# Recommendations & File Formats
### Introduction
In this segment, we provide comprehensive guidelines and recommendations to ensure the seamless capture or upload of ID documents and selfies. These practices are crucial for maintaining high standards of user verification and authentication, which are integral to the security and reliability of digital onboarding processes.
Our API is designed to facilitate a user-friendly onboarding experience while adhering to rigorous verification standards. Proper image capture is essential to this process, as it significantly enhances the accuracy of identity verification and minimizes the potential for errors.
We'll cover the key elements of effective image capture, including lighting, positioning, and background considerations. Additionally, we will delve into the technical specifications required for image uploads, such as resolution, format, and size, to ensure compatibility with our API.
By following these best practices, you can expect a streamlined verification process, leading to an improved success rate in user onboarding and a better overall user experience. Let’s get started on setting the stage for optimal image submission.
### Selfie Capture
Kairos recommends taking a selfie directly from a mobile phone to ensure the most effective liveness checks.
Position yourself head on with your face completely within the oval. Make sure the face takes up 60-70% of the frame
**Positioning**
Face the camera directly and position yourself so that your face fills 60% - 70% of the frame. Try to avoid extreme angles and poses.
**Expressions**
Maintain a neutral expression, remove any dark glasses or tinted lenses, and keep both eyes open.
**Lighting**
For increased visibility, avoid bright backlighting and glare by taking your photographs under even light.
**Focus & Movement**
Image focus and blur can have similar effects on performance as low resolution - make sure your captured image is not blurry.
If the camera is having difficulty focusing, you might be too close or too far from the device.
#### Orientation
Do not rotate the camera or tablet when taking the photo. Take the photo as a portrait, not a landscape.
### Document Capture
**Positioning**
Position the ID document so that it fills 60% - 70% of the frame. Try to avoid extreme angles and poses.
**Lighting**
For increased visibility, avoid bright backlighting and glare by taking your photographs under even light.
**Focus & Movement**
Image focus and blur can have similar effects on performance as low resolution - make sure your captured image is not blurry.
If the camera is having difficulty focusing, you might be too close or too far from the device.
#### Orientation
Do not rotate the camera or tablet when taking the photo. Take the photo with as a portrait not a landscape.
### General
When uploading photos, the following file formats can be uploaded:
* **JPG (JPEG Image File):** Commonly used for photographs and ID card images, balancing quality and file size.
* **PNG (Portable Network Graphics):** Ideal for images with transparency or requiring high quality, such as detailed ID documents.
We do not recommend uploading photo files because it makes liveness detection less accurate. If uploading a selfie, make sure to meet these minimums for the file.
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