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PAN card (Protean) photo and signature size

The PAN card (Protean) form takes a photo of about 25 × 35 mm, at most 20 KB and a signature of about 45 × 20 mm, at most 10 KB, both as JPG/JPEG. It also takes supporting documents (at most 300 KB).

PAN card (Protean) photo

JPG · under 20 KB (at most 20,000 bytes) · 25x35 mm at 200 DPI · white background

PixelFit aims at 20,000 bytes or less, so the file passes whether the form counts 1 KB as 1,000 or 1,024 bytes. 25x35 mm at 200 DPI is 197x276 pixels.

What are you uploading?
Fit, background and padding crop to fill · white background

Saving presets is part of Pro.

Pick a photo to fit it to under 20 KB (at most 20,000 bytes).

The result appears here: the exact byte count, pixel size and quality, the size before and after, a preview and a download button.

PAN card (Protean) upload specifications

Values for the PAN card application on Protean (NSDL), Form 49A, copied from Protean: Guidelines for filling PAN new application (Form 49A), checked 31 October 2026; "not stated" means the source gives no figure for it.

UploadPixel sizePrint sizeFile sizeFormatBackground
Photo 197 × 276 px at 200 DPI (computed; the tool uses this) 25 × 35 mm at 200 DPI at most 20 KB JPG/JPEG not stated
Signature 354 × 157 px at 200 DPI (computed; the tool uses this) 45 × 20 mm at 200 DPI at most 10 KB JPG/JPEG not stated
Supporting documents not stated not stated at most 300 KB PDF or JPG/JPEG not stated

PAN card (Protean) sizes in pixels and millimetres

Print sizes become pixels at a resolution (pixels = mm ÷ 25.4 × DPI); pixel sizes become print sizes the other way round. Computed for the PAN card (Protean) uploads at 200 and 300 DPI.

UploadAspect ratioMegapixelsAt 200 DPIAt 300 DPI
Photo 5:7 (print size) 0.12 MP at 300 DPI 197 × 276 px 295 × 413 px
Signature 9:4 (print size) 0.13 MP at 300 DPI 354 × 157 px 531 × 236 px

What the PAN card (Protean) KB limits mean in bytes

The PAN card (Protean) photo limit of 20 KB is 20,480 bytes when 1 KB = 1,024 bytes and 20,000 bytes when 1 KB = 1,000 bytes; a file of 20,000 bytes or less passes either way.

The PAN card (Protean) signature limit of 10 KB is 10,240 bytes when 1 KB = 1,024 bytes and 10,000 bytes when 1 KB = 1,000 bytes; a file of 10,000 bytes or less passes either way.

The PAN card (Protean) supporting documents limit of 300 KB is 307,200 bytes when 1 KB = 1,024 bytes and 300,000 bytes when 1 KB = 1,000 bytes; a file of 300,000 bytes or less passes either way.

Estimated JPG file size for PAN card (Protean) uploads

Estimated from sizes measured with sharp 0.35.5 / libvips 8.18.7 on public-domain sample images (31 October 2026), interpolated to each target size. Your own scan can land 30-50% either side, which is why the tool measures the real file.

UploadPixel size usedQuality 60Quality 75Quality 85Quality 95Limit
Photo 197 × 276 px 9.1 KB 11.5 KB 14.8 KB 24.9 KB at most 20 KB
Signature 354 × 157 px 4.0 KB 5.5 KB 7.9 KB 14.9 KB at most 10 KB

Will the PAN card (Protean) photo fit the limit?

For the PAN card (Protean) photo at 197 × 276 px (25 × 35 mm at 200 DPI), quality 91 (about 19.3 KB) is the highest setting that stays under 20 KB.

For the PAN card (Protean) signature at 354 × 157 px (45 × 20 mm at 200 DPI), quality 89 (about 9.6 KB) is the highest setting that stays under 10 KB.

PAN card (Protean) rejection checklist

Upload checks computed from the PAN card (Protean) specification; a file that fails any one of them is usually refused at upload or flagged later.

