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Guide

How to print a passport photo at home at the exact size

To print a passport photo at home, print a ready-made sheet on photo paper at 100% scale ("Actual size"), never "Fit to page". Before cutting, measure the ruler on the sheet: if the 1-inch bar is exactly 1 inch (and the 50 mm bar exactly 50 mm), the photos are the official size. Then cut along the guides. IDPlain makes the Letter and A4 sheets with a ruler from your photo, cropped and resized only; the files cost $3.99.

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  1. 1

    Get a print sheet at the official size

    Use a sheet laid out for your document's exact photo size, such as 2×2 in for a US passport or 35×45 mm for a Schengen visa. IDPlain's Letter and A4 sheets place several photos at the official size with cut guides and a measuring ruler. Don't paste a photo into a document and resize it by eye.

  2. 2

    Load photo paper

    Use glossy or matte photo paper made for your printer, not plain office paper: official counters look for a photo-quality print with no visible dots. Put the paper in the tray the right way up (check the printer's manual for which side it prints on).

  3. 3

    Print at 100%, not "Fit to page"

    Open the PDF and choose Print. Set the scale to 100% or "Actual size" and turn off "Fit to page", "Shrink to fit" or "Fill page". Choose the paper size that matches the sheet (Letter or A4) and the photo-paper or best-quality setting. Borderless printing isn't needed and can enlarge the page slightly, so leave it off.

  4. 4

    Measure the ruler before cutting

    Lay a ruler along the bars printed on the sheet. The 1-inch bar must measure exactly 1 inch and the 50 mm bar exactly 50 mm. If they're even 1–2 mm off, the printer is scaling the page: go back to the print settings and fix the scale, then print again.

  5. 5

    Cut along the guides

    Let the print dry for a few minutes, then cut along the guides with a paper trimmer or a sharp craft knife and a metal ruler. Scissors work if you're careful, but a straight, clean edge looks better at the counter. Don't trim inside the photo: the size is part of the rule.

  6. 6

    Check the print

    Look for streaks, colour casts or smudges, and check that the photo isn't bent or creased. If anything is off, print another sheet: each sheet has several photos, and reprinting the file costs nothing.

Letter or A4?

Use Letter (8.5×11 in) in the US and Canada and A4 (210×297 mm) almost everywhere else, matching the photo paper you buy. Both sheets have the same photos at the same size; only the layout on the page differs. If you print the wrong one, the photos still come out the right size as long as you print at 100%, but some may land in the printer’s margin.

Why the ruler matters

Printers and PDF viewers often shrink pages slightly to fit the printable area. A 2% shrink is invisible to the eye but turns a 2×2 in photo into about 1.96 in, and a 45 mm photo into 44 mm. Measuring the ruler on the sheet is the only way to be sure the print is the official size before you cut it.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my printed photo come out smaller than it should?

The print dialog is scaling the page. Choose 100% or "Actual size" and turn off "Fit to page" or "Shrink to fit". Also check that the paper size in the dialog matches the sheet (Letter vs A4).

Can I print a passport photo on regular paper?

Use photo paper. Most authorities ask for a photo-quality print, and a print on plain paper usually looks dotted or dull and is likely to be refused at the counter.

Is it cheaper to print at a store?

Often, yes: a 4×6 in sheet printed as an ordinary photo at a store photo counter is usually inexpensive and comes on real photo paper. IDPlain makes a 4×6 in JPG for that as well.

Can I use a photo I printed at home for an online application?

No. For online applications you upload the digital file, at the pixel size the official site asks for. Don't scan a print.

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