Example: an 11-megapixel camera photo at 20 KB
A 3719 × 3056 harbour photo from a Sony DSLR (public domain, Wikimedia Commons), with File size set to 20 KB.
Three photos at 20 KB
| Photo | Before | After | Pixels | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbour (DSLR, 3719 × 3056) | 4.97 MB | 19.9 KB | 794 × 652 | 63 |
| City at night (iPhone, 3024 × 4032) | 7.37 MB | 19.7 KB | 433 × 577 | 63 |
| Rocky coast (4008 × 2015) | 1.71 MB | 19.8 KB | 723 × 363 | 61 |
Public-domain photos from Wikimedia Commons. The score compares each result with the original at the same size: 80 looks the same at normal viewing, 60 shows small flaws up close.
When you need 20 KB
Exam, admission and job application forms often ask for a photo of 20 to 50 KB and a signature of 10 to 20 KB. A phone photo can't stay sharp at full size in 20 KB, so PicoDiet makes it smaller: here 577 to 794 pixels on the long side, still more than the photo box on a form shows.
For a signature or a thumbprint under 10 KB, choose Custom and type 10. A signature on white paper has little detail, so it keeps many more pixels than a photo would.
How to compress an image to 20 KB
- Drop your photos above, or choose them, up to 30 at a time. File size is already set to 20 KB.
- Check each result's file size. If an image can't get under 20 KB, PicoDiet shows the smallest result it found and tells you. Open any image to compare it with the original, zoomed in.
- Download one, or all of them as a ZIP. To try another limit, pick it above the results.
PicoDiet lowers the quality first and reduces the dimensions only when a full-size image would look blotchy. Photos come out as JPEG, which most upload forms accept; images with transparency stay PNG and GIFs stay GIF. How PicoDiet picks the size
What happens to your images
Uploaded over HTTPS to the nearest of our servers, processed automatically, and deleted within 3 minutes after you finish. Never shared, sold or used for training. No account needed. Privacy policy
Questions about 20 KB
Will the file be exactly 20 KB?
A little under, usually within 3% of 20,000 bytes. That also passes forms that count a kilobyte as 1024 bytes. If the image already looks the same as the original in less, you get the smaller file.
Why did my photo get fewer pixels?
At 20 KB a full-size photo would look blotchy, so PicoDiet makes it smaller and keeps the largest size that still looks clean. The harbour photo became 794 × 652 at score 63.
Can I choose another size?
Yes. Pick another size above the results, or type your own under Custom, in KB or MB (such as 1.5 MB). You can also give one image a size of its own.
Does it work for PNG, HEIC and screenshots?
Yes. Photos become JPEG, including iPhone HEIC photos. Screenshots and graphics keep their format; a PNG gets fewer colours before it gets fewer pixels.
Are my images private?
Yes. Images are uploaded over an encrypted connection to the nearest of our servers, optimized, and deleted within 3 minutes after you finish. They are never shared, sold or used for training, and there is no account to sign up for. Details are in the privacy policy.