Making ID photos: size, background and file size.

Confirm three hard requirements first

Before touching the image, write down three things: the pixel dimensions (295×413, say), the maximum file size (often 20–100 KB, and some systems also set a minimum), and the background colour (white, blue or red, sometimes with a specified value). These appear in every set of requirements, and following them avoids most rejections. If the application site provides a sample photo, download it and inspect its properties — far more reliable than guessing.

Common specs and framing

The standard one-inch photo is often 295×413 pixels (25×35 mm), the larger one-inch 390×567, the two-inch 413×579 (35×49 mm), and the small two-inch 413×531. Two framing rules: the head (chin to crown) should occupy about two-thirds of the frame height, and leave 5–10% of empty space above the crown. Do not crop to the very edge — keep a little margin and adjust, because "the top of the head is cut off" is the most common failure. Phone originals are usually two to three thousand pixels wide, so resolution is fine; getting the ratio right is what matters.

Background and replacement

White is the most universal (ID cards, passports, most application systems), blue is common for graduation and exams, red appears on certain certificates and vetting materials — follow the stated requirement. Cut out the subject and replace the background, then check three things: no white or grey fringing along edges, especially hair and collars; a flat colour with no gradient or shadow, since some systems verify background purity; and no accidental cut-outs, such as treating a collar as background. When exporting an image with transparency, fill in the required colour rather than uploading a transparent PNG.

Shooting advice

Light: face a window or use a fill light to avoid eyebrow shadows from overhead lighting and half-lit faces from side lighting. Pose: straight on, level gaze, relaxed shoulders — do not shoot from below (it lengthens the chin) or above. Clothing: avoid matching the background (no white shirt on white), and skip heavy stripes or shiny fabrics. Details: no hats, no tinted or reflective lenses, and keep hair clear of the eyes, eyebrows and ear outline. Expression: a natural, level look is enough; exaggerated smiles and pouts are not appropriate.

Format and file size

Use JPEG throughout: PNG files are large and some systems reject them. For size, use "compress to target size" in KB — quality around 75–85 normally satisfies a 20–100 KB limit. Do not chase 10 KB at 40% quality, because visible blocking across the face is obvious to whoever reviews it. After compressing, confirm the pixel dimensions have not changed: some tools rescale as they compress, which breaks the requirement. A reliable sequence: crop to the target pixels → replace the background → compress to the target size → re-check all three requirements.

Checklist before uploading

One, dimensions: width and height match the requirement exactly, not merely the same ratio. Two, size: within the limit, and not below any stated minimum. Three, background: flat colour, no gradient, no shadow. Four, subject: features clear, nothing occluded, no visible stretching — which most often happens when a 3:4 image is forced into a 2:3 frame. Five, sharpness: no aggressive skin smoothing or beauty filters, and keep facial marks such as moles and scars, since removing them can be judged as not matching you. Six, privacy: delete intermediate files afterwards; ID photos and ID card images should never linger on shared computers or in chat logs.

想马上动手：先用 图片裁剪 按 295×413 这类比例裁好，需要换底用 一键抠图换底，尺寸不对再用 批量改尺寸 精确到像素，最后用 图片压缩 卡到要求的 KB。Try it now: crop to a 295×413 ratio with image crop, replace the background with background remover, fine-tune pixels with resize, and hit the required KB with the image compressor.

FAQ