Why does my photo look blotchy at 20 KB?

Because the dimensions are too large for that file size. A photo at 600 × 800 pixels has nine times the detail of one at 200 × 230, and squeezing it into the same 20 KB throws away most of it. Set the smaller dimensions first.

Is a 20 KB photo good enough for a form?

If the form asks for 20 KB, yes: that is the size it was designed around. Check the result before uploading, and make sure your face is still clearly recognisable.

Resize a photo to 20 KB

Twenty kilobytes is one of the tightest limits any form asks for, and it is usually asked for alongside small dimensions rather than on its own. That matters, because the two settings fight each other: a large photo squeezed into 20 KB looks blotchy, while the same photo at 200 × 230 pixels fits comfortably.

So set the dimensions your form asks for first, and let the file size follow. The tool below searches JPEG quality downwards until the file fits, and stops at the best quality that still does — rather than flattening every photo to the same low setting.

If it cannot reach 20 KB at the size you have chosen, it says so instead of handing you a file that will be rejected. Reduce the dimensions a little and try again.

Set below already, and editable. The numbers on the form you are filling in are the ones that count — application rules change, and this page is not the authority.

1. Choose your photo

Drop a file here, paste it, or click to choose

JPG, PNG or HEIC from a phone

Nothing is uploaded. The file stays on your device.

2. Size

Enter the numbers your form asks for.

Width (px)Height (px)

3. Keep it under a file sizeMaximum size (KB)

FitBackground

Result

Your resized photo will appear here.

Questions

Why does my photo look blotchy at 20 KB?: Because the dimensions are too large for that file size. A photo at 600 × 800 pixels has nine times the detail of one at 200 × 230, and squeezing it into the same 20 KB throws away most of it. Set the smaller dimensions first.
Is a 20 KB photo good enough for a form?: If the form asks for 20 KB, yes: that is the size it was designed around. Check the result before uploading, and make sure your face is still clearly recognisable.

Other sizes

Need a different number? The photo resizer takes any size you type. Everything runs on your own device, and nothing is uploaded to this site or anywhere else.