How to compress an image to 20 KB
- Crop the photo or signature to just what the form needs. Less picture means more quality in 20 KB.
- Drop it into the box above. The maximum is already set to 20 KB.
- If the form gives a lower limit too, such as 10 KB, type it in Minimum (KB).
- Check the result, then select Download to save the JPG.
Getting a good result at 20 KB
20 KB is tight. A phone photo is often 2–5 MB, more than a hundred times bigger, so something has to give. The tool lowers the JPG quality first, and if that's not enough it reduces the pixel size. These steps keep it looking clean:
- Crop first. A head-and-shoulders crop has far fewer pixels than a full photo, so each pixel gets more of the budget. The crop tool does this in seconds.
- Use a plain background. A plain wall compresses to almost nothing; patterned curtains or bookshelves eat the budget.
- Signatures: dark ink on white paper. Clean white space compresses very well, so a crisp signature fits in 20 KB easily. The signature resizer also sets the exact pixel size forms ask for.
When forms ask for 20 KB
Small limits like this usually come with an exact pixel size, for example a signature of a few hundred pixels wide. If your form lists dimensions as well as a size in KB, use the exam photo resizer, which crops and sizes to the pixels and compresses into the KB range in one go.
Common uses
- Scanned signature for a form. Signature uploads are often capped at 20 KB or less. A scan straight from a phone is far bigger; this brings it under the limit while keeping the strokes readable.
- Small photo slot in an application. Older portals and some exam forms ask for a photo no bigger than 20 KB. Crop to head and shoulders, open the photo here, and download a JPG that fits.
- Thumbnails for a directory or ID list. Staff directories, school records and membership lists often store tiny photos. Getting each one under 20 KB keeps the whole list quick to load and within storage limits.