Image Tools

Compress Image to 20KB

Brings a photo or a scanned signature under 20 KB — the kind of strict limit that job, exam and admission forms often set. The tool keeps as much of the picture as fits, and aims below 20,000 bytes so the file passes however the form counts. It runs in your browser and never uploads the image.

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Process

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Processed in your browser — your file is not uploaded.

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Up to 20 files

Maximum file size

We aim under 20,000 bytes. Some sites count a KB as 1,000 bytes and others as 1,024, so this passes either check.

Output format

Choose JPG for job, exam and government forms — most only accept JPG. Transparent areas become white.

How to Use

1Add your photo or scanned signature. JPG, PNG and iPhone HEIC photos all work.
2The limit is already set to 20 KB. Change it if your form allows a different size.
3Keep JPG selected — most application forms accept only JPG.
4Click Compress to 20 KB and check the dimensions shown in the result.
5Download the image and upload it to your form.

About this tool

Updated September 27, 2026

Twenty kilobytes is very small for a photo

A phone photo is often several megabytes, which is hundreds of times more than 20 KB. Getting under the limit means giving up pixel size, not just quality.

That is why a 20 KB limit feels impossible in an ordinary photo editor: dragging a quality slider down far enough turns the picture into coloured squares. This tool takes a different route. It keeps quality at around 70 percent or better, where a JPG still looks clean, and finds the largest pixel size that fits. In our tests a detailed 3000 × 2000 photo came out at about 610 × 410 pixels — small, but sharp and clearly recognisable, which is what a form reviewer is checking for.

The background decides how much detail you keep

A portrait on a plain wall kept about 2.6 times as many pixels at 20 KB as a busy scene did in our tests.

A JPG spends almost nothing on large areas of one colour, so a plain background leaves most of the 20 KB for the face. Our head-and-shoulders test on a light plain background came out at about 730 × 910 pixels, against about 610 × 410 for a detailed outdoor-style scene. If you are taking the photo specifically for an application, stand in front of a plain, evenly lit wall. It is the single biggest thing you can do to get a sharper result under a strict limit.

Check both limits the form sets

Many forms set a pixel size as well as a file size. This tool handles the file size; set the dimensions first if they are specified.

A form might ask for a photo under 20 KB and also give a width and height, or a size in centimetres at a stated resolution. The file size is easy to miss and the dimensions are easy to forget, and either can get an application rejected. Read the instructions on the form itself, because requirements differ from one form to the next and change over time. If dimensions are given, set them exactly with Image Resizer, then bring that result under 20 KB here.

Signatures are easier than photos

A signature on white paper is mostly empty space, so it compresses far below 20 KB while staying crisp.

Scan or photograph the signature on plain white paper in good light, then crop tightly around it with Image Crop so the empty page is gone. Keep JPG as the format, since forms rarely accept anything else. A tightly cropped signature usually fits under the limit at full size, in which case the tool keeps every pixel. If the result looks grey or faint, retake the photo in brighter light rather than trying to fix it afterwards.

Features

Starts at 20 KB, the limit this page is for
Stays under 20,000 bytes, so it passes forms that count 1,000 or 1,024 bytes per KB
Reduces pixel size before quality falls low enough to look blocky
Shows the final pixel dimensions, so you can check them against the form
JPG output by default, since that is what forms usually require
Several photos at once, returned as a ZIP
Runs in your browser; the photo is never uploaded

FAQ

How sharp will a 20 KB photo be?

In our tests a detailed 3000 × 2000 photo came out at about 610 × 410 pixels, and a portrait on a plain background at about 730 × 910 pixels. Both are clear enough to recognise a face, which is what application forms need. A plain background is the easiest way to keep more detail.

My form also gives a pixel size. What should I do?

Resize the photo to those exact dimensions first with Image Resizer, then bring it under 20 KB here. Most forms that set both want a small passport-style image, and that size usually fits under 20 KB comfortably.

Can I use this for a signature?

Yes. Scan or photograph the signature on plain white paper, crop away the empty space around it, then compress it here. A cropped signature on white is mostly empty paper and fits under 20 KB easily while staying crisp.

The form rejected my file even though it says 19.8 KB. Why?

Your computer probably counts 1,024 bytes per KB while the form counts 1,000. A file shown as 19.8 KB can be over 20,000 bytes. This tool always aims under 20,000 bytes, which avoids the problem.

Is my photo uploaded anywhere?

No. It is compressed inside your browser and never leaves your device.

Compress Image to KB

Bring a photo under an exact size limit such as 20 KB or 100 KB, keeping as much quality as the limit allows.

Compress Image to 50KB

Get a photo or document scan under 50 KB for portals and application uploads, while keeping text and faces clear.

Image Resizer

Resize up to 50 images to set pixel dimensions with contain, cover or stretch modes.

Image Crop

Crop an image by dragging a box or typing exact pixel values, with 1:1, 4:3, 16:9 and 3:2 presets.

HEIC to JPG

Convert one HEIC or HEIF photo to a JPG file in your browser.