How to compress an image to 20 KB
- Tap Choose image above (JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC and more) and pick your photo.
- On the Exact KB tab the target is already 20 KB and the rule is At or under target (most portals). Change either if your form says otherwise.
- Tap Compress to target. The gauge shows each pass. A large phone photo usually takes a few seconds on a computer, longer on an older phone.
- Compare the result with the original. The result line shows its pixel size and file size.
- Tap Download result, and upload that file to your form.
What fits in 20 KB
20 KB is about one two-hundredth of a phone photo, so the picture has to become much smaller in pixels. Here's what the tool chose for five real photos:
| Photo | 10 KB | 20 KB | 50 KB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait, plain wall (26 MP) | 251×376 px | 386×579 px | 676×1013 px |
| Indoor selfie (24 MP) | 202×303 px | 321×481 px | 606×909 px |
| Busy street market (24 MP) | 144×216 px | 240×360 px | 373×559 px |
| Group photo outdoors (24 MP) | 216×144 px | 348×232 px | 599×400 px |
| Clear sky, little detail (12 MP) | 846×1127 px | 1208×1610 px | 1860×2480 px |
Test photos: free-to-use Unsplash photos (12–26 megapixels; Unsplash re-encodes its downloads); PixKB Exact KB, "At or under target", desktop Chromium on our test server, October 2026. Pixel sizes are what the tool chose to fit, and can differ slightly between browsers; bytes are exact. Sizes in decimal KB (1 KB = 1,000 bytes).
A portrait keeps 386×579 pixels at 20 KB, plenty for a clear face. A busy scene drops to 240×360. A plain background is what makes the difference.
Signatures under 20 KB: crop first
We compressed a photo of a signature on paper (taken on a desk, pen in shot) to 20 KB, then the same photo cropped to just the signature:
| Same photo | At 20 KB | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Whole scene: paper, desk, pen | 635×424 px | The signature is a small part of the picture |
| Cropped to the signature | 736×599 px | The signature fills the frame, strokes crisp |
Cropping put the whole 20 KB into the signature. Sign in dark ink on plain white paper, photograph it in even light, crop close, then compress. The signature resizer also sets dimensions.
Forms with 20 KB rules
| Form | Rule |
|---|---|
| Pakistan passport (DGIP online) | Photo 350×467 px, JPG, max 20 KB |
| SSC signature | JPG, 10–20 KB, about 6×2 cm |
| UPSC photo (2026) | JPG, at least 20 KB (max 200 KB) |
For the Pakistan passport, the preset applies 350×467 pixels and the 20 KB limit together; our busy street photo came out at 19,944 bytes at exactly 350×467 (the preset fits the whole photo and never crops, because DGIP doesn't accept photos cut down from larger pictures). See all job and exam form rules.
If the form also sets a pixel size
To reach 20 KB the tool may reduce the pixel size. If your form requires exact dimensions (for example 350×467 for the Pakistan passport), use its preset, or resize first and tap Keep editing this result before compressing: how to keep an exact pixel size.
Common mistakes at 20 KB
- A shadowy or textured background. It eats the limit. Use a plain light wall, evenly lit.
- Too much empty space. Crop to head and shoulders, or to the signature.
- Too small for a minimum. Some 20 KB rules are a minimum (UPSC photo 20–200 KB, UPSC signature 20–100 KB). If the result must be at least 20 KB, use the At least target rule or increase image size in KB.
- Starting from a messaging-app copy. Start from the original photo.
1,000 or 1,024 bytes?
Forms count a kilobyte either way, and the difference can decide a tight limit: a 20,200-byte file is 20.2 KB to one system and 19.7 KB to another, so it passes one 20 KB limit and fails the next. PixKB aims for the stricter count: a maximum of 20 KB gives at most 20,000 bytes, which passes either way.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compress a photo to 20 KB?
Choose the photo, keep the target at 20 KB with "At or under", tap Compress to target and download the result.
Will my face be clear at 20 KB?
For a portrait against a plain wall, yes: our test portrait kept 386×579 pixels at 20 KB with the face clear. Busy backgrounds leave fewer pixels for the face.
How do I get a signature under 20 KB?
Crop the photo to just the signature first, then compress. In our test the cropped signature kept 736×599 pixels at 20 KB.
What is the Pakistan passport photo size?
The DGIP online system requires 350×467 pixels, JPG, at most 20 KB, on a plain white background. Use the preset on the Pakistan passport page.
My form says 10–20 KB. Which target?
Use 20 KB with "At or under": the result lands just under 20 KB, well above 10 KB.
Why did the tool reduce my photo's pixels?
Because quality alone can't fit a phone photo into 20 KB without making it blocky. A smaller, clean image looks better on a form.
Is compressing to 20 KB free?
Yes. No signup, no watermark, no daily limit, and the tool runs on your own device.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. It's processed in your browser and saved straight back to your device. You can turn on airplane mode after the page loads and it still works.
Does 20 KB mean 20,000 or 20,480 bytes?
It depends on the form. PixKB keeps the file at or under 20,000 bytes, which passes either way.
Which file types can I start from?
JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC (iPhone), GIF, BMP, SVG and AVIF. The result is a JPEG, which is what forms with KB limits ask for.
Can I compress several photos at once?
Yes. Drop several images in; each is compressed to the same target and they download together as a ZIP.