Compress Image to 20 KB
Government exam portals including UPSC and GPSC set a 20 KB limit on some photo and signature uploads. Drop your image here and it compresses under 20 KB. Free,
Quick start
Done in 3 steps
- 1
Upload your image
Drop your JPEG, PNG, or WebP image onto the upload area, or click to browse files. Camera capture is supported on mobile — useful for signature and photo uploads that need this size.
- 2
Compressed to under 20 KB
The tool automatically finds the highest quality setting that keeps the file under 20 KB. No sliders, no manual settings, done in seconds.
- 3
Download your compressed image
Your compressed image downloads automatically. The file is under 20 KB and ready for any portal that requires it.
- 1
Upload your image
Drop your JPEG, PNG, or WebP image onto the upload area, or click to browse files. Camera capture is supported on mobile — useful for signature and photo uploads that need this size.
- 2
Compressed to under 20 KB
The tool automatically finds the highest quality setting that keeps the file under 20 KB. No sliders, no manual settings, done in seconds.
- 3
Download your compressed image
Your compressed image downloads automatically. The file is under 20 KB and ready for any portal that requires it.
Requirements
Compress Image to 20 KB
A 20 KB limit is used by Aadhaar, some state government portals, and exam signature uploads. This tool uses binary-search quality optimisation to get as close to 20 KB as possible without going over.
- Target size
- 20 KB
- Min quality
- 35%
- Format
- Converted to JPEG
Additional requirements
- If the image cannot reach 20 KB as PNG, it is automatically converted to JPEG
- Quality is maximised within the size constraint — no unnecessary degradation
- Very large source images (above 5 MB) may show visible compression artefacts
- For best results, crop to just the subject before compressing
Troubleshooting
Common issues & fixes
If your upload is rejected, one of these is usually the reason.
File still too large after compression
What you see
Even after downloading the compressed file, the portal still rejects it as too large.
How to fix it
Check that you are uploading the downloaded file and not your original. If the file is still too large, your source image may be extremely high resolution — crop it to just the subject area before re-processing.
Output looks blurry or pixelated
What you see
The downloaded file has visible JPEG artefacts or looks significantly worse than the original.
How to fix it
Start with a higher-quality source image. Screenshots and heavily compressed photos degrade further under compression. Use the original camera file if available.
Output format changed unexpectedly
What you see
You uploaded a PNG but downloaded a JPEG, and the portal only accepts PNG.
How to fix it
The "Compress to 20 KB" preset converts to JPEG when PNG cannot reach the target size. Use a different compression target, or use a smaller PNG source.
Portal does not accept the output format
What you see
Portal shows "Unsupported file type" even though the download looks correct.
How to fix it
Some portals do not accept WebP. If your original was WebP, the output preserves that format. Use the "Compress to 20 KB" target which always outputs JPEG, or convert your source to JPEG first.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best way to compress an image to 20 KB?
- Upload your image to Presetly's Compress Image to 20KB tool — built for strict limits like UPSC, GPSC, signature portals, older govt systems. It runs a binary-search compression pass to find the highest JPEG quality that still lands under 20 KB, so you don't have to guess a quality percentage yourself.
- Will my image look blurry after compressing to 20 KB?
- It depends on your original image size. A 2 MB photo compressed to 20 KB will lose some detail — inevitable at a 99% reduction. A photo already close to 20 KB looks nearly identical. The tool always maximises quality within the size limit.
- Which image formats are supported, and will my PNG be converted?
- JPEG, PNG, and WebP are accepted. Because the target is 20 KB — a strict limit — PNG files are automatically converted to JPEG before compressing. JPEG achieves far smaller file sizes for photographs. If you need a PNG output at this size, that is not possible while meeting the 20 KB cap.
- Is this tool completely free, even for 20 KB compression?
- Yes — 100% free with no sign-up, no watermarks, and no daily limits. Compressing to very small targets like 20 KB requires more processing passes, but it still runs entirely in your browser at no cost.
- Can I compress multiple images at once?
- Not yet — images are processed one at a time so the 20 KB target stays accurate for strict portals like exam and signature uploads. Click "Process another image" after downloading to start the next one. Batch processing for these smaller targets is on the roadmap.
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