. For those, use the Compress PDF guide to bring the file under 100 KB or 500 KB. And if you need to combine your mark sheet and certificate into one PDF, the Merge on mobile guide shows how to do it on your phone.
Why doing it on your phone is safer
Your exam documents carry your photo, signature and roll number โ data worth protecting. KaagazPDF processes everything inside your browser, so these images are never uploaded to a server. You get the exact size the portal wants without handing your identity documents to a random website.
Frequently asked questions
The portal says "dimensions not matching" even though the KB is fine. Why?
The pixel width/height is wrong, not the file size. Re-crop using the exact-pixel preset for that exam.
My signature background looks grey, not white. Is that a problem?
Some portals are strict about a white background. Photograph the signature in brighter light, or increase brightness so the paper reads as clean white.
Can I do all of this on a low-end phone?
Yes. The tools are lightweight and run in the browser, so even an entry-level Android handles them.