The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts some of India's most competitive recruitment drives, including the Combined Graduate Level (CGL), CHSL, and MTS examinations. Over 100,000 applications are rejected every year simply due to improper photograph or signature uploads that violate the commission's strict automated image validation filters.
This in-depth guide covers all official photograph and signature parameters, dimension requirements, and troubleshooting steps for the 2025–2026 SSC portal.
1. Official SSC CGL Photograph Specifications
When applying on the official SSC portal (ssc.gov.in), applicants must satisfy the following technical parameters:
| Parameter | Required Specification |
|---|---|
| File Format | JPEG / JPG only (PNG and PDF are not accepted) |
| File Size Range | 20 KB to 50 KB |
| Dimensions (cm) | 3.5 cm (Width) × 4.5 cm (Height) |
| Dimensions (pixels) | ~132 × 170 px (Minimum) to 350 × 450 px (Recommended) |
| Background Color | Plain light color (White or Off-White is highly recommended) |
| Face Coverage | Face must occupy at least 70% to 80% of the picture frame |
| Eye & Ear Visibility | Both ears and eyes must be clearly visible with a neutral expression |
Critical Notice: Wearing spectacles (clear or tinted eyeglasses), sunglasses, caps, hats, or scarves is strictly forbidden. Applications with spectacles are automatically flagged and rejected.
2. Official SSC CGL Signature Specifications
Your digital signature is validated during document verification against your test-day biometric logs:
- File Format: JPG / JPEG
- File Size Range: 10 KB to 20 KB
- Dimensions: 4.0 cm (Width) × 2.0 cm (Height) (approx. 140 × 60 pixels)
- Ink Color: Black or dark blue ballpoint pen on crisp white paper
- Prohibited: Signatures in capital letters only (must be natural running handwriting)
3. Step-by-Step: How to Format Your Image in 30 Seconds
Instead of installing complex desktop software like Photoshop or struggling with mobile apps that compress beyond readable quality, you can use our dedicated in-browser tool:
- Open the SSC CGL Photo & Signature Resizer.
- Upload your existing photo or scan.
- The tool automatically presets the canvas to 3.5 × 4.5 cm and applies smart adaptive JPEG quantization to lock the output under 50 KB.
- Click Download JPG and upload directly to
ssc.gov.in.
Because all image processing executes locally in your browser's WebAssembly and HTML5 Canvas pipeline, no photo is ever transmitted to an external server, guaranteeing complete data privacy.