SDSC SHAR signature: make a readable file under 20 KB

The scope of the 20 KB rule

The SDSC SHAR recruitment help page specifies a signature image no larger than 200 × 50 pixels and no larger than 20 KB. It does not name a signature format in that bullet. Check your recruitment notice and upload field for the accepted format; do not assume the photograph’s JPEG instruction automatically applies to the signature.

This is guidance for the SDSC SHAR portal, not a rule for every ISRO centre or vacancy. If your notice differs, use its requirements and ask the recruiting centre about any conflict before submitting.

Sources for these requirements: SDSC SHAR — Help and frequently asked questions, File requirements.

Get the scan right before changing quality

For practical preparation, make a clear scan or evenly lit photograph of your own signature. Follow any instructions in your notice about ink and paper. A dark shadow across the page or a faint stroke is a capture problem; compression cannot repair either reliably.

In an image editor, crop away spare paper while leaving a little space around the entire signature. Keep the first stroke, the final flourish and any dots. Do not redraw parts, replace the signature with a typed name, or alter its proportions to make it occupy more of the box.

Save a working copy before reducing it. Keeping a larger, clean master lets you try a different export without repeatedly degrading the last compressed version. This matters for thin pen strokes, which can disappear after several lossy saves.

Fit inside the pixel box without stretching

The pixel limits describe a bounding box. A wide signature and a compact signature need not end up with identical dimensions. Use the cropped source’s proportions rather than forcing every signature to exactly fill the available rectangle.

In the compressor, select Resize and compress and leave Keep aspect ratio on. Enter the allowed maximum width and height, then inspect the planned dimensions. The current proportional resize fits inside both values. It does not crop the signature. If spare paper is making the writing tiny, cancel and improve the crop in an editor first.

Never turn off Keep aspect ratio merely to fill the box. A signature stretched sideways can look quite different from the original. Readability and a faithful shape matter more than filling every pixel.

Set the file target and inspect the strokes

Enter 19 in Target size. That is a suggested safety target: the tool uses 1,024-byte KB units, and 19 × 1,024 is 19,456 bytes. It stays below a decimal 20,000-byte interpretation without claiming that the portal uses one particular byte convention.

Select only an Output format accepted by the actual upload field. PNG can be worth trying for simple line art if permitted; JPEG may be needed if the field says so. Auto recommended is not a substitute for reading the field. The current tool accepts static JPEG, PNG and WebP inputs.

Process the image and read the result size, dimensions and format. Open the saved download at 100% zoom on a light background. Check for missing dots, broken loops, fuzzy edges and clipped strokes. A large zoom can help find defects, but it should not be the only view: the signature must remain legible at its final size.

Diagnose the rejection rather than compressing blindly

If the portal refuses the file, record its exact message. A format error needs a real conversion; a dimensions error needs a pixel check. Neither is fixed by changing the filename extension. Make sure the selected file is the downloaded signature, not the uncropped scan.

If no usable output fits, return to the clean source and remove unnecessary margins. Do not erase fine strokes just to save bytes. Leave Minimum size empty unless your notice explicitly gives a minimum; the help page’s maximum is not an instruction to pad a smaller file.

CompressImageTo processes the image on your device. Uploading it to the recruitment portal is a separate step you perform yourself. Check the application preview carefully before final submission.

Official sources and dates

The requirements above were checked against these pages. Our preparation targets and worked settings are editorial suggestions, not additional service rules or tested acceptance results.

• SDSC SHAR — Help and frequently asked questions, File requirements — Checked 28 October 2026. No publication or revision date is displayed; consult the notice for your specific recruitment.

Requirements can change. Follow the current service instructions and the notice for your application before submitting.

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