Compress Image to 500 KB
The short answer
Document photos are the usual reason for a 500 KB limit: a certificate, a cheque or an ID card. Add your picture below with the target set to 500 KB. The tool keeps the text readable by lowering quality gently and shrinking the size only when needed.
PNG photos are saved as JPG or WebP so they get smaller.
We lower the quality, and the picture size if needed, until it fits. 1 KB is counted as 1,000 bytes, which is safe whichever way a website counts.
Your files stay on your device. This tool runs entirely in your browser and nothing is uploaded to a server.
How to: Compress Image to 500 KB
- 1Choose the photo of your document.
- 2Keep the target at 500, or type your portal's number.
- 3Press Compress image, then zoom in to check the small text is still readable.
- 4Save the file and upload it. If the text looks blurry, ask whether the portal accepts 1 MB.
At a glance
- Target size
- Under 500 KB (counted as 500,000 bytes)
- Good for
- Certificates, cheques, bills and ID proofs
- Check
- Zoom in to see that names and numbers are still sharp
Frequently asked questions
Why is a phone photo of a document so big?
A modern phone camera takes pictures of many megapixels, often 3 to 8 MB. A page only needs about 1,500 pixels across to be readable, so most of that size can be removed.
What if the portal wants a PDF under 500 KB?
Turn the photo into a PDF with Images to PDF, then reduce it with the PDF Compressor. Choosing the smaller quality option when making the PDF helps.