Compress Image to 30 KB
Thirty kilobytes is enough for a sharp, form-sized face photo if the picture is cropped first. The tool finds the highest JPEG quality that lands at or under 30 KB and reduces the pixel size only when the original is far larger than the form needs.
Compress Image
or drop JPG, JPEG, JFIF … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
Never shrink below this width when downscaling. 0 means no minimum.
Optionally set the dimensions before compressing. Forms that specify pixels as well as KB need both.
Pixels for the side you chose above.
The search for the target size will not go below this quality; it downscales instead.
4:2:0 halves color resolution and saves a lot on photos; 4:4:4 keeps sharp edges on text, logos and screenshots.
Lossy PNG quantises colors (like TinyPNG) and is far smaller; lossless keeps every pixel.
How to use this tool
- 1
Select the photo
Pick a JPG, PNG, HEIC or WebP from your phone, scanner or computer; up to 20 files of 95 MB each.
- 2
Keep the 30 KB setting
Target size reads 30 KB. Leave Allow downscaling on unless the form fixes the pixel dimensions, then set those under Resize first.
- 3
Download the result
Press Compress and save the file. The size shown on the result card is the size the portal will see.
30 KB photo size: what fits
Start from the budget. 30 KB is 30,720 bytes, or 245,760 bits. An uncompressed color pixel needs 24 bits, and a JPEG at a decent quality typically cuts that by 15 to 25 times, to roughly 1 to 1.5 bits. Dividing 245,760 by 1.1 gives about 220,000 pixels, which is almost exactly a 413 × 531 px passport-style photo. That is why 30 KB is a comfortable target for an application photo and a hopeless one for a full phone picture.
Bank and staff-selection recruitment forms in India commonly ask for a photograph between 20 and 50 KB, and 30 KB sits in the safe middle of that band. Admission and scholarship portals elsewhere often use similar small limits because they store thousands of applicant photos and print them only at ID-card size.
The method behind every one of those files is older than the web: the discrete cosine transform, published by Nasir Ahmed, T. Natarajan and K. R. Rao in 1974, splits the photo into 8 × 8 pixel blocks and drops the fine detail the eye notices least. At 30 KB you can see its edges only on hair and patterned clothing.
| cm | Pixels at | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 72 DPI | 150 DPI | 300 DPI | |
| 2.0 | 57 | 118 | 236 |
| 2.5 | 71 | 148 | 295 |
| 3.0 | 85 | 177 | 354 |
| 3.5 | 99 | 207 | 413 |
| 4.5 | 128 | 266 | 531 |
| 5.0 | 142 | 295 | 591 |
Compress JPG to 30 KB without losing the face
The order matters more than the settings. Crop first, then compress, and always start from the original rather than a file another app already squeezed. Each JPEG save throws away detail again, so a twice-compressed photo reaches 30 KB with visibly more blocks than a single pass from the camera file.
If the form gives the size in centimeters, read the 300 DPI column above and enter that width under Resize first, or use resize image when you also need an exact height. If the portal later asks for a minimum that your file misses, increase image size in KB adds bytes back without changing the picture.
Getting to 30 KB from a phone, a scan or a screenshot
A 12-megapixel photo is about 55 times the pixel count that fits in 30 KB, so expect it to come out near 410 × 550 px.
- Shoot against a plain wall
- Use daylight to avoid grainy noise, which costs bytes
Scan at 300 DPI and crop to the print edges; scanner glass dust and paper texture add bytes, so wipe the glass first.
- Save the scan as JPG, not BMP
- Straighten before cropping
Keep Output format on JPG for photos inside screenshots. For flat graphics, PNG output with PNG compression set to lossy can be smaller.
- Crop away toolbars
- Avoid scaling text below 10 px tall
30 KB compression: questions
Can a 3.5 × 4.5 cm photo at 300 DPI stay under 30 KB?
Usually, yes. That crop is 413 × 531 px, about 219,000 pixels, and 30 KB allows roughly 1.1 bits per pixel, which a JPEG with a plain background reaches at a moderate quality without any downscaling.
How do I compress a JPG to 30 KB on my phone?
Open this page in the phone's browser, tap the upload area and pick the photo from the gallery. No app or account is needed, and iPhone HEIC photos are accepted as they are.
Will a 30 KB photo pass a “20 to 50 KB” rule?
Yes, with room to spare on both sides. It is a better choice than aiming for 50 KB when you are not sure whether the portal counts 1,000 or 1,024 bytes per kilobyte.
Why does my 30 KB file look blocky around the hair?
Fine detail on a busy background costs the most bytes, so the quality search had to drop low. Crop closer, or raise Lowest quality allowed in Advanced settings so the tool reduces pixels instead of adding blocks.
Does changing the DPI value make the file smaller?
No. DPI is a number stored in the header that tells a printer how large to print; the file size depends on the pixel count and the compression. Changing 300 to 72 DPI without resampling leaves the bytes almost identical.