Why this exists
Upload forms reject files for reasons they refuse to explain. A photo comes back as "does not meet requirements" with no indication of which requirement. On the US DS-160 visa form, an oversized photo does not even produce an error, the page simply will not advance.
Meanwhile the actual requirements sit in a PDF somewhere, in units that do not match what any photo editor shows you, and the free tools that promise to help mostly offer a quality slider and hope for the best.
The Daily Toolbox started there: an accurate database of what portals actually require, and tools that hit those numbers exactly. It grew into one place for the everyday jobs people do with sensitive files, converting a PDF to Word, turning a bank statement into a spreadsheet, checking how hiring software reads a resume, and a set of calculators that show their working. What ties them together is that none of them needs your file or your numbers to leave your device.
Three things we do differently
We hit the number
File size is not a simple function of encoder quality, so a slider can only guess. Our tools encode repeatedly, measure the real byte count each time, and search for the largest file that still fits your limit. Landing at 96 KB against a 100 KB ceiling gives a far better image than landing at 12 KB, and most tools land at 12 KB.
We handle minimum sizes
Some portals reject files for being too small. US online passport renewal refuses anything under 54 KB. China's COVA visa system wants 40–120 KB. Indian exam boards want signatures between 10 and 20 KB, which a clean signature will not reach on its own.
When a file falls below the floor and the dimensions are fixed, we grow the container rather than the image, inserting a metadata block that every decoder skips. The picture is untouched and the file reaches the required size. As far as we can tell, no other free tool does this at all.
Your files are processed in your browser
These are passport photos, signatures and identity documents. The file tools process them on your own device, with your browser's own engines, so the files are not uploaded to our servers and there is no queue and nothing for us to keep. Files up to 300 MB are accepted; very large ones can still be too much for a phone's memory.
You do not have to take our word for it. Load a file tool, disconnect from the internet, and use it: it keeps working. (The AI tools download their model the first time, and say how big it is before they do.)
Calculators that show their working
Most calculator pages hand you a number and nothing else. Every calculator here states its formula, walks through a worked example you can check by hand, and names the convention it uses, quarterly compounding for Indian FDs, annuity-due for SIPs, actual/365 for XIRR, because those conventions are exactly where calculators quietly disagree with your bank. The maths is covered by automated tests against published bank tables and Excel's own functions. See the methodology page.
Documents, statements and resumes
The same idea runs through the document tools. The statement converter checks every row's running balance against the one above it, so you can see the conversion is right rather than hope. PDF to Word rebuilds real paragraphs instead of a page of text boxes. The ATS checker shows you the literal text hiring software extracts from your resume, side by side with what you wrote.
The requirements database
We maintain 23 entries covering passports, visas, competitive exams and general upload limits. Each records the measurable rules, pixel dimensions, aspect ratio, formats, DPI, and the file size window, in a form the tools can apply directly.
Every entry links to its official source and shows when we last checked it. Requirements change without notice, so always confirm at the source before submitting. We are a tool, not an authority, and we try to be clear about the difference. If you spot something out of date, please tell us.
How this is paid for
The site is static and the file tools and calculators do their work on your device, so running costs are low, which is why the tools are free, with no sign-up, no daily limit and no watermark. It is supported by advertising.
Ads appear only on information pages such as guides, calculators and tool listings, never on a page where you open a file, and they are always labelled as advertising so they cannot be mistaken for a tool's buttons. We do not gate downloads behind a countdown, and we never ask you to register to get your own file back.
What we cannot do
Being straightforward about the limits:
- Background replacement for official photos. The passport photo with plain background tool and the background remover cut out people well, but fine hair can still show a soft edge, and some authorities treat an altered background as grounds for rejection. For a passport or visa photo, a plain wall is still the safest choice.
- Judging composition. We can verify dimensions, format and file size. Expression, glasses, shadows and head coverings still need your eyes.
- Very large documents on small devices. Processing uses your device's memory, so a 500-page scan will struggle on a phone. A server would handle it better; that is a real trade-off.
Get in touch
Corrections to the requirements database are especially welcome, as are requests for portals we have not covered. See the contact page.