# SSC, UPSC, IBPS Photo & Signature Sizes 2026 — and How to Hit Them Locally

> SSC, UPSC, IBPS, RRB photo and signature requirements for 2026 — the exact KB limits and pixel sizes, plus a local workflow that hits them without uploading your documents anywhere.

Source: https://toolpantry.app/blog/ssc-upsc-photo-signature-size-2026

## About

Sarkari exam forms reject photos and signatures that miss the exact KB window — sometimes for being too big, sometimes for being too small. Here are the 2026 specs and a local workflow that hits them.

## Quick answer

Short answer: SSC and most bank forms want a 200×230 px photo at 20–50 KB and a 140×60 px signature at 10–20 KB , both JPG. Crop to the right ratio, then compress to the exact KB with our 50 KB and 20 KB tools — locally, so your documents never leave your device. In our test, an 823 KB phone photo compressed to 49.8 KB .

## The specs, exam by exam

| Exam | Photo | Signature |
|---|---|---|
| SSC (CGL / CHSL / MTS / GD) | 200×230 px · JPG · 20–50 KB | 140×60 px · JPG · 10–20 KB |
| RRB (NTPC / Group D / ALP) | 200×230 px · JPG · 15–40 KB | 140×60 px · JPG · 10–30 KB |
| IBPS / SBI (PO / Clerk) | 200×230 px · JPG · up to 50 KB | 140×60 px · JPG · up to 20 KB |
| UPSC (CSE and others) | 350–1000 px · JPG · 20–300 KB · face ≈75% | 140×60 px · JPG · 20–300 KB |
| CTET / JEE / NEET | 200×230 px · JPG · 10–100 KB | 140×60 px · JPG · 4–30 KB |

Two things the table can't show. First, most boards also enforce a *minimum* — a 5 KB photo gets rejected just like a 500 KB one. Second, the dimension windows matter: UPSC in particular checks the pixel range and how much of the frame the face fills.

## Why portals reject perfectly good photos

- **Too big** — a phone photo is 3–8 MB; the window is 20–50 KB. This is the common case, and it's a compression problem.
- **Too small** — aggressive WhatsApp forwarding can drop a photo under the minimum. Re-export from the original.
- **Wrong format** — PNG screenshots named ".jpg". The portal checks the actual file, not the name.
- **Wrong crop** — full-body shots, tilted scans, or signatures with half the page of white space around them.

## The local workflow (photo and signature)

1. **Crop to the ratio.** For the photo, a head-and-shoulders crop close to 4:5 (use [Crop image](https://toolpantry.app/crop-image.html) with the ratio locked). For the signature, crop tight to the ink — white space is wasted KB.
2. **Compress to the exact KB.** The [50 KB tool](https://toolpantry.app/compress-image-to-50kb.html) for photos (or 20 KB for RRB), the [20 KB tool](https://toolpantry.app/compress-image-to-20kb.html) for signatures. The compressor keeps the largest dimensions that fit under the cap — in our test, an 823 KB photo landed at 49.8 KB.
3. **Check and upload.** The result panel shows the final size; if the portal wants a minimum too, a bigger quality target (100 KB tool) gives you headroom.

## Documents (certificates, marksheets, ID)

Most forms want supporting documents as PDFs with their own limits — often 200–500 KB per document, occasionally 2 MB. Two tools cover it: merge photos or scans into one PDF with [JPG to PDF](https://toolpantry.app/jpg-to-pdf.html), then shrink the result with [Compress PDF](https://toolpantry.app/compress-pdf.html) (our 3-page scan test: 793 KB → 122 KB). Both run locally — worth remembering when the document in question is your ID.

## The honest parts

Specs change between cycles and sometimes between regions — treat the table as a checklist to verify, not gospel. Our tools handle KB limits precisely and the ratio crop; if your portal also validates exact pixel dimensions and rejects the upload, set the exact pixels in your phone's built-in editor first, then compress here. And a privacy note: every tool linked in this guide runs in your browser — your photo, signature, and ID scans are never uploaded to a server, ours or anyone's. That matters more for identity documents than for almost anything else you'll put online.

## Notes

By the Tool Pantry team, October 2026. Specs compiled from published notification patterns for the 2026 cycle; our compression numbers measured with Chrome 155 on macOS. Boards change limits between cycles — always verify against the current official notification before submitting.

## FAQ

**What is the photo size for SSC forms?**

For most SSC forms (CGL, CHSL, MTS): a recent photo at 200×230 pixels, JPG, between 20 KB and 50 KB. The signature is 140×60 pixels, JPG, 10–20 KB. Always re-check the current notification — boards do change limits.

**What is the signature size for SSC and IBPS?**

SSC: 10–20 KB at roughly 140×60 px. IBPS and SBI: up to 20 KB, same 140×60 px. Sign in black ink on plain white paper, and keep the crop tight — empty space wastes your KB budget.

**How do I compress a photo to exactly 50 KB?**

Use the target-size compressor set to 50 KB: add the photo and it lands under the cap, keeping the largest dimensions that fit. In our test, an 823 KB photo came out at 49.8 KB.

**Do the pixel dimensions matter too?**

Often yes — several portals validate exact dimensions. Crop to the required ratio first (the standard photo ratio is close to 4:5), and if your portal enforces exact pixels, set them in your phone's editor before compressing. This guide's tools handle the KB limits precisely.