Compress an image to 20 KB in your browser: the target is preset, so you drop a photo, press Convert and get the highest-quality JPG that fits. A 20 KB cap is typical for the signature and passport-size photo fields on exam, job and government application forms, and it is tight: at that size a photo has to be small in pixels as well as compressed. The tool searches the quality locally, steps the resolution down if quality alone cannot get there, and shows the real result size. Nothing is uploaded.
How it works
- Drop the photo or scanned signature. If the form gives pixel dimensions, type the longest one into Resize first; at 20 KB that matters more than quality.
- Leave the target at 20 KB with JPG selected and press Convert. The search tries up to six quality levels, then smaller sizes if needed.
- Check the size and dimensions in the result, then Download. If it is still over 20 KB, set a smaller Resize value and convert again.
Questions
- Can any photo be compressed to 20 KB?
- Not at its original size. A phone photo has millions of pixels, and even at 30%, the lowest quality the search uses, it stays far above 20 KB. The tool then shrinks the longest edge to 75% and then about 56%, and if that still overshoots it returns the smallest attempt with its real size shown. Setting Resize to a few hundred pixels first is the reliable route.
- Why does a form say my 20 KB file is too big?
- Some forms count a kilobyte as 1,000 bytes; this tool counts 1,024, as Windows does. A 20 KB target here therefore allows up to 20,480 bytes, which a strict 20,000-byte limit rejects. If that happens, type 19 into the target box and convert again.
- Should I use JPG or WebP for a 20 KB upload?
- JPG, unless the form explicitly lists WebP. WebP often fits a little more detail into 20 KB, but many application forms accept only JPG or JPEG, and a rejected format wastes the attempt. If you start from a PNG with transparent areas, they are filled with white in the JPG.
- Does my file get uploaded?
- No. The models and all processing run inside your browser on your own device. You can verify this yourself: open your browser’s DevTools, watch the Network tab, and process a file: there are no uploads. After the first visit most tools also work fully offline.
- How does "compress to target size" work?
- The tool searches the quality setting until the output lands under your target at the highest quality that fits, using at most a handful of encode passes, all local. If even the lowest quality overshoots, it steps the resolution down and says so.
- Why is AVIF not offered?
- Browsers can decode AVIF but cannot encode it from a canvas today. Rather than shipping a broken option, it is not offered; WebP typically gets most of the size benefit.
- Does converting remove metadata?
- Yes. Re-encoding drops EXIF and GPS data as a side effect, and the panel says so. For lossless metadata removal that keeps the original pixels, use the metadata remover instead.