Indian Passport (35×45 mm), PAN Card & Competitive Exam (20KB–50KB) Photo & Signature Complete Guide
Whether you are printing 35×45 mm biometric photos for an Indian Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) appointment, formatting a 213×213 px portrait for NSDL/UTIITSL PAN services, or resizing photos and signatures for UPSC, SSC (CGL, CHSL, GD, MTS), IBPS, or Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) portals, every Indian government portal enforces strict millimeter, pixel, and kilobyte (KB) rules. Even more importantly, uploading personal identity photos, Aadhaar scans, or signatures to unknown cloud servers poses serious privacy risks—which is why formatting everything 100% locally inside your browser is the safest approach.
1. Complete 2026 Indian Government & Exam Portal Dimension Chart
Check exact width, height, DPI, and KB limits across India's major passport, identity, and recruitment portals:
| Portal / Examination | Photo Dimensions | Signature Dimensions | File Size & Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Passport (PSK) | 35 × 45 mm (413 × 531 px) | Captured live at PSK | 300 DPI Print | Plain White |
| Indian OCI / Visa | 2 × 2 inch (51 × 51 mm) | 51 × 17 mm (3:1 ratio) | 10 KB – 1 MB JPEG | White/Light |
| PAN Card (NSDL / UTI) | 3.5 × 2.5 cm (213 × 213 px) | 2.0 × 4.5 cm (400 × 200 px) | Photo < 50 KB | Sign < 50 KB |
| SSC (CGL, CHSL, GD, MTS) | 3.5 × 4.5 cm (35 × 45 mm) | 4.0 × 2.0 cm (40 × 20 mm) | Photo: 20–50 KB | Sign: 10–20 KB |
| UPSC (CSE, NDA, CDS) | 350 × 350 to 1000 × 1000 px | 350 × 350 to 1000 × 1000 px | 20 KB – 300 KB (JPG/JPEG) |
| RRB (NTPC, ALP, Group D) | 35 × 45 mm (320 × 240 px min) | 50 × 20 mm (140 × 60 px min) | Photo: 20–70 KB | Sign: 10–30 KB |
| IBPS / SBI Banking Exams | 4.5 × 3.5 cm (200 × 230 px) | 140 × 60 pixels | Photo: 20–50 KB | Sign: 10–20 KB |
Zero-Server Privacy for Aadhaar, PAN & Exam Photos
Process Indian Passport (35×45 mm), PAN Card, and Aadhaar/Voter ID layouts 100% inside your browser. Your photos and signatures never leave your phone or computer.
2. Step-by-Step: Formatting Passport Photos, Signatures & Aadhaar Sheets
- Step 1 — Select the Indian Standard Preset: Open QuickPhotoGrid and choose IN India Passport (35 × 45 mm), IN PAN Card (25 × 35 mm), or IN Stamp Size (20 × 25 mm) from the top preset dropdown.
- Step 2 — Remove Colored or Shadowed Walls: If your photo was taken against a cream, blue, or shadowed wall, run the local AI Background Remover and set the background swatch to pure white.
- Step 3 — Clean Up Scanned Signatures: Write your signature with a thick black ballpoint or gel pen on clean unruled white paper, snap a well-lit photo, and increase Contrast slightly in QuickPhotoGrid so the paper turns pure white and the ink stays sharp.
- Step 4 — Pack Portraits + ID Cards on One Sheet (For Cyber Cafés & Studios): Use the Add Document button in the Dual Upload Tray to crop front/back Aadhaar or Voter ID cards and pack them alongside passport photos on a single 4×6 or A4 sheet.
- Step 5 — Export at 300 DPI: Click Save Sheet (300 DPI) or Direct Print with printer scaling locked to 100% Actual Size.
3. Common Reasons Indian Exam & Passport Forms Get Rejected
- Selfie Mirror-Flip or Wide-Angle Distortion: Front-camera selfies flip text/features and exaggerate nose proportions. Always use the rear camera from 4–5 feet away.
- Signature Signed in CAPITAL LETTERS or Blue Ink: SSC, UPSC, and RRB notifications strictly reject signatures written entirely in block/capital letters or faint blue ink.
- Dark Shadows or Flash Glare on Forehead: Direct phone flash creates shiny hot-spots on the forehead and nose; shoot facing natural daylight instead.
- Blurry Resized Thumbnails: Compressing a WhatsApp-forwarded photo multiple times causes heavy JPEG blockiness around the eyes, triggering automatic portal rejection.
4. Frequently Asked Questions (Indian Passport & Exam Standards)
Do I need to print a date on my SSC or RRB exam photo in 2026?
Most recent SSC and RRB notifications no longer require the date printed on the photograph itself, provided the photo was captured within the last 3 months and matches your live webcam capture during OTR registration. Always verify the specific exam notification PDF before uploading.
Can I wear spectacles in my Indian Passport or SSC photo?
No. Both Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) guidelines and SSC/UPSC examination rules advise removing eyeglasses completely to avoid lens glare obscuring your eyes.