How to compress a photo to 240 KB without changing its pixel size
A 240 KB limit shows up on US visa and Diversity Visa photo uploads. The key is to fix the pixel dimensions first and let only the quality change, then check the file properties yourself.
Open the tool with a 240 KB limitThree settings, three separate jobs
Pixel size, file size and format are independent. For a 240 KB limit on a visa-style photo you set the pixels to what the form requires, set the maximum to 240 KB, and let SizeKit search for a quality setting that fits under it. Read KB versus pixels if the difference is new to you.
Why 600 × 600 is the easy size
Before compression a 24-bit colour image uses 3 bytes per pixel. That lets you work out how hard a limit squeezes a photo.
| Dimensions | Uncompressed size | Compression needed for 240,000 bytes |
|---|---|---|
| 600 × 600 px | 1,080,000 bytes | 4.5 : 1 |
| 800 × 800 px | 1,920,000 bytes | 8 : 1 |
| 1000 × 1000 px | 3,000,000 bytes | 12.5 : 1 |
| 1200 × 1200 px | 4,320,000 bytes | 18 : 1 |
At 600 × 600 the file only needs light compression, so detail stays crisp. At 1200 × 1200 it must be squeezed 18:1, which costs visible quality, and it also gets close to the compression limit described in our visa photo guide. Pick the smallest square the form allows.
Step by step
- Crop to a square first if the form needs one. SizeKit does not crop.
- Open the tool with the 240 KB limit and choose your photo. You can open JPG, PNG and WebP files up to 20 MB.
- Set the width and height to the required size, for example 600 and 600. Keep proportions on only if the photo is not already square.
- Choose JPG as the download format. Transparent areas become white in JPG.
- Download and check. Look at the file properties for the pixel size and file size.
Reading the file size correctly
SizeKit counts 1 KB as 1,000 bytes, so a 240 KB limit means at most 240,000 bytes. Some operating systems count 1 KB as 1,024 bytes and may show the same file as about 234 KB. That is still under the limit. A file that fits 240,000 bytes also fits 240 KiB, which is 245,760 bytes, so you are safe either way.
The limit is a maximum, not an exact target. SizeKit will usually produce a file somewhat below 240 KB because it stops at the quality setting that fits. That is normal.
If the photo will not fit
- SizeKit shows an error instead of silently shrinking your image, because you chose the dimensions.
- Check whether the photo is far larger than it needs to be. A form that requires 600 × 600 does not need a 4000-pixel original, but resize it to the required size rather than leaving it huge.
- Reduce the dimensions only if the form allows a smaller size. If the rule is a fixed 600 × 600, you cannot go lower.
- Crop away unnecessary background before you start, since detail you do not need still uses file size.
If the file fits but the upload is still refused, see why a US government photo upload gets rejected.
Frequently asked questions
Will compressing to 240 KB make my photo blurry?
At 600 × 600 pixels a 240 KB limit needs only light compression, so most photos stay sharp. Larger dimensions need harder compression and lose more detail.
Can I compress below 240 KB and still be fine?
Usually yes, but some forms also have a minimum. US visa photos have a compression-ratio limit that makes very small files risky, so avoid shrinking far beyond what you need.
Why does Windows show a different size from SizeKit?
SizeKit counts 1 KB as 1,000 bytes while some systems use 1,024. A file under 240,000 bytes is under the limit either way.