SSC Photo Requirements
Guide & Resizer

SSC Photo Guidelines 2026: Everything You Need to Know

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts various recruitment examinations, including CGL, CHSL, MTS, GD, and Stenographer. With the implementation of the new One Time Registration (OTR) portal, the automated validation of candidate photographs and signatures has become incredibly strict. Thousands of applications are rejected every cycle simply because a photo was 1 KB over the limit, had the wrong background, or was stretched out of proportion. To ensure your application is accepted flawlessly, you must adhere to the following exact specifications.

1. Technical File Requirements for SSC

Before the SSC portal even checks what your photo looks like, it checks the underlying metadata. If your file does not pass these three checks, the upload button will instantly return an error:

• File Size (Kilobytes): The digital size of the photograph must be strictly between 20 KB and 50 KB. Signatures must be even smaller, specifically between 10 KB and 20 KB. Using generic photo editors often ruins image quality when trying to hit these small targets. Our dedicated tool uses an iterative binary search to safely compress the image.
• Pixel Dimensions & Aspect Ratio: The SSC portal recommends a photo resolution of roughly 200 pixels width by 230 pixels height (which corresponds to the physical 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm passport size). For signatures, the portal expects a landscape orientation, officially 140 pixels width by 60 pixels height (4.0 cm x 2.0 cm). If you upload a square photo into a rectangular slot, your face will be stretched horizontally.
• File Format: The OTR portal only accepts .jpg or .jpeg files. PNG or PDF files will be immediately rejected. Our tool automatically converts uploaded PNGs to valid JPEGs.

2. Visual Appearance, Background, and Spectacles

Once your file passes the technical check, it is subject to visual verification. A photo that is the correct KB size can still be rejected later if it violates these appearance guidelines:

• Background: A plain white or very light-colored background is mandatory. Cluttered backgrounds, outdoor scenery, or dark colors interfere with the admit card printing and facial recognition software, guaranteeing rejection. (If your photo has a bad background, use our White Background Converter first).
• Facial Coverage: Your face must be clearly visible, looking straight at the camera. The face should occupy about 70-80% of the photo area.
• Strictly NO Spectacles or Caps: The SSC is extremely strict regarding this rule. Candidates must not wear spectacles (glasses), caps, hats, or dark masks in the photograph. Even if you wear prescription glasses daily, you must take them off for the photograph. Both of your ears must be clearly visible.

3. The Name and Date Rule on SSC Photos

In previous recruitment cycles, SSC strictly mandated that the date the photograph was taken (DOP) be printed at the bottom of the photo. Recently, with the introduction of the OTR system and live photo captures, this rule has been relaxed in many notifications, replacing it with a simple checkbox declaration confirming the photo is not older than 3 months.

However, SSC notifications differ by exam and can change unexpectedly. Always read the specific notification for your exam (like CGL or GD). If it explicitly requests a printed date, use the "Add Name & Date" toggle in our tool above. It automatically generates a clean, high-contrast text strip without you needing to use Photoshop.

Why Use Our Free SSC Photo Resizer?

Our tool was built exclusively to handle the quirks of the SSC OTR portal. When you select your document type and click "Format for SSC", our client-side HTML5 engine securely processes the image directly inside your web browser. It crops the pixels to 200x230, formats the background, and utilizes an advanced compression algorithm to perfectly hit the 20-50 KB limits. Your sensitive biometric data is never uploaded to any external server, guaranteeing total privacy and a successful exam application.