India Post GDS photo & signature size (Schedule-II guide)

Why GDS photo size is different from SSC / Bank

Many bank and SSC-style forms use photo 20–50 KB and signature 10–20 KB. India Post GDS Online Engagement typically uses a higher floor and ceiling:

• Photograph: JPG/JPEG · 30 KB to 100 KB · recommended 320 × 400 pixels (about 4:5 portrait)
• Signature: JPG/JPEG · 20 KB to 100 KB · recommended 300 × 120 pixels (about 5:2 landscape)

If your file is under 30 KB for the photo, the portal may reject it as “too small” even though other exams love tiny files. Use Size to KB’s India Post GDS page which is tuned to these bands.

Schedule-II application window (verify dates)

For the July / Schedule-II 2026 engagement cycle, registration and application windows have been announced in late August–September (exact dates are in the official PDF on indiapost.gov.in). Do not rely on third-party blogs for the last day — open the notification yourself before you pay the fee.

Step-by-step: photograph

1. Use a recent colour photo with a plain light background.
2. Face the camera; no caps, masks, or heavy filters.
3. Open GDS Photo tool.
4. Crop so the face occupies roughly 70–80% of the frame at 4:5 ratio.
5. Compress until output is between 30 and 100 KB (not under 30).
6. Free Download as JPG and keep a copy offline.

Step-by-step: signature

1. Sign on white paper with black or blue ink — no typed fonts.
2. Scan or photograph with even light; crop to a wide 5:2 box.
3. Open GDS Signature tool.
4. Compress into 20–100 KB. Aim for a clear, dark ink stroke — not a grey smear.
5. Free Download. Blurred or miniature signatures are a common rejection reason.

DPI and format notes

Notifications often mention roughly 72–150 DPI and JPG only. In practice, if you hit the pixel recommendation and the KB band with a clean JPG, the portal usually accepts the file. PNG or HEIC straight from iPhone is a frequent failure — convert first (HEIC to JPG).

What GDS does not need at apply time

For many GDS online engagement cycles, you upload photo and signature with the form; other certificates are checked later at document verification. Still keep Class 10 marksheet and ID ready. Selection is typically merit-based on Class 10 marks — but a rejected image still blocks submission.

Related tools

Upload checker for a quick preflight, Compress to 100KB if you only need a photo ceiling, and 50KB guide when a different board uses the classic bank band.