Compress a photo to 20 KB

Reduce a photo or signature to under 20 KB for an online form without it turning blocky. Free, private, works on any phone.

Before you start

20 KB is one of the smallest limits you will meet, usually for signatures and small applicant photos on exam and job forms. At 20 KB a photo has to be small in pixels as well as in file size.

The tool below opens with 20 KB chosen. SafeResize makes the picture a little smaller in pixels when needed, instead of letting it turn blocky.

Tips

If the form also gives a pixel size, such as 200 × 230 pixels, use Resize a photo: it sets the pixels and the KB limit together.
For a signature, use Clean up a signature. Dark ink on plain white makes a much smaller, sharper file than a photo of paper.
Crop to the part you need before compressing. Fewer pixels leave more room for quality.

Questions and answers

Will a 20 KB photo look blurry?

It will be small, but it should look clean at the size forms show it. SafeResize lowers the pixel size rather than squeezing the quality too far.

The form says 10 KB to 20 KB. How do I set the minimum?

Open "More options" and fill in "Must be at least". If the photo comes out smaller, SafeResize adds a hidden note to the file to reach the minimum. The picture itself does not change.

Which file type should I choose?

JPG. It is accepted almost everywhere and makes far smaller files than PNG.