Compress an image to 100 KB
Drop a photo and get it back just under 100 KB — the size asked for by job applications, university portals and visa forms. Free, and the photo is never uploaded.
Each file lands just under this size.
If quality alone can't reach the size, the image is scaled down until it fits. The new size is shown on the file.
How did this tool do?
About compressing to 100 KB
100 KB sits in a comfortable place: small enough for forms that reject anything larger, but roomy enough that a properly sized photograph shows no visible compression artefacts. Document scans, certificates and ID photos all survive it easily.
It's a useful target away from forms, too. Email attachments, images inside a PDF and photos on a web page all benefit from being around this size — an unoptimised 3 MB photo is still the single most common reason a page loads slowly.
As always, dimensions do most of the work. If the image is destined for a web page, resize the longest edge to about 1200 pixels first. At that size, 100 KB produces something most people can't tell from the original.
Everything happens in your browser, so there's no upload step: a large file doesn't mean a long wait on a slow connection, and nothing you compress is stored anywhere.
University admissions, visa and immigration portals and job sites tend to be more generous than exam forms, and 100 KB is a common limit for the supporting documents they ask for: a certificate, a transcript page or the photo page of a passport. At this size a single page stays readable if it's scanned or photographed straight on.
For documents, the pixels should go to the text. Crop the margins and the table the paper was lying on before you compress, then use Compare at full size to check the smallest print. If it has turned blurry, a slightly smaller crop usually helps more than anything else.
Where you'll meet it
Document scans
Certificates and ID scans stay readable at 100 KB.
Email attachments
Attach several photos without hitting mailbox limits.
Web images
A healthy target for images on a page you're building.
Other sizes
How to use it
- 01Drop your image, or paste one with Ctrl+V. JPG, PNG, WebP and HEIC all work.
- 02The target is already set to 100 KB — change it if your form asks for something else.
- 03Tap Compress. Quality is lowered step by step, and the photo is scaled down only if that's the only way to reach 100 KB.
- 04Compare the result with the original, then download.
Compressing images, answered
Is 100 KB enough for a scanned document?
For one A4 page, usually yes. Around 1200 to 1600 pixels across keeps normal print readable at 100 KB. If small print blurs, crop the margins off so more of the budget goes to the text, and check whether the form accepts a PDF for multi-page documents.
How do I make a photo exactly 100 KB?
Drop it above and tap Compress. The target is already 100 KB, and each file comes back just under that — the quality that was needed is shown on the file, so you can see how hard it had to work.
Will my photo still look good at 100 KB?
It depends on the dimensions. A passport-sized photo at 100 KB looks fine; a full-size camera photo squeezed to 100 KB will soften. Use Compare before downloading, and crop or resize first if you only need part of the image.
What if the form also wants exact dimensions?
Resize first, then compress. The resize tool has presets for passport photos (35 × 45 mm) and common pixel sizes, and compressing afterwards keeps those dimensions unless the size target can't be met any other way.
Why does the form ask for 100 KB?
Upload limits keep storage and bandwidth predictable — 100 KB is a common one for job applications, university portals and visa forms. The limit is about the file size in kilobytes, not how large the photo looks on screen.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. Compression runs in your browser, so the photo never leaves your device — which matters when you're sending ID documents to a form.