SSC CGL Photo Size 2026 - Exact Dimensions, KB Limit and Format

Hello friend, if you are reading this, you are probably sitting with your phone or laptop, staring at an SSC CGL application form, and wondering why your photo keeps getting rejected. Or maybe the form is asking for a file between 20KB and 50KB and you have no idea how to get there. I have been through this confusion myself, and honestly it is more annoying than it should be.

The good news is that once you know the exact numbers, it takes about 30 seconds to fix. This article is going to give you every single number you need for SSC CGL 2026 photo and signature requirements, and then show you exactly what to do with those numbers.

What is the SSC CGL Photo Size for 2026?

The SSC CGL 2026 official notification specifies the following for your passport-size photograph:

• Width: 275 pixels
• Height: 354 pixels
• File size: minimum 20KB, maximum 50KB
• Format: JPG or JPEG only

That is it. Those four numbers are what your photo file needs to match before you upload it. If your photo is 200x230 pixels (which is the old SSC standard from before), it will get rejected. If your file is 18KB or 55KB, it will get rejected too. The portal checks these things automatically and does not give you a second chance on the same session.

Now here is something a lot of guides miss. The 275x354 pixel requirement is relatively new for SSC CGL. If you are following instructions from a 2023 or 2024 article, you might be reading the old 200x230 pixel specification. That is wrong for CGL 2026. Double check that you are using 275x354.

What is the SSC CGL Signature Size for 2026?

Your signature has different requirements from your photo, and this is where most people mess up because they try to use the same settings for both.

• Width: 236 pixels
• Height: 79 pixels
• File size: minimum 10KB, maximum 20KB
• Format: JPG or JPEG only

The signature is much wider than it is tall, which makes sense because a signature is a horizontal thing. The file size limit is also much smaller than the photo, 10KB to 20KB instead of 20KB to 50KB. Getting a clear signature into 20KB is actually harder than it sounds if you do not use the right tool, because too much compression makes the ink lines go blurry and the portal may reject it for that reason too.

The New Live Photo Capture Rule in SSC CGL 2026

This is something that genuinely confused a lot of people when SSC announced it, so I want to spend a minute here. SSC CGL 2026 has introduced mandatory live photo capture during the online application process. What this means is that you cannot upload a pre-existing photo from your gallery. Instead, when you reach the photo upload step, the portal will activate your webcam or phone camera and ask you to take a photo right there.

A few things to know about the live capture:

• Make sure you are in a well-lit room. Natural daylight from a window in front of you is the best option. Avoid sitting with a window behind you because that creates a shadow on your face.
• The background needs to be plain and light-colored. A white wall works. A busy bedroom background does not.
• You must remove your spectacles before the photo is taken. SSC is strict about this. Glasses are not allowed in the CGL photo.
• No cap, no mask, no tinted eyewear.
• Your full face must be inside the frame with both ears visible.

Now you might be wondering: if the photo is taken live by the portal, why do you need to resize anything? Good question. The live capture handles the photo. But you still need to upload your signature as a resized file. So the signature resize step is still fully manual and you need to prepare it before starting your application.

SSC CGL Photo Requirements vs Other SSC Exams

A lot of aspirants appear for multiple SSC exams and get confused because each exam has slightly different specifications. Here is a quick comparison so you are not mixing up the numbers:

Notice that SSC CGL has a noticeably larger photo requirement compared to CHSL and MTS. This is not a mistake. SSC CGL changed its photo dimensions upward, and the other exams have not yet followed. So if you are preparing for CGL specifically, do not borrow the settings from a CHSL guide.

How to Resize Your SSC CGL Signature (Step by Step)

Since the photo is now handled by live capture on the portal, let me focus on the signature, which you do need to prepare manually.

Step 1: Sign your name on plain white unruled paper using a black ink pen. Keep the signature clear and legible. Do not sign in all capital letters. SSC specifically mentions that signatures in block capitals are rejected.

Step 2: Take a clear photo of the signature using your phone. Make sure there are no shadows on the paper. Hold the phone directly above the paper, not at an angle. The ink should look dark against the white paper.

Step 3: Go to sscphotoresizer.in on your phone or laptop browser. Select SSC CGL from the exam dropdown. Select Signature as the document type. The tool will automatically set the target dimensions to 236x79 pixels and the file size range to 10KB to 20KB.

