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Compress an image to 120 KB
To get an image under 120 KB, PixelFit aims at 120,000 bytes or less, so forms counting 1 KB as 1000 or 1024 bytes both accept it. Estimated from our measured encodes, that is about 786 × 589 pixels for a 4:3 photo at quality 75, or 992 × 1,238 for a portrait.
Under 120 KB
JPG · under 120 KB (at most 120,000 bytes) · original pixel size · white background
PixelFit aims at 120,000 bytes or less, so the file passes whether the form counts 1 KB as 1,000 or 1,024 bytes.
Fit, background and padding white background
Saving presets is part of Pro.
The result appears here: the exact byte count, pixel size and quality, the size before and after, a preview and a download button.
The batch kit (one ZIP for up to 500 photos, several photos merged into one PDF) is part of Pro.
What 120 KB means in bytes
120 KB is 122,880 bytes when 1 KB = 1024 bytes (120 × 1024) and 120,000 bytes when a server counts 1 KB = 1000 bytes. The 2,880-byte gap matters only near the limit. PixelFit aims at 120,000 bytes or less and prints the exact byte count, so you can compare it with the form.
120 KB is 0.12 MB; 85 such files fit in 10 MB. Uncompressed, the 786 × 589 photo that fits here would need 1.32 MB of raw pixels, so JPEG at quality 75 packs it about 12 to 1.
Largest pixel size that fits 120 KB
The biggest image of each kind, in its own aspect ratio, that stays at or below 120,000 bytes.
| Image | JPG q60 | JPG q75 | JPG q90 | WebP q75 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head-and-shoulders portrait | 1,195 × 1,492 | 992 × 1,238 | 705 × 880 | 1,548 × 1,933 |
| Outdoor landscape (12 MP phone photo) | 909 × 681 | 786 × 589 | 615 × 461 | 835 × 626 |
| Scanned typed document page | 955 × 1,200 | 805 × 1,011 | 595 × 747 | 1,112 × 1,397 |
| Handwritten letter with signature | 1,844 × 1,516 | 1,504 × 1,236 | 998 × 820 | 2,361 × 1,941 |
| Flat-colour graphic (flag) | 3,475 × 2,432* | 3,085 × 2,159* | 2,359 × 1,651 | 5,793 × 4,055* |
A 12 MP phone photo at 120 KB
Our 12 MP landscape sample (4032 × 3024) is about 4.15 MB at quality 90, 36 times the 120 KB budget; even quality 30 leaves 1.26 MB (extrapolated from encodes up to 3,000 px). So the pixels must go down too.
At about quality 75 it fits 120 KB near 786 × 589 (0.46 MP, 4 % of the original pixels). Quality 60 allows 909 × 681; quality 90 needs 615 × 461.
JPEG quality for fixed pixel sizes under 120 KB
When a form fixes the pixels, only quality can move. Highest quality (of 100) that keeps each size at or under 120,000 bytes:
| Pixel size | Measured on | JPG | WebP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 413 × 531 (35 × 45 mm at 300 DPI) | portrait photo | quality 95+ (72.2 KB) | quality 95+ (54 KB) |
| 600 × 600 (2 × 2 inch at 300 DPI) | portrait photo | quality 95+ (108 KB) | quality 95+ (80.5 KB) |
| 800 × 600 (4:3 web photo) | landscape photo | quality 73 (116 KB) | quality 77 (114 KB) |
| 1080 × 1080 (square social post) | landscape photo | no: fewer pixels needed | no: fewer pixels needed |
| 1200 × 1600 (3:4 portrait upload) | portrait photo | quality 56 (117 KB) | quality 82 (115 KB) |
| 1240 × 1754 (A4 page at 150 DPI) | scanned typed page | no: fewer pixels needed | quality 52 (116 KB) |
Measured JPEG files either side of 120 KB
Real encodes from our test set at quality 75: the largest file that stays under 120,000 bytes and the smallest that goes over.
| Image | Largest under 120 KB | Smallest over 120 KB |
|---|---|---|
| Head-and-shoulders portrait | 961 × 1200: 113,785 B | 1281 × 1600: 183,340 B |
| Outdoor landscape (12 MP phone photo) | 600 × 450: 69,996 B | 800 × 600: 124,163 B |
| Scanned typed document page | 796 × 1000: 117,818 B | 955 × 1200: 157,822 B |
| Handwritten letter with signature | 1200 × 987: 80,051 B | 1600 × 1315: 134,065 B |
| Flat-colour graphic (flag) | 3000 × 2100: 115,604 B | none: every measured size fits |
JPG, WebP or PNG at 120 KB
At quality 75, WebP holds 835 × 626 of the landscape photo in 120 KB, JPG 786 × 589: 13 % more pixels. Portrait gain: 144 %. Typed page gain: 91 %. A moderate gain for the landscape photo at 120 KB, a large one for portraits and typed pages: where WebP is accepted, use it for those. Many portals accept only JPG/JPEG, so this page starts in JPG.
