ImageInKB

PAN card photo and signature: hitting the size limit

This application asks for two images, and the signature is the one that usually fails. Compress each to the figure the form states — the target below starts at the tightest common limit, and nothing is uploaded anywhere.

Your photo never leaves this tab. The resizing happens inside your own browser — nothing is uploaded to us, and we cannot see the file.

Your image
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JPEG, PNG or WebP, up to 25 MB. On a phone you can shoot it now.

Pixel size for this document: commonly 3.5 × 2.5 cm for the photo. Set it under “More options” if the form checks dimensions as well as weight.

Two uploads, and they behave differently

Applicants usually compress both files the same way and are surprised when the signature comes back as a grey smear while the photograph looks fine. The cause is not the limit — it is what JPEG is built for.

The photograph

Smooth gradients of skin and background. JPEG stores exactly this kind of image efficiently, so a face survives aggressive compression well.

The signature

Hard black strokes against white paper. Sharp edges are the first thing the format sacrifices, so thin strokes blur and grey halos appear around them.

Where these numbers come from. The limits and proportions mentioned here are the ones applicants most commonly report from the application portals. They are not an official source and they change. Use the figure printed on the form you are filling in — the tool hits any target you type.

Getting a signature through a tight limit

  1. 1

    Crop to the strokes. White margin carries no information and costs bytes. On a typical scan it is most of the picture.

  2. 2

    Sign in dark ink on plain white. Faint pen and textured paper both force the encoder to spend its budget on noise.

  3. 3

    Check the preview before downloading. If the thin strokes have broken up, raise the target by a few KB if your form allows it.

Applying for a passport as well? That form has its own page.

PAN application questions

Why does the signature fail when the photo passes?
Because they are different kinds of image. A signature is hard black lines on white — the exact pattern JPEG handles worst — while a face is smooth gradients, which it handles well. The same limit that is comfortable for your photo can visibly damage your signature.
How do I keep the signature crisp at a small size?
Crop away the white margin around it. Blank paper costs bytes without carrying information, and on a scanned signature the margin is often most of the image. Scan on plain white in good light, crop to the strokes, then compress — in that order.
Can I use the same photo I used for my passport application?
The file usually can be reused, but the required proportions and the size limit may differ between forms. Check both on the page you are filling in, then set the number here accordingly.
Does the photo go to your server?
No. Compression runs entirely inside your browser — there is no upload request in the code. For a document that carries your name, face and signature together, that difference is the whole point.