  • Photo: File type is JPG/JPEG (a PNG or HEIC renamed to .jpg is still rejected).
  • Photo: The PAN card (Protean) photo file is no larger than 20 KB (20,000 bytes is safe under both KB definitions).
  • Photo: Printed size is 25 × 35 mm at 200 DPI.
  • Signature: File type is JPG/JPEG (a PNG or HEIC renamed to .jpg is still rejected).
  • Signature: The PAN card (Protean) signature file is no larger than 10 KB (10,000 bytes is safe under both KB definitions).
  • Signature: Printed size is 45 × 20 mm at 200 DPI.
  • Supporting documents: File type is PDF or JPG/JPEG.
  • Supporting documents: The PAN card (Protean) supporting documents file is no larger than 300 KB (300,000 bytes is safe under both KB definitions).

How to resize your photo for PAN card (Protean)

  1. Take or scan the photo

    Use a recent colour photo. Frame it in the 25 × 35 mm shape.

  2. Load the preset

    Drop the file into the tool at the top of this page. The "PAN card (Protean) photo" preset is already set to 25 × 35 mm and at most 20 KB, as JPG/JPEG.

  3. Check the result

    Read the before and after sizes: the PAN card (Protean) photo must end at or under 20,000 bytes. Download it.

  4. Switch to the signature

    Pick the "PAN card (Protean) signature" preset, set to 45 × 20 mm and at most 10 KB as JPG/JPEG, and repeat with the signature file.

  5. Upload and preview

    Upload the files on the PAN card (Protean) form and check the preview before you submit; verify the figures with the official notice first.

What the PAN card (Protean) source also says

  • These limits are from the Form 49A guidelines page; other Protean application routes can state different limits, so check the page of the route you use.
  • Photo: The table gives the photo as 3.5 x 2.5 cm (height x width of a passport-style portrait).
  • Signature: The table gives the signature as 2 x 4.5 cm.
  • Supporting documents: Proof of identity, address and date of birth: PDF/A or JPEG, at most 300 KB per page.

PAN card (Protean) compared with similar forms

Of these 5 forms, the PAN card (Protean) photo limit of 20 KB is the strictest, level with Sarathi driving licence; a file made for a stricter form usually passes a more generous one only if it also meets the minimum and the pixel size.

FormPhoto sizePhoto file sizeSignature file size
PAN card (Protean) (this page) 25 × 35 mm at most 20 KB at most 10 KB
Sarathi driving licence 420 × 525 px (preferred) 10 KB–20 KB 10 KB–20 KB
JKSSB live capture / none n/a 10 KB–20 KB
SSC live capture / none n/a 10 KB–20 KB
Rajasthan HC Stenographer 35 × 45 mm 10 KB–25 KB 10 KB–25 KB

Where the PAN card (Protean) figures come from

Verify with the official PAN card (Protean) notice before you submit: forms change between application cycles and the check on the live portal is final.

Sources

  1. Protean: Guidelines for filling PAN new application (Form 49A), Protean eGov Technologies (formerly NSDL e-Gov), for the Income Tax Department, checked 31 October 2026: tin.tin.proteantech.in/pan/form49Adsc.html
  2. Measured by PixelFit with sharp 0.35.5 / libvips 8.18.7 on 31 October 2026, interpolated to each PAN card (Protean) target size, on these samples: head-and-shoulders portrait, Pete Souza (Official White House photo), public domain: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:President_Barack_Obama.jpg; handwritten letter with signature, Ulysses S. Grant (via DPLA), public domain: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ulysses_S._Grant_letter_t…

Frequently asked questions

What is the photo size for PAN card (Protean) in KB?

The PAN card (Protean) photo must be at most 20 KB (keep it at or under 20,000 bytes to be safe), 25 × 35 mm, as JPG/JPEG.

What is the signature size for PAN card (Protean)?

The PAN card (Protean) signature must be at most 10 KB, 45 × 20 mm, as JPG/JPEG.

How do I resize my photo to 20 KB for PAN card (Protean)?

Open the tool on this page with the PAN card (Protean) photo preset, drop the file and download the result: it searches JPG quality until the file is under 20 KB; at 197 × 276 px expect about 14.8 KB at quality 85. Nothing is uploaded.

What pixel size should the PAN card (Protean) photo be?

25 × 35 mm. At 300 DPI that is 295 × 413 px; at 200 DPI 197 × 276 px.

Can I upload a PNG or PDF for the PAN card (Protean) photo?

Only JPG/JPEG; PNG, PDF, HEIC are not listed. The tool can turn a PNG, WebP or (in Safari) HEIC file into JPG while it resizes.

Compress to the PAN card (Protean) limits

Resize to the exact size

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