Short version: open the free tool, drop your file, download the result. Nothing is uploaded.
Steps
- Read the form's rules first and write down three numbers: the maximum file size, the pixel dimensions, and the file type (almost always JPG).
- If the photo must be square or a set shape, crop it first with your phone's photo editor (or the official tool the form links to).
- Open the WBS Image Compressor (this link opens it at 48 KB). Set Format to JPG and Max width to the form's pixel width, then type your size limit.
- Drop the photo, check the size and pixels in the table, and press Download. Repeat with the signature at its own limit, for example 19 KB.
Why aim a little under the limit
Forms count kilobytes differently: some mean 1,000 bytes and some mean 1,024. The WBS compressor uses 1 KB = 1,024 bytes. Typing 48 for a 50 KB limit, or 19 for a 20 KB limit, gives a safe margin either way.
Example: a U.S. visa photo (DS-160 or DV lottery)
The U.S. State Department's digital image requirements ask for a square JPEG between 600 × 600 and 1200 × 1200 pixels, 240 KB or smaller, with a compression ratio no worse than 20:1. To meet that:
- Crop the photo to a square first (the State Department offers a free cropping tool, or use your phone's square crop).
- In the compressor choose JPG, set Max width to 600, and type 235 KB.
- A 600 × 600 photo usually lands well under 240 KB at high quality. Don't push it far below about 60 KB, or it may break the 20:1 rule.
The rules on what the photo must show (background, head size, no glasses) are the agency's call. This tool only handles the file size and pixels.
Signatures
- Sign in dark ink on plain white paper and photograph it in good light, straight on.
- Crop tightly around the signature before compressing, so the pixels go to the ink, not the paper.
- Signatures are simple images, so they usually fit 10 to 20 KB easily at a few hundred pixels wide.
Keep ID photos private
Your passport photo and signature are exactly the files you don't want sitting on a stranger's server. The WBS compressor runs in your browser and never uploads them. It's free; there's no sign-up and no watermark. For more on target sizes, see compressing an image to 100 KB.
More free guides
- Compress an image to 100 KB
- Compress an image for Discord
- Reduce photo size for email
- Convert WebP to JPG
- Convert WebP to PNG with transparency
- Remove GPS location from photos
- Merge PDF files
- Split a PDF or extract pages
- Save each PDF page as a separate file
All tools: WBS Tools · All apps: Wood Between Studio apps