Staff Selection Commission (SSC) applications have changed how photos work: in the current notices, the photograph is captured live with your camera inside the application, so you no longer upload a photo file for most exams. The signature is still an upload, and it has strict limits.
Here is what the current SSC notices say about the signature and how to produce a file that fits, free and in your browser.
Current SSC signature rules
From SSC examination notices published in 2026 (checked on 10 October 2026). Older notices used 4 x 2 cm, so read the notice for your exam.
- Format: JPEG or JPG.
- File size: 10 KB to 20 KB.
- Dimensions: about 6.0 cm wide x 2.0 cm high at 300 DPI.
- The signature must be horizontally aligned, clear and not miniature; blurred signatures are rejected.
What 6 x 2 cm at 300 DPI means in pixels
At 300 DPI, 6 cm is about 709 pixels and 2 cm is about 236 pixels. So resize your signature to roughly 709 x 236 pixels. If your notice still says 4 x 2 cm, use about 472 x 236 pixels instead.
Step by step
Sign on plain white paper
Use a black or dark blue pen and sign at a normal size, not tiny. Photograph or scan it flat in good light so the paper looks white, not grey.
Crop around the signature
Open Crop Image with Freeform and crop close to the ink with a small margin, keeping a wide, short shape roughly three times as wide as it is tall.
Resize to about 709 x 236 pixels
Open Resize Image, click the padlock between width and height to unlock the aspect ratio and enter 709 x 236 (or 472 x 236 for the older 4 x 2 cm rule).
Get into the 10 to 20 KB range
Open Compress to 20 KB, tick "The form also has a minimum size" and enter 10. The tool finds the highest JPG quality that lands between 10 and 20 KB, so you do not have to guess.
About the photograph
Current SSC notices ask you to capture a live photograph with your camera during the application, in good light, against a plain background, without spectacles or a cap, with your face inside the frame shown on screen. That photo is taken by the application itself, so there is no file to resize. Scribe registration still uses an uploaded photo (20 to 50 KB JPEG, about 3.5 x 4.5 cm), and our image size guide covers that kind of upload.
SSC notices also say that applications authenticated with Aadhaar will not be rejected because the photograph or signature does not match the prescribed standards. Even so, a clean signature avoids problems later.
If the portal says the format is wrong
Screenshots and some phone photos are PNG or HEIC files. Convert them to JPG with Convert Image Format, then resize and compress as above.
Frequently asked questions
What is the SSC signature size in KB?
10 KB to 20 KB, in JPEG or JPG format, according to the current SSC notices.
What pixel size should my SSC signature be?
Current notices say about 6.0 x 2.0 cm at 300 DPI, which is about 709 x 236 pixels. Older notices said 4.0 x 2.0 cm, about 472 x 236 pixels.
Do I need to upload a photo for SSC?
For most current exams, no: the photograph is captured live with your camera in the application. Check your exam notice, and note that scribe registration still asks for an uploaded photo.
Is my signature uploaded when I resize it here?
No. Crop, Resize, Compress and Convert Image run in your browser, so your signature stays on your device.
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