Resize a photo and signature for a PAN card
An online PAN application asks for a small colour photo under 20 KB and a signature under 10 KB, both scanned at 200 DPI. Add your image, crop it, and download a JPG that meets those numbers.
- Runs in your browser
- Nothing is uploaded
- No sign-up
- No watermark
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JPG · PNG · WebP · GIF · BMP · AVIF · SVG · up to 50 MB each
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Result
Processed image will appear here.
How to use the PAN card photo and signature resizer
Choose photograph or signature and add your image. The photo is saved as 197 × 276 pixels, which is 2.5 × 3.5 cm at 200 DPI, under 20 KB. The signature is saved as 354 × 157 pixels, 4.5 × 2 cm, under 10 KB. Both are colour JPG files, as Protean's instructions specify.
- Choose photograph or signatureThe size, 200 DPI and the KB limit are filled in for you.
- Add the image and drag the boxFrame your face, or fit the box closely around the signature.
- Download the JPGThe result confirms the pixel size and that the file is under the limit.
About this tool
Protean, the agency that was NSDL, publishes scanning specifications for PAN applications made online with uploaded images. The photograph is 3.5 by 2.5 cm and at most 20 KB. The signature is 2 by 4.5 cm and at most 10 KB. Both are colour JPEG files at 200 DPI. Those limits are small: at 200 DPI the photo is only 197 × 276 pixels.
This page does the three things that specification needs at once. It crops to the right shape, resizes to the pixel size that 200 DPI gives, and searches the JPG quality for the best picture that stays under the limit. The 200 DPI value is saved in the file. The instructions give each size as two numbers without saying which is the width, so the photo is treated as upright and the signature as wide, the way they appear on the card. Check the current instructions on the portal you are using; UTIITSL publishes its own.
What you get
- Photograph: 2.5 × 3.5 cm at 200 DPI, under 20 KB
- Signature: 4.5 × 2 cm at 200 DPI, under 10 KB
- Finds the best JPG quality that stays under the limit
- Saves the 200 DPI value in the file
- All figures editable if your portal states others
When to use the PAN card photo and signature resizer
A new PAN application online
The paperless route asks you to upload a scanned photograph and signature in place of pasting and signing a printed form.
Corrections to an existing PAN
A request to change the photo or signature on the card needs new images in the same specification.
A scan that is far too large
A scanner set to 300 or 600 DPI produces a photo of several hundred kilobytes, many times over the 20 KB ceiling.
Applying from abroad
Applicants using Form 49AA upload the same two images and cannot easily visit a centre to have them scanned.
Protean scanning specifications for PAN images
| Item | Size | Pixels at 200 DPI | File size | Colour and format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photograph | 2.5 × 3.5 cm | 197 × 276 | Up to 20 KB | Colour JPEG |
| Signature | 4.5 × 2 cm | 354 × 157 | Up to 10 KB | Colour JPEG |
| Supporting documents | Not resized here | Scanned at 200 DPI | Up to 300 KB a page | Black and white PDF/A or JPEG |
| How the limit is counted here | Not applicable | Not applicable | 20,000 and 10,000 bytes | The stricter meaning of a kilobyte |
How it works
The specification fixes three things at once: a physical size, 200 DPI, and a ceiling in kilobytes. The first two settle the pixel count, since 2.5 cm ÷ 2.54 × 200 is 197 pixels and 3.5 cm is 276. That leaves only the JPG quality free to meet the ceiling. The page tries up to eight quality settings and keeps the highest that stays under 20,000 bytes for the photograph, or 10,000 for the signature.
Ten kilobytes is tight for a signature of 354 × 157 pixels, about 55,000 pixels in all. It works because a signature is mostly blank paper, which a JPG stores in very few bytes. A grey or textured background uses up the allowance quickly and forces the quality down, so the cleaner the paper in your photo, the sharper the pen strokes come out. The 200 DPI value is written into the file header.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The signature looks blotchy
- The background is using the bytes. Sign on bright white paper, photograph it in even light and crop close, so that most of the picture is plain white.
- The file could not be brought under the limit
- This happens with a busy or dark background. The result says so and gives the smallest file it could make. Retake the picture against a plain background and try again.
- The portal says the dimensions are wrong
- Some portals check pixels and state their own figures on the upload page. Type those into the size fields, or switch the resolution to match what the portal says.
- The photo came out sideways
- The photograph preset is upright, 2.5 cm wide and 3.5 cm high. If you need the other orientation, swap the two numbers in the size fields.
Frequently asked questions
What is the photo size for a PAN card application?
For the online application with uploaded images, Protean's instructions give 3.5 by 2.5 cm, scanned in colour at 200 DPI and saved as a JPEG of no more than 20 KB. At 200 DPI that is 197 × 276 pixels.
What is the signature size for a PAN card?
2 by 4.5 cm at 200 DPI, as a JPEG of no more than 10 KB, in the same instructions. That is 354 × 157 pixels. Sign in black ink on white paper and crop close to the signature, so the 10 KB is spent on the ink and not on blank paper.
Can a photo really fit in 20 KB?
Yes, at this size. A 197 × 276 pixel portrait has about 54,000 pixels, and a JPG of that size is normally 10 to 20 KB at good quality. The page picks the highest quality that fits, so a plain background helps: it costs fewer bytes than a busy one.
Is this the same for NSDL and UTIITSL?
The figures here are from the Protean (NSDL) instructions. UTIITSL runs a separate portal with its own upload rules, which may differ. Use the numbers shown on the portal where you are applying, and type them into the fields above if they are not the same.
What DPI should a PAN card photo be scanned at?
200 DPI, for the photograph, the signature and the supporting documents alike, according to Protean's scanning specifications. This page resizes to the pixel count that 200 DPI gives and records the value in the file.
Should the PAN signature be in black and white?
The specification lists both the photograph and the signature as colour images. Only the supporting documents are black and white. Sign in black ink on white paper and upload the colour JPG this page produces.
Why is the PAN photo limit so small?
Because the picture itself is small: about 54,000 pixels. A JPG of that size at good quality is 10 to 20 KB, so the limit is roughly what the image needs and not a great deal less.