Step 4: Upload your signature photo. The tool processes it entirely inside your browser, so your signature file never gets uploaded to any server. Press the resize button and wait about 2 seconds.

Step 5: Check the output file size shown on screen. If it says something like 14.2KB, you are good to download. The file will be saved as a JPG ready to upload to the SSC portal.

Why Does the SSC Portal Reject Photos and Signatures?

This question comes up a lot because people follow the size instructions but still get rejected. Here are the actual reasons the SSC portal kicks back photo and signature uploads:

Wrong pixel dimensions. The most common one. Your file is the right size in KB but the pixel dimensions are off. The portal checks both independently. A 275x200 pixel photo will be rejected even if the file size is perfect.

File size outside the range. Your photo is 52KB instead of 50KB. Rejected. Your signature is 9KB instead of 10KB minimum. Also rejected. The portal checks exact KB values.

Wrong file format. You uploaded a PNG or WEBP file instead of JPG. The portal only accepts JPG format for both photo and signature.

Glasses in the photo. Caught by the automated verification system. Remove your spectacles before the live capture.

Blurry signature. This happens when the signature image gets over-compressed. The ink lines become soft and the portal's document clarity check flags it. Using a proper iterative compression tool like the one on sscphotoresizer.in/tool/ssc-cgl avoids this because it only compresses as much as needed to hit the target size, not more.

Signature in capital letters. A lot of people sign their forms with their full name in capital letters out of habit. SSC does not allow this. Your signature should be in cursive or your natural signing style, not block letters.

For a more detailed breakdown of each rejection reason with fixes, read our article on SSC CGL photo rejection reasons and how to fix them.

Preparing Your Signature on a Mobile Phone

Most SSC aspirants do not have access to a scanner at home. The phone camera is the practical option and it works fine if you follow a few basic steps.

Take the photo of your signature in daylight, near a window. Switch your phone camera to the highest resolution available. Hold the phone about 20 to 25 centimeters above the paper. Tap on the signature area on your phone screen before clicking, so the camera focuses on the ink rather than the background. Take two or three shots and pick the one where the ink looks sharpest.

Do not use portrait mode or any AI enhancement filters. Plain standard camera mode gives you the most predictable result when you process it through a resize tool.

Once you have the photo, go directly to the resize tool. You do not need to crop it manually first. The tool handles the aspect ratio conversion to 236x79 pixels automatically.

What About the Thumb Impression?

SSC CGL 2026 does not require a separate thumb impression upload in the standard application form. This is more relevant for SSC GD Constable, which asks for a left thumb impression in addition to photo and signature.

If you are filling SSC GD Constable alongside CGL, check our SSC GD photo size 2026 guide for the exact thumb impression specifications for that exam.

Before You Submit: Final Checklist

Before you click the final submit button on your SSC CGL 2026 application, run through this list once:

• Signature file is JPG format
• Signature dimensions are 236 pixels wide and 79 pixels tall
• Signature file size is between 10KB and 20KB
• Signature is in cursive, not capital letters
• Your webcam or phone camera is working for the live photo capture step
• You have a plain light background ready for the live photo
• Your spectacles are off
• Lighting is good, no shadows on your face

That is really everything. The actual process once you have the right files is fast. Most people spend more time reading confusing articles than they do on the actual resizing. Hopefully this one was not confusing.

Quick Recap of SSC CGL Photo Size 2026

Photo for SSC CGL 2026: 275x354 pixels, 20KB to 50KB, JPG format, taken live on the portal via webcam or phone camera.

Signature for SSC CGL 2026: 236x79 pixels, 10KB to 20KB, JPG format, prepared manually and uploaded as a file.

You can resize your SSC CGL signature for free at sscphotoresizer.in. Select SSC CGL, select Signature, upload your photo of the signature, and download the resized file. No account needed, no payment, no server upload.

If you are also preparing for SSC CHSL or SSC MTS, the photo and signature size requirements are different for those exams. Check the SSC CHSL photo and signature size guide and the SSC signature size comparison for all exams to avoid mixing up the numbers.

Good luck with your application. The exam is the hard part. The photo stuff should not be.