PAN Card Photo Resize and Signature Resize (NSDL/Protean & UTIITSL)
Prepare separate photo and signature attachments for your PAN application. Select the route you actually use: e-Sign, DSC and UTIITSL have different byte budgets.
Step 1 — Prepare the photo
The initial portrait crop produces 197 × 276 pixels. Keep your whole face in the preview. DSC has the smallest KB caps, but its 200 DPI setting does not meet the e-Sign guide’s below-200 DPI instruction. Select the e-Sign preset for that route; there is no shared DPI setting that meets both instructions.
or drop it here, or paste with Ctrl+V. JPG, PNG, WebP or HEIC (iPhone).
Step 2 — Prepare the signature
The separate signature workspace starts with cleaning enabled and white padding to 354 × 157 pixels. Review the writing after cleanup; change this preset independently of your photo.
or drop it here. JPG, PNG, WebP or HEIC (iPhone).
Inspect the saved attachment before applying
Check the downloaded result for your PAN route. These header and size checks cannot promise acceptance; follow the instructions shown in your application.
Drop the saved photo or signature here, or select it on your device.
Read on your device only. No file is uploaded.
Choose a file to start the checks.
PAN photo and signature size by route
Dimensions below use width × height. A colour JPEG is the Protean DSC specification. The e-Sign guide expressly limits the filename to .jpg; choose that extension when exporting for Protean.
| Route | Photo | Signature | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protean e-Sign | Up to 50 KB; 2.5 × 3.5 cm; below 200 DPI (guide); JPEG | Up to 50 KB; 4.5 × 2 cm; below 200 DPI (guide); JPEG | Protean instructions |
| Protean DSC | Up to 20 KB; 2.5 × 3.5 cm; 200 DPI; JPEG | Up to 10 KB; 4.5 × 2 cm; 200 DPI; JPEG | Protean instructions |
| UTIITSL online | Up to 30 KB; JPEG/PNG; no dimension or DPI check | Up to 60 KB; JPEG/PNG; no dimension or DPI check | Form validator |
Specifications checked on 21 October 2026. The e-Sign guide says “lesser than 200 dpi”, while Protean’s photo-update article says 200 DPI. The e-Sign presets use 150 DPI to satisfy “lesser than 200”; DSC presets use 200 DPI. These Protean documents differ, so follow the instructions displayed when you apply.
Which route are you on?
- Scans plus Aadhaar e-Sign: prepare a photo and a signature, each up to 50 KB according to the guide. The e-Sign route and the Aadhaar e-KYC route are distinct choices.
- Digital Signature Certificate (DSC): the certificate route has the smaller caps: 20 KB for the photo and 10 KB for the signature. Use the first presets for these limits.
- Aadhaar e-KYC: Protean says you will not be asked to upload a photograph or supporting documents. Its statement does not say the same about a signature.
- UTIITSL online: the application form validates image format and file size. It also offers cropping within the form. Our UTI presets retain Protean’s rectangular dimensions for convenience, not because UTIITSL publishes those dimensions.
- Paper Form 93: from 1 April 2026, the new form replaces the former form. Its printed instructions call for 2 recent colour photos, 4.5 × 3.5 cm, on white backgrounds. Paste, never staple or clip. A signature or left thumb impression must cross the left photo and form; leave the right photo unmarked.
The scanned-upload dimensions come from Protean’s older guide, written before the new forms. Its current Form 93 online information page does not specify upload measurements. The instructions displayed during your application take precedence over these preparation presets.
Pixels at 200 DPI
Centimetres describe a physical size; the selected DPI converts that size to a pixel grid. Here are the rounded calculations for both attachments, always width first:
| Attachment | Centimetres | 150 DPI (e-Sign preset) | 200 DPI | 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo | 2.5 × 3.5 cm | 148 × 207 px | 197 × 276 px | 295 × 413 px |
| Signature | 4.5 × 2 cm | 266 × 118 px | 354 × 157 px | 531 × 236 px |
The higher-DPI column is a conversion reference, not another PAN upload requirement. Changing DPI without enough source detail cannot restore a blurred face or broken pen strokes.
What about 213 × 213 pixels for UTI?
Some PAN service agents describe a square 213 × 213 photo in their PSA scanning instructions. We did not find that pixel specification on UTIITSL’s own public pages. Their quoted KB caps agree with the online form, but that does not establish the square dimensions as a universal UTI requirement.
There is deliberately no square UTI preset here. If your agent explicitly requests that grid, choose “Set in pixels” in Dimensions and enter 213 for both width and height. Inspect the crop in the destination form before proceeding.
1,000 or 1,024 bytes
UTIITSL’s JavaScript divides file size by 1024 and rejects values above its cap. Consequently, exactly 30,720 photo bytes or 61,440 signature bytes pass that size comparison, even though the messages say “less than”.
Protean publishes KB without defining the unit. Our converter uses 1000 bytes per KB to stay within either interpretation. The checker marks the narrow interval between the two definitions as a warning for Protean, rather than claiming that the portal accepts it. It checks content, byte count, JFIF density and shape; it cannot validate identity or final application approval.
Prepare a clear source photo and signature
For the photograph, use a recent colour image with a light or white background, a clearly visible face and a natural expression, as described in Protean’s photo-update guidance. Even lighting makes a small JPG easier to inspect. Cropping should preserve the face rather than squeeze it into a different shape.
For handwriting, use a dark pen on white paper and photograph it in focus without shadows. Allow space around the strokes. After cleaning, compare the output against the original: if dots or thin strokes disappear, turn off cleanup or retake the picture with better light.
See signature cleaning controls for help with paper removal and padding. For a different application, the other 50 KB form specifications may be more relevant. If another portal explicitly imposes a minimum, read how to increase a file that is too small; the PAN limits listed here do not establish a minimum.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the PAN photo size in KB?
Choose the limit for the upload route: Protean e-Sign allows 50 KB, Protean DSC 20 KB, and UTIITSL online 30 KB. The starting photo cap here is 20 KB, inside all three KB caps. However, e-Sign needs its own preset at 150 DPI to stay below 200 DPI; the DSC default uses 200 DPI. That does not certify the photograph itself.
How do NSDL and UTI photo requirements differ?
NSDL is now Protean. Its e-Sign guide requests .jpg at 2.5 × 3.5 cm; its DSC route has a separate 20 KB photo cap. UTIITSL’s online validator accepts JPG, JPEG and PNG up to 30720 bytes, without checking dimensions or DPI.
How many pixels is a 3.5 × 2.5 cm photo?
That specification lists height first. Enter width 2.5 cm and height 3.5 cm: at 200 DPI the output is 197 × 276 pixels; at 300 DPI it is 295 × 413 pixels. Do not reverse the portrait orientation.
Does Aadhaar e-KYC require a photo upload?
Protean’s guide says Aadhaar-based e-KYC does not ask you to upload a photograph or supporting documents. This statement does not establish a signature-upload exemption. Check which authentication route you selected.
What if the PAN form says my file is too large?
Identify whether the rejected attachment is the photo or signature, select that route’s preset, and attach the newly downloaded JPG. This tool budgets 1000 bytes per KB. Check the saved file below; renaming an old file does not compress it. If your application displays a different limit, use that limit.
What size photo goes on the paper PAN form?
Form 93 calls for 2 recent colour photographs, 4.5 × 3.5 cm, with a white background. Paste them onto the form; do not staple or clip them. The digital upload presets on this page are not paper-print presets.