Prepare Aadhaar and PAN Scans for Online Forms Without Risking Them
Every Indian online form eventually asks for them: an Aadhaar scan, a PAN scan, a photo, a signature, each with its own pixel dimensions and KB window. And every one of those documents is a complete identity kit in the wrong hands.
This guide covers both halves of the job: hitting the technical spec exactly, and handling identity documents with the care they deserve, using tools that process everything on your own device.
The specs, decoded
A typical form asks for the ID scan as JPG or PNG, dimensions like 750 by 850 pixels or a stated aspect, and a size window such as 100 to 300 KB. Those numbers are not arbitrary: they are what the portal's storage and review pipeline can handle at scale.
Workflow order: crop tight to the card with the Image Cropper, resize to the stated pixels with the Image Resizer or the compressor's dimension controls, then let target-size mode land the KB window. Dimensions first, bytes second, always from the original scan.
Scanning without a scanner
- Photograph the card on a dark, flat surface in even light; no flash glare across the laminate.
- Fill the frame with the card, shoot straight from above, and take two shots to have a spare.
- Crop to the card edges so no background travels with your number.
- Run the resize and KB-target passes, then zoom to check every digit and the QR area stays legible.
Privacy rules the portals do not explain
- Prefer masked Aadhaar (only the last four digits visible) wherever the form accepts it; UIDAI itself promotes masking for routine verification.
Never email a full Aadhaar scan unencrypted; if email is unavoidable, password-protect the PDF and send the password separately.
Delete casual copies from phone galleries and download folders once the application is done.
Use local tools for the size work: an ID scan uploaded to a compression website is an identity document handed to a stranger. Everything here runs in your browser and never leaves the device.
The photo and signature pair
Forms usually want a face photo between tight KB limits and a signature image on white background. The photo targeting guide covers both workflows: dimensions to spec first, then the exact KB window, with a final zoom check on face recognizability and signature contrast.
Prepare all four assets, photo, signature, Aadhaar, PAN, in one sitting, name the files clearly, and every subsequent form becomes a two-minute job instead of an evening.
Try it free: Image Compressor | runs entirely in your browser, no uploads and no signup.