Get a photo under 100 KB without guessing at a quality slider

Step by step

1Open the tool and add your photo. Nothing is sent anywhere, so a large file costs you no waiting.
2Pick the limit from the list, or type the exact number of kilobytes the form asked for.
3If the form also states a minimum, tick the second box and set that too, so the result lands inside the range rather than below it.
4Save the result. The finished size and dimensions are shown beside it, so you can check before you upload.

Why guessing at a quality slider wastes your afternoon

There is no fixed relationship between a quality setting and a file size. The setting that takes a plain headshot to 60 KB will leave a busy outdoor photo at 400 KB, because compression works by throwing away detail and one of those pictures has far more detail to throw away.

That is why the usual advice, set quality to about 70 and see, turns into a loop of export, check, adjust, export again. Working backwards from the number instead removes the guessing entirely: the limit is the input, and the quality is whatever satisfies it.

When the limit is very small, quality eventually stops helping and starts producing a smeared mess. At that point fewer pixels beat lower quality, and a photo that has been scaled down and kept sharp looks far better than one held at full size and crushed. You are told when that happens rather than being handed a ruined picture.

Common limits and how to meet them

A passport style photo of 413 by 531 pixels is usually already between 40 and 90 KB as a JPG, so a limit of 100 KB is comfortable. If the form also sets a minimum, tick the box for it and type the number. The tool prefers the highest quality that fits.

If the form needs exact pixel dimensions as well, set the size first with Passport photo or Resize image, and compress second. Doing it in that order means the compression only has to deal with the file size.

Compress to a size

Questions

Why is my result slightly under the limit and not exactly on it?

Image encoders cannot be told to produce an exact byte count. What matters is landing under the number the form checks, which is what this does.

The form wants between 20 KB and 50 KB. Can it do that?

Yes. Set 50 KB as the limit and tick the minimum box with 20 KB, and it stops as soon as the file is inside the range.

Should I use PNG?

No, not for a size target. PNG compression is lossless so there is no quality to trade away. Forms almost always want JPG anyway.

Is my photo uploaded?

No. The work happens inside this tab on your own device.

What if the form also needs exact pixel dimensions?

Size the photo first with Passport photo or Resize image, then use Compress to a size for the file limit.

Related jobs and next steps

How to get a JPG under 200 KBForms and job portals often cap photos at 100 KB, 200 KB or 500 KB. Here is how to get under the limit while keeping the picture usable.How to prepare a photo and signature for an exam formExam and recruitment forms ask for a photo and a signature at separate exact sizes. Here is how to prepare both without uploading either.How to resize a photo for a visa or passport formVisa and passport forms want an exact pixel size and often an exact file size too. Here is how to hit both, on your own device, without uploading your photo.

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