Photo and Signature Sizes for Government Forms
This page lists what Indian exam portals ask for, with the date each figure was checked and how confident we are in it. The tool above carries the same figures as presets, so you can set one without copying numbers by hand.
Every figure here was last verified on 20 August 2026. Specifications change between recruitment cycles, so treat this as a starting point and confirm against your own notification before you upload.
Why Does Every Website Quote Something Different?
Because most of them copy each other rather than the notification, and nobody dates what they publish. Search any large exam and the first page of results will hand you three or four confident, incompatible answers.
One page, two answers
While checking railway figures we found a resizing tool whose page summary states a photograph of 20 to 50 KB, and whose own body text a few lines later states 30 to 70 KB. Both appear on the same page, under the same heading, describing the same exam.
There are two honest reasons behind the mess. Commissions genuinely revise their rules between cycles, so a figure that was right last year can be wrong now. And a single commission often publishes different rules for different examinations under one banner, which copied pages flatten into a single number.
So this page does the opposite. Each entry carries a confidence level based on how many independent sources agree, and where they disagree we say so rather than picking one and asserting it.
Banking Exams: IBPS PO, Clerk, SO And RRB
The most consistently reported specifications in Indian recruitment, and the same figures apply across IBPS PO, Clerk, SO and the IBPS RRB posts. Six independent sources give identical numbers, which is as close to settled as this subject gets.
| Upload | Dimensions | File size | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photograph | 200 × 230 px | 20 – 50 KB | High |
| Signature | 140 × 60 px | 10 – 20 KB | High |
| Left thumb impression | 240 × 240 px | 20 – 50 KB | Moderate |
| Handwritten declaration | 800 × 400 px | 50 – 100 KB | Moderate |
One dissenting source states 20 to 100 KB for the photograph and 200 by 80 pixels for the signature. It stands alone against six, so we have not adopted it, but it is worth knowing the disagreement exists.
Two rules cause most banking rejections and neither is about file size. The signature must be running cursive, since block capitals are refused at verification, and it must match the one you sign on the attendance sheet. Sign in black ink on plain unruled white paper.
The Live Photo Change Nobody Warned You About
Both SSC and IBPS now require a photograph captured live through your webcam or phone during the application itself. This is the single biggest change to these forms in years, and most guides have not caught up with it.
What this means in practice
SSC CGL 2026: no separate photograph upload at all. You capture live, and upload only the signature.
IBPS 2026: both. You still prepare and upload the 200 by 230 pixel photograph, and capture a live one separately. Preparing the file does not remove the live step.
Live capture is judged on lighting rather than file size, so there is nothing to resize. Sit facing a window rather than under a ceiling light, keep the background plain and pale, remove caps and dark glasses, and look straight at the camera.
Photographing an existing printed photograph is explicitly rejected. The system is looking for a person in front of the camera, not a picture of a picture.
Staff Selection Commission: CGL, CHSL, MTS And GD
The signature figure is unanimous across every source we checked. The dimensions are not, and the photograph question now depends on which examination you are applying for.
| Upload | File size | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Signature | 10 – 20 KB | High |
| Signature dimensions | Sources give 4.0 × 2.0 cm, 6.0 × 2.0 cm and 140 × 60 px | Low, so we do not apply one |
| Photograph, CGL 2026 | Live capture, nothing to upload | High |
| Photograph, GD and others | 20 – 50 KB | Moderate |
Because the published signature dimensions conflict three ways, the SSC preset in the tool sets the file size range and leaves the pixel size alone. Guessing a dimension is worse than not setting one, since a wrong shape is refused as firmly as a wrong weight.
You will still want a physical passport photograph even where nothing is uploaded, because document verification and admit card stages ask for one.
Railway Recruitment: RRB NTPC And Group D
The least reliable figures on this page, and we would rather say that than pretend otherwise. Published photograph sizes for railway recruitment include 20 to 50 KB, 30 to 70 KB, 40 to 100 KB and 50 to 100 KB, depending on which page you read.
| Upload | What sources say | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Photograph size | Between 20 and 100 KB, no agreement | Low |
| Photograph dimensions | 3.5 × 4.5 cm, or 320 × 240 px, or 200 × 230 px | Low |
| Signature | 10 – 20 KB on most, 30 – 70 KB on one | Low |
For railway applications, open the notification PDF and read the upload section yourself. It is ten minutes that saves a rejected form, and no third-party page including this one is a substitute for it.
Two rules do hold across railway notifications. The photograph must be taken on or after the notification date, and signatures in block capitals are invalid.
How Do I Read My Own Notification?
Open the PDF and search for the word “upload” rather than scrolling. The photograph and signature rules are almost always in an annexure near the end, not in the main body where people look first.
1
Note Both Numbers. The file size range and the pixel dimensions are enforced separately, and satisfying one does not help with the other.
2
Check For A Minimum. A range means both ends bind. Files that come back too light are refused as often as ones that are too heavy.
3
Look For A Live Step. If the form mentions webcam capture, that is separate from anything you prepare in advance.
Preparing Each File
Once you know your numbers, the size pages below cover what happens at each one. The presets in the tool at the top of this page carry the same figures, including the minimums, so you do not have to type anything.
Common Questions
Can I Use One Photo For SSC And IBPS?
The photograph itself, yes. The file, no. IBPS wants 200 by 230 pixels while SSC works in centimetres, so the same picture has to be prepared twice at different dimensions.
Why Was My Signature Rejected Even At The Right Size?
Almost always block capitals or ruled paper. Signatures must be running cursive, and the printed lines on ruled paper survive compression and show up in the uploaded image.
Are These Figures Official?
No, and we would rather say so plainly. They are compiled from published sources, cross-checked against each other, dated, and marked with a confidence level. Your notification is the only authority.
Is My Photograph Uploaded To This Site?
No. The tool runs inside your browser, so no file is transmitted and none is stored. Turn off your connection after the page loads and it will still work.
