IBPS Photo, Signature, Thumb Impression and Declaration Size: Official Rules

IBPS applications ask for more documents than most exam forms: a photograph, a signature, a left thumb impression and a handwritten declaration, each with its own pixel size and file size range. On top of that, you capture a live photo during registration. The portal won't let you move to the next stage until the photo and signature match the specifications, and a smudged thumb impression or a declaration in capital letters can get the application rejected later. This guide sets out every requirement exactly as IBPS states it in its official "Guidelines for Scanning and Upload of Documents", explains how to prepare each file, and lists the mistakes that cause the most trouble. These rules apply across IBPS recruitment: PO, Clerk, RRB and SO. If you want the files prepared automatically, the Exam Form Kit's IBPS page does it in your browser.

IBPS Document Sizes at a Glance

All files should be JPG or JPEG. IBPS describes the pixel sizes as "preferred", while the file size ranges are what the upload form enforces. Check the notification for the specific recruitment you're applying to as well, since IBPS publishes the guidelines with each one.

The Photograph

IBPS asks for a recent passport-style colour photograph. The guidelines are specific about how it should look:

• Taken against a light-coloured, preferably white, background.
• Looking straight at the camera with a relaxed face.
• If you're photographed outdoors on a sunny day, keep the sun behind you or stand in the shade, so you aren't squinting and there are no harsh shadows.
• If a flash is used, make sure there's no "red eye".
• If you wear glasses, there must be no reflections, and your eyes must be clearly visible.
• Caps, hats and dark glasses are not acceptable. Religious headwear is allowed, but it must not cover your face.

The preferred size is 200 × 230 pixels and the file must be between 20 KB and 50 KB. The guidelines add that the photo must be clearly visible and of appropriate size, so a tiny face in the middle of a wide background isn't acceptable even if the file size is right. Crop to head and shoulders.

The live photo is separate

As well as uploading this photograph, IBPS asks you to capture a live photo during registration, using your webcam or by scanning a QR code on your phone. The same care applies: a light, preferably white background, enough light, looking straight at the camera, no coloured glasses, sunglasses or cap, no mask, no shadow on your face, and not a small or blurred image. Because both photos are of you, keep your appearance similar in both.

The Signature

Sign on white paper with a black ink pen. The preferred size is 140 × 60 pixels and the file must be 10–20 KB.

Two rules matter more than the numbers:

• Not in capital letters. IBPS states plainly that a signature in capital letters won't be accepted.
• It must match what you sign at the exam. According to the guidelines, if the signature you give on the attendance sheet or call letter at the exam doesn't match the uploaded one, you'll be disqualified. Use your normal signature, not a neater version made just for the form.

At 140 × 60 pixels there isn't much room, so sign fairly large on paper and crop tightly. A faint pen on greyish paper becomes unreadable when shrunk this small. Signature files also tend to come out below 10 KB, because plain white paper compresses so well. If that happens, save at a higher JPEG quality rather than adding anything to the image.

The Left Thumb Impression

Put your left thumb impression on white paper using black or blue ink. The preferred size is 240 × 240 pixels at 200 DPI, which is 3 cm × 3 cm, and the file should be 20–50 KB in JPG/JPEG.

Tips for a clear impression:

• Use an ink pad, and press the thumb once firmly without rolling it around. Smudged impressions are a reason for rejection.
• Do one or two practice impressions first on scrap paper to get the amount of ink right.
• Scan or photograph it straight on, in good light.

If you don't have a left thumb, the guidelines set out an order to follow: use the right thumb; if both thumbs are missing, a finger of the left hand starting from the forefinger; if there are no fingers on the left hand, a finger of the right hand starting from the forefinger; if no fingers are available, the left toe. In every such case, write on the uploaded document which finger (or toe) it is and of which hand or foot.

The Handwritten Declaration

This is the document candidates most often get wrong. Write the declaration in English, in your own handwriting, clearly, on white paper with black ink. The text IBPS gives is:

"I, __________ (Name of the candidate), hereby declare that all the information submitted by me in the application form is correct, true and valid. I will present the supporting documents as and when required."

