When an exam notification says “upload your signature,” it means a picture of your handwritten signature, not a typed name. SSC, IBPS, SBI and RRB each want one signature in a JPG with their own KB band; UPSC wants three signatures stacked in one image. This guide shows how to sign, photograph and size the file for each.
Quick answer
- Sign in black ink on plain white paper; IBPS, SBI, RRB and UPSC all ask for black.
- Photograph or scan the signature, crop close to the ink, and save it as a JPG (JPEG).
- Land inside both ends of the KB band: 10–20 KB for SSC, IBPS and SBI, 30–49 KB for RRB, and 20–100 KB for UPSC's three-signature image.
- Sign the way you will sign in the exam hall. Your signature is compared with the one you upload.
Signature sizes by exam
Each row comes from the notice linked on that exam's page in the exam requirements directory. Notices can change between recruitment cycles, so check the current one before you apply.
| Exam | File size | Pixel size | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC (CGL, CHSL, MTS) | 10–20 KB | No fixed pixels published | JPEG / JPG |
| UPSC (CSE, NDA, CDS) | 20–100 KB | 350–500 px (three vertically) | JPG |
| IBPS (PO, Clerk, SO) | 10–20 KB | 140×60 px | JPG / JPEG |
| SBI (PO, Clerk) | 10–20 KB | 140×60 px | JPG / JPEG |
| RRB (NTPC, Group D) | 30–49 KB | 140×60 px | JPG / JPEG |
Two rules sit outside the table. IBPS states that a signature written in capital letters will not be accepted, and RRB lists block or capital letters among its rejection reasons, so sign in your ordinary running hand. SSC gives a physical size instead of pixels: sign inside a box about 6 cm wide and 2 cm high.
How to prepare the signature, step by step
Step 1 - write it
Use a clean sheet of plain white paper with no lines. Sign in the centre with a black ballpoint or gel pen, leaving a wide border; avoid felt tips, which bleed at the edges. If the first attempt looks rushed or small, sign again below it and use the better one. For UPSC, sign three times, one below the other, with space between them.
Step 2 - photograph it
Lay the paper flat near a window, out of direct sunlight, which washes out ink. Hold the phone directly above the paper, tap the signature to focus, and shoot. A scan app such as Adobe Scan or Microsoft Lens straightens the page if your phone has to shoot at an angle.
Step 3 - crop
Crop close to the ink with a thin white margin on every side. Don't clip the top of tall letters or the tail of a descender: a cut-off signature can be refused even when the file size is right.
Step 4 - set the pixel size, where one is published
IBPS and SBI give a preferred 140×60 px, RRB asks for at least 140×60 px, and UPSC asks for 350–500 px. SSC publishes no pixel size. In the signature resize tool, enter the pixel size and KB band from the table.
Step 5 - check the file size
Open the saved file's details and confirm the size sits inside the band, not just under the top of it. If it is slightly over, lower the JPG quality a little rather than shrinking the image again.
When is a transparent signature useful?
A transparent PNG signature is for placing your ink over a declaration, a scanned form or another image without a white box around it. Exam uploads in the table want a JPG on white, so it is not the file to upload there. The signature background remover makes either version from one scan: a transparent PNG for documents, or a white-background JPG for a portal. To place a signature on an image, use the sign image tool.
Why signature uploads are refused
- Ink too light. Pencil or a fading pen leaves a faint grey line that can be hard to read once compressed. Use a fresh black pen with firm pressure.
- Grey or tinted background. A wooden table, a coloured desk or warm lamplight tints the paper. Shoot white paper in daylight, or clean the tone with the signature tools above.
- File outside the band. Even 1 KB over the limit is refused, and so is a file under the minimum.
- Wrong format. Renaming a PNG to .jpg does not convert it. Re-export it as a JPG.
Photo problems and other upload faults are covered in why exam photos & signatures get rejected, and the photo sizes for the same exams are in the exam photo & signature size guide. The signature tools run in your browser, so your signature is never sent to a server.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sign on lined or ruled paper?
Use the paper and ink stated in the current notice. Where plain white paper is listed, ruled lines add an unwanted background and should be avoided.
My signature is just initials or a short mark. Is that acceptable?
Use your normal, repeatable signature and follow any style instruction in the current notice. The uploaded image must also stay within the listed file rules, but the site cannot decide whether an authority will accept a particular signature style.
Can I use the same signature image for SSC and UPSC?
Prepare them separately. SSC lists a 10–20 KB JPEG / JPG signature and publishes no fixed signature pixels. UPSC lists a 20–100 KB JPG image containing three signatures arranged vertically.
What if the portal keeps saying my signature file is too large?
Check the current KB band and the file type first; a PNG renamed to .jpg is still a PNG inside. Re-export in the listed format and reduce quality gradually while checking that the result remains legible and does not fall below a published minimum.