SSC Stenographer Grade C and D applicants often focus so much on typing speed prep that the photo and signature upload step gets rushed — and that's exactly where avoidable rejections happen. SSC's online form checks file size and format automatically, with no room for approximation.
This is the exact, current photo and signature specification for SSC Stenographer 2026, as per SSC's own application instructions, so you can get this step right in one attempt.
Photo Size Requirements
Your photograph must be 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm, roughly equal to 200 x 230 pixels, with a file size between 20KB and 50KB, saved strictly as JPEG/JPG. The SSC portal will not accept PNG, PDF, or other file types for this upload.
It should be a recent color photo, taken within the last 3 months, with a light or white background and your full face visible in a straight, forward-facing pose. Caps, sunglasses, and shadows across the face are not allowed, and the image should be sharp rather than grainy or dark.
Signature Size Requirements
The signature should be sized to about 4.0 cm x 2.0 cm, around 140 x 60 pixels, with a file size of 10KB to 20KB in JPEG format. Write it by hand in black ink on plain white paper — SSC explicitly does not accept typed or digital signatures for this exam.
Keep the signature neat and legible, and avoid signing in capital letters. A shaky, faint, or overly compressed signature can cause the same rejection risk as a wrong file size.
Common Mistakes That Get Applications Rejected
Frequent errors include uploading a raw phone-camera photo that's several MB in size instead of resizing it to the 20-50KB range, using a non-JPEG file format, photographing the signature against a shadowed or uneven surface, and submitting a photo where the background isn't plain (a wall with patterns, furniture, or other people in frame). Wearing spectacles or a cap in the photo, even accidentally, is also a very common and easily avoidable mistake.
How to Resize Your Photo and Signature in 30 Seconds
SignResizer is a free online tool that instantly resizes your photo and signature to the exact SSC Stenographer required pixel dimensions and KB size, with no signup needed.