The rules, straight from the guidelines:

• It must be in the candidate's own handwriting. If someone else writes it, the application is considered invalid.
• It must be in English only. A declaration in any other language makes the application invalid.
• It must NOT be in capital letters.
• Preferred size 800 × 400 pixels at 200 DPI (10 cm × 5 cm), file size 50–100 KB, JPG/JPEG.

For candidates who can't write, IBPS allows the declaration text to be typed, with their left thumb impression placed below it, uploaded to the same specification.

Practical tips: write it on a separate sheet with enough space so it fits a 2:1 rectangle, write your full name in the blank, and keep it neat but in your normal handwriting. Photograph the whole text squarely so none of it is cut off at the edges.

Scanning Tips From the Guidelines

• Set the scanner to at least 200 DPI and true colour.
• Crop the scan to the edge of the photograph, signature, thumb impression or declaration, then crop to the final size in the upload editor.
• Save as .jpg or .jpeg.
• If a file is over the limit, adjust the scanner's DPI or number of colours when scanning.

Using a phone instead of a scanner works fine if you shoot in daylight, straight above the paper, without shadows, and then crop and resize properly.

Common Mistakes That Get IBPS Applications Rejected

• Uploading documents in the wrong place. The guidelines specifically warn that if the photo and signature aren't uploaded in their correct places, the candidate won't be allowed to appear for the exam.
• A declaration in capitals, in Hindi, or written by someone else. Any of these makes the application invalid.
• A signature in capital letters, or one that doesn't match the signature given at the exam.
• Unclear or smudged images. IBPS says an unclear face, signature, thumb impression or declaration may lead to rejection.
• Dark or patterned backgrounds behind the photograph.
• Files just outside the KB range, such as a 52 KB photo or an 8 KB signature.

After uploading, IBPS advises checking the preview. If anything isn't clearly visible, you can edit the application and re-upload it before final submission. It's also wise to take a printout of the system-generated application form.

Step by Step: Preparing All Four IBPS Files With Kravoy

The Exam Form Kit for IBPS handles the whole set:

1. Add each document. Upload a photo or scan, or take it with your phone camera. iPhone HEIC photos are converted automatically.
2. The kit crops and resizes each one to IBPS's preferred size: 200 × 230 for the photo, 140 × 60 for the signature, 240 × 240 for the thumb impression and 800 × 400 for the declaration.
3. It cleans the images. It whitens a light photo background and turns grey, shadowed paper white for the signature, thumb and declaration.
4. It fits each file into its KB range (20–50, 10–20, 20–50 and 50–100 KB), checking the minimum as well as the maximum.
5. Read the acceptance report. Every file is checked for size, dimensions, lighting, background, blur and ink, with one-click fixes where possible.
6. Download the files individually or all together in one ZIP, named and ready to upload.

The kit also shows the declaration text to copy by hand, so you don't miss a word. Everything is processed in your browser; nothing is uploaded to Kravoy. For other forms with different limits, the guide to reducing a photo to 20–50 KB explains the method.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IBPS photo size in KB?
20 KB to 50 KB, with a preferred size of 200 × 230 pixels.

What is the IBPS signature size?
10 KB to 20 KB, with a preferred size of 140 × 60 pixels. Sign with black ink on white paper, not in capital letters.

Can I write the IBPS declaration in Hindi?
No. IBPS requires it in English and in your own handwriting. A declaration in any other language, or written by someone else, makes the application invalid.

Can I wear glasses in the IBPS photo?
Yes, if there are no reflections and your eyes are clearly visible. Dark glasses aren't allowed, and coloured glasses or sunglasses aren't allowed in the live photo.

What if I don't have a left thumb?
Use your right thumb, or follow the order IBPS lists for fingers and toe, and write on the uploaded image which finger it is.

Is the IBPS photo size the same for PO, Clerk, RRB and SO?
IBPS uses the same scanning and upload guidelines across its recruitments, but always check the notification you're applying for in case anything has changed.

Source: IBPS, "Guidelines for Scanning and Upload of Documents", published with IBPS recruitment notifications at ibps.in. Always check the current notification before applying.