Recruitment and exam forms from bodies such as SSC, UPSC, the railway recruitment boards, IBPS and state public service commissions ask for a recent photograph and a scanned signature in a precise format. They usually specify the file type (almost always JPG/JPEG), a range of file sizes in KB and sometimes the dimensions in pixels or centimetres. If your image does not match, the upload is rejected, or worse, the form is accepted but your application is later cancelled because the photo is unclear. This guide shows how to prepare both images correctly on a phone or computer.
Always use the numbers from the official notice. Requirements change from one recruitment cycle to the next, and different exams ask for different sizes. Some recent forms also ask for a live photo taken through the portal or a photo with the date printed on it. We deliberately do not list exam-wise sizes here, because an outdated number can get your form rejected. Open the latest notification PDF, find the section on photograph and signature, and note the exact values before you start.
Step 1: Write down the requirements
From the official notice, note these points for both the photograph and the signature:
- Format: usually JPG or JPEG.
- File size range: a minimum and a maximum in KB. Note the minimum too: a file that is too small can be rejected just like one that is too big.
- Dimensions: width × height in pixels, or in centimetres, if given.
- Other rules: background colour, whether spectacles are allowed, a recent date, a signature in black or blue ink, a signature in running hand rather than capital letters, and so on.
Step 2: Take a good photo
A clear original makes everything else easier. You do not need a studio:
- Stand facing a plain white or light-coloured wall, about half a metre in front of it so there is no shadow.
- Use daylight from a window in front of you. Avoid ceiling lights directly above your head, which cause dark eye shadows.
- Ask someone to hold the phone at your eye level, about 1–1.5 metres away. Avoid selfies: the wide-angle lens distorts the face.
- Look straight at the camera with a neutral expression, both ears visible if possible, and no cap or dark glasses unless allowed by the notice.
If you have an iPhone, the photo may be saved as HEIC. Convert it first with HEIC to JPG, because exam portals accept only JPG.
Step 3: Sign and capture your signature
- Sign on plain white paper with a black or dark blue ball pen or gel pen, as the notice requires. Sign a little larger than usual so the strokes stay visible after resizing.
- Photograph or scan the signature in good light, holding the phone parallel to the paper so the signature is not slanted.
- Crop tightly around the signature, leaving a small white margin. A signature floating in a large white area becomes tiny after resizing.
Sign the same way you will sign in the exam hall and on the joining documents. A mismatch can create problems later in verification.
Step 4: Resize to the exact pixels and KB
- Open Photo & Signature Resize. It runs in your browser, so the photo is not uploaded.
- Select your photo. Enter the width and height in pixels from the notice, and set the maximum file size in KB.
- Use the crop box to frame your face: the head and the top of the shoulders should fill most of the frame, with a little space above the head.
- Download the JPG and check its size and dimensions in your phone's file details or on a computer (right-click → Properties → Details on Windows).
- Repeat for the signature with the values given for signatures.
If the notice gives the size in centimetres instead of pixels, it usually also mentions a resolution, or the portal itself resizes the image. When in doubt, follow the KB limit and keep a normal passport-like proportion. For more on proportions, see our passport size photo guide.
When the file is too large or too small
- Too large: lower the quality slightly, or reduce the pixel size if the notice allows a range. Compress Image to 20 KB and Compress Image to 50 KB handle common limits. Our guide to compressing images to 20 KB or 50 KB explains the trade-offs.
- Too small: some portals reject files below a minimum, such as a few KB. Increase the quality, or use a slightly larger pixel size within the allowed range. Do not just add a white border; it makes the face smaller.
Common reasons photos get rejected
- Blurred face or heavy beauty filters.
- Dark or patterned background, or a strong shadow behind the head.
- Photo of a printed photo, with glare or visible edges.
- Face too small in the frame, or the top of the head cut off.
- Signature in capital letters when running hand is required, or a signature that is too faint after compression.
- Using the photo in the signature field or the other way round.
Keep a ready-made set
Many candidates apply to several exams in the same year. Save your original high-quality photo and signature in a folder, plus the resized versions named by exam, for example ssc-photo.jpg. Keep a few printed copies of the same photo too, since some exams ask you to paste the identical photo on the admit card or bring it for document verification.
Next, if the form also needs certificates as PDFs, read how to compress a PDF to 100 KB or 200 KB.
Try it now: Photo & Signature Resize is free to start and works on mobile and desktop.
Open Photo & Signature Resize