How to make a passport size photo at home (and print copies)

You can prepare a passport-style photo at home for forms, applications and ID uploads. The key is to check the exact rules for your application, then crop and print correctly.

Step 1: check the requirement

Photo requirements differ by country, document and online form. Sizes such as 3.5 × 4.5 cm and 2 × 2 inches are common, and some forms also specify pixel dimensions and a maximum file size. Always read the notice for your application, because the official rules decide whether your photo is accepted.

Step 2: take a good photo

• Use a plain, light, evenly lit background such as a white wall.
• Stand facing the camera with a neutral expression and your whole face visible.
• Keep the camera at eye level and avoid shadows on your face or the wall.
• Do not use filters, and remove glasses or items that the rules do not allow.

Step 3: crop to the right size

Choose the size that matches your requirement, then use the focus sliders to place your face so that the head and shoulders sit centred. The tool crops to the correct ratio and exports at 300 DPI, so a 3.5 × 4.5 cm photo is 413 × 531 pixels.

Step 4: background

If the original background is slightly off-white, you can set the fill colour to white for the borders. For a solid light wall, Remove Background Colour can help make it transparent before you place it on white. It works best on flat backgrounds; it is not an AI cut-out.

Step 5: print a sheet

Tick “print sheet” and the tool tiles copies on a 4 × 6 inch page at 300 DPI. Print it on photo paper at a studio or at home with “actual size” selected, so scaling does not change the size.

Step 6: check the file for uploads

If you need to upload the photo, you may also need a specific file size. Use the photo resizer for forms to hit a KB limit.

Make yours

The tool below runs entirely in your browser. Your photo is never uploaded.