What size should your signature be for an online form?
By the PdfDady team · Updated · 6 min read
There is no single signature size for Indian online forms. The figure comes from the notice you are applying under, and the three big recruiting bodies don't even agree on the shape of the image. In 2026 notices, SSC asked for a JPEG of 10 to 20 KB about 6 cm wide and 2 cm high, IBPS asked for 140 × 60 pixels at 10 to 20 KB, and UPSC asked for three signatures one below the other on white paper.
So read your own notice first. Then the job is the same everywhere: a dark, clear signature on plain white, cropped close, saved as a small JPG. Our Signature Resizer is built for that last part.
What three 2026 notices actually say
| Notice | Signature rule |
|---|---|
| SSC, Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level Examination 2026 | Scanned signature in JPEG/JPG, 10 to 20 KB, about 6.0 cm wide × 2.0 cm high. Blurred or "miniature" signatures are rejected |
| IBPS, CRP PO/MT-XVI | Sign on white paper with a black ink pen. 140 × 60 pixels (preferred), file between 10 KB and 20 KB. Not in capital letters |
| UPSC, Civil Services Examination 2026 (Notice 05/2026-CSE) | Sign three times, one below the other, on plain white paper in black ink, and upload it. Detailed instructions are on upsconline.nic.in |
Three things stand out. First, 10 to 20 KB is a range, so a 7 KB file fails just as surely as a 30 KB one. Second, SSC gives the size in centimetres, IBPS in pixels, and the UPSC notice doesn't put a number in the notice text at all. Third, the UPSC image is a stack of three signatures, so it is taller than a single signature strip.
Rules for other exams and for university or state government portals can be different again. Look for a section in the notice called something like "Guidelines for scanning and uploading" or "Instructions for photograph and signature".
How to sign so the image comes out clean
The signature you upload has to match the one you sign at the exam centre. IBPS says that if the signature on the attendance sheet or call letter doesn't match the uploaded one, the applicant will be disqualified. So sign the way you normally do, not a careful copy.
- Use plain white paper. A ruled notebook page leaves blue lines that are hard to remove. The back of a printout shows through.
- Use a black or dark blue pen with a firm line. A thin ballpoint can look faint once the image is shrunk to 140 pixels across. A gel pen or a fine felt-tip gives more contrast. IBPS and UPSC both ask for black ink.
- Sign larger than usual. The image will be reduced, and a tiny signature turns into the "miniature" signature SSC warns about. Use most of the width of a small piece of paper.
- Don't sign in capitals if the notice forbids it. IBPS does.
- For UPSC, sign three times one below the other, with a little space between them, as the notice says.
Photographing it with your phone
You don't need a scanner. Put the paper on a table near a window in daylight, hold the phone directly above it so the paper isn't tilted, and keep your hand's shadow off the page. Tap the signature on the screen to focus before taking the photo. Don't use the flash: it leaves a bright spot in the middle and a grey fall-off at the edges.
Take two or three photos and pick the sharpest. Zoom in on the screen and check that the strokes have clean edges.
Turning the photo into an upload-ready file
- Open the Signature Resizer and add the photo. JPG, PNG, WebP and iPhone HEIC are all accepted.
- Two settings are already on. Trim blank margins crops the image to the ink, so your signature fills the frame. Whiten background turns light-grey paper white.
- Enter the size from your notice. For IBPS that would be 140 × 60 pixels. For an SSC-style "about 6.0 cm × 2.0 cm", choose cm, enter the size and pick a DPI. The tool converts it to pixels at that DPI and writes the DPI into the JPG.
- The maximum file size starts at 20 KB. Change it if your notice gives a different figure.
- Check the preview, the KB and the pixel size, then download. The file is saved as
signature-<width>x<height>.jpg.
If Whiten background makes a light signature look broken, switch it off and retake the photo with a darker pen instead. If the trim cuts off a faint stroke at the end of your signature, switch Trim blank margins off, or sign again with a firmer line.
When your form has a 10 KB minimum, check the KB figure after you download. A very small, very clean signature image can come out lighter than 10 KB. The tool doesn't pad files, so raise the pixel size a little and try again.
Why signature uploads get rejected
- Blurry or pixelated. Usually a photo taken from too far away and then enlarged. Take it closer and let the tool reduce it.
- Too small on the page. The signature is a speck in a big white box. Trim blank margins fixes this.
- Grey or yellow background. Indoor tube light or evening light tints the paper. Whiten background helps, and daylight helps more.
- Wrong file type. Portals that ask for JPG/JPEG will refuse a PNG or HEIC. The Signature Resizer always saves a JPG.
- Outside the KB range. Either too large or, less obviously, too small.
- Signed by someone else, or in capitals. IBPS rules out both.
If your form also needs a 20 KB photo, the Resize Image to 20 KB page handles that, and our guide to photo and signature for online application forms covers both together.
Questions people ask
Can I sign on my phone screen instead of paper?
Check the notice. IBPS asks you to sign on white paper with a black ink pen, and UPSC asks for signatures on plain white paper. A finger-drawn signature also tends to look different from your pen signature, which matters when it is compared on exam day.
Is a signature image the same as a digital signature?
No. An image of your signature is just a picture. It is not a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) or an Aadhaar eSign under the IT Act. For an exam form, the picture is exactly what is asked for. For contracts or official filings, ask the recipient what they accept.
What if my notice says "about 6 cm × 2 cm" but doesn't give pixels?
Enter the size in cm in the tool. At 200 DPI (the default), 6.0 × 2.0 cm works out to roughly 472 × 157 pixels. Then make sure the KB is inside the allowed range.
Is my signature stored anywhere?
No. The Signature Resizer works in your browser and doesn't upload the image. The saved file contains no location data.