How to Compress a Photo to 50 KB (or 20, 100, 200 KB)
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Online application forms usually set a maximum file size for the photo and the signature, and the upload fails if the file is even slightly over. A phone photo is typically 2 to 5 MB, which is 40 to 100 times too large for a 50 KB limit. This guide explains how to get under the limit and still keep a clear picture.
Read the requirement first
Forms state the limit in different ways. Some give only a maximum, such as "up to 50 KB". Others give a range, such as "between 20 KB and 50 KB", and reject files that are too small as well. Many also ask for a width and height in pixels or in millimetres.
Note all three before you start: the maximum size, the minimum size if there is one, and the dimensions. One kilobyte here means 1,024 bytes, which is how upload forms count.
Steps
- 1Open the Image Compressor and add your photo. It stays on your device and is not uploaded.
- 2Choose the target size. Pick 20, 50, 100 or 200 KB, or type any other number in the custom box.
- 3If the form gives dimensions, enter the width and height and choose the unit. If it gives none, leave them empty.
- 4Press Compress. The result shows the new file size and pixel size next to the original.
- 5Compare the two previews, then download the result.
How the tool reaches the size
The tool looks for the highest image quality that still fits under your limit, so the result lands just below the target rather than far below it. It lowers the JPEG quality first, because that costs the least detail. Only when the lowest acceptable quality is still too large does it make the picture smaller in pixels.
When you enter exact dimensions, those are kept as they are. If the target cannot be reached at that size, the tool tells you and gives you the smallest result it could make.
Getting a better result
Crop before you compress. A photo that shows only your head and shoulders needs far fewer bytes than the same photo with a wide background around it.
Use a plain, evenly lit background. Detailed or noisy backgrounds take up file size without adding anything the reviewer needs to see.
Start from the original photo each time. Compressing a file that was already compressed lowers the quality twice.
When the form sets a minimum size
If the form requires at least 20 KB and your result came out smaller, choose a higher target. Setting the target to the form's maximum gives the largest file that is still accepted, which is also the best-looking one.