A full-colour PNG is lossless, so its size follows the content. In 120 KB it holds a flat graphic of 2,335 × 1,634 pixels but a photo of only 283 × 212, against 786 × 589 as a quality-75 JPG. Reducing a PNG to a palette of up to 256 colours (PixelFit does this when a PNG must shrink) helps graphics far more than photos.
Which uploads fit comfortably in 120 KB
2 of the 6 sizes above keep quality 75 or better under 120 KB (413 × 531, 600 × 600); 2 miss even at quality 30 (1080 × 1080, 1240 × 1754). At 786 × 589, quality 90 costs 62 % more bytes than quality 75.
A typed page reaches 955 × 1,200 at quality 60 in 120 KB, about 103 DPI if it is an A4 sheet.
How to compress an image to 120 KB
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Open the tool above
It is preset to 120 KB (120,000 bytes or less), JPG output.
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Add your image
Drop, paste or pick it; a PNG, WebP or (where the browser opens it) HEIC file becomes a JPG under 120 KB.
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Pixel size: only if asked
On auto, a typical photo stops near 786 × 589 at about quality 75.
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Download and check
name-120kb.jpg comes with its byte count, pixels and quality.
Forms that ask for 120 KB
Upload specs in our dataset with exactly 120 KB. Verify with the official notice before you submit.
120 KB limits
Sources
- Measured by PixelFit with sharp 0.35.5 / libvips 8.18.7 on 31 October 2026.
- Sample images, Wikimedia Commons, checked 31 October 2026: landscape (CC0 1.0) commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=154070378; portrait commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23956389; typed page commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=194775753; handwritten letter commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90423615; flag commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=361734 (public domain).
- Binary prefixes, NIST, checked 31 October 2026: physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
Frequently asked questions
How do I compress an image to 120 KB?
Drop it into the tool here, preset to 120 KB. It searches JPEG quality (at most 8 encodes per pixel size), then scales pixels down if needed, until the file is 120,000 bytes or less. A 4:3 photo typically lands near 786 × 589 at about quality 75.
How do I compress an image to less than 120 KB without losing quality?
Give up pixels before quality: at quality 75, 120 KB holds 786 × 589 of a photo and 992 × 1,238 of a portrait; quality 90 at 786 × 589 costs 62 % more bytes.
Is 120 KB 120,000 or 122,880 bytes?
Both readings exist: 122,880 bytes (1 KB = 1024) or 120,000 bytes (1 KB = 1000). 120,000 bytes or less passes both.
Can I compress a PNG to 120 KB?
Yes, but a full-colour PNG photo stays big: about 283 × 212 pixels in 120 KB, versus 2,335 × 1,634 for a flat graphic. As a JPG the photo reaches 786 × 589.
What pixel size fits 120 KB?
At quality 75: a photo 786 × 589, a portrait 992 × 1,238, a typed page 805 × 1,011.
Related
Nearby file sizes
- Compress to 100 KB photo ≈ 717 × 537
- Compress to 90 KB photo ≈ 681 × 510
- Compress to 80 KB photo ≈ 641 × 480
- Compress to 150 KB photo ≈ 879 × 659
- Compress to 200 KB photo ≈ 1,015 × 761
- Compress to 240 KB photo ≈ 1,106 × 829
More ways to hit 120 KB
- Between 40 KB and 120 KB Minimum and maximum
- Image resizer with KB target Any size, pixels and format
Pixel sizes that fit 120 KB
- 600×750 px digital passport photo about 114 KB as a quality-75 JPG
- 854×480 (FWVGA) about 104 KB as a quality-75 JPG
- 800×480 (WVGA) about 97.1 KB as a quality-75 JPG
- 51×51 mm photo about 91.6 KB as a quality-75 JPG