Centimetres to pixels at 200 DPI
| File | Stated | Pixels at 200 DPI | KB |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAN application photo | 3.5 × 2.5 cm | 197 × 276 | ≤ 20 |
| PAN application signature | 2 × 4.5 cm | 354 × 157 | ≤ 10 |
The arithmetic is centimetres ÷ 2.54 × DPI, rounded to whole pixels: 2.5 cm is 197 px and 3.5 cm is 276 px at 200 DPI. The same rule is used everywhere on this site, so the figure here matches the centimetre page.
Limits
- The source is Protean's PAN correction page; applications through other channels may state different sizes. Check the page you are applying on.
- Background and lighting are not changed.
Questions
What size does a PAN application photo need?
Protean's (NSDL) PAN correction page states 3.5 × 2.5 cm at 200 DPI, colour, up to 20 KB. At 200 DPI that is 197 × 276 px for a portrait photo — the page states the size as 3.5 × 2.5 cm, and portrait is assumed because it is a passport-style photo.
And the signature?
2 × 4.5 cm at 200 DPI, up to 10 KB: 354 × 157 px. It is on the same preset list; the signature page also offers crop-to-ink and contrast clean-up first.
Does the 200 DPI matter if the pixels are right?
Some upload checks read the resolution field, so it is written into the JPEG's JFIF header and Exif block, and the form check confirms both. The pixels decide what the photo looks like; the tag decides what size a reader thinks it is.
My file is still over 20 KB.
Quality is lowered first, in a binary search that stops at 0.40. A 197 × 276 photo fits under 20 KB at a reasonable quality almost always; a very noisy photo may need a little more compression, and the receipt states the quality used.
Neighbouring measurements
Other forms state pixels rather than centimetres; the exam page has those presets.
- Exam photo and signature resizerBank and recruitment presets: pixels, KB, DPI and format checked.
- Signature resizerCrop to the ink, white ground, faint scans lifted, then the form's size.
- Passport size photo resizeA 35 × 45 mm frame at 300 DPI with head guides, or the e-Visa square.
- Resize an image in centimetresA size in cm, mm or inches at a stated DPI, turned into pixels.
