How to Print Passport Photos at Home on One A4 Sheet
A passport photo is a small picture with precise rules, and a booth charges several pounds for a strip of six. The same sheet printed at home costs pennies, and the Passport Photo Sheet Maker arranges as many correctly sized copies as will fit on a page.
The rule that causes most rejections
It is not the background and it is not the expression. It is head size. Every authority specifies how much of the frame your head must fill, and photographs are refused for being slightly too large or too small far more often than for anything else.
The UK asks for the head, from crown to chin, to measure between 29 and 34 millimetres on a 35 by 45 millimetre photograph. The US uses a 2 by 2 inch square with the head between 1 and 1 and 3 eighths inches. The numbers differ; the principle does not. Check the requirement for the country you are applying to before you print anything, and use the face guide to position the crown and the chin on the marks rather than judging it by eye.
Taking the photograph
Face the camera squarely with a neutral expression and your mouth closed. Both eyes open, nothing covering the face, no shadow across it and none behind you on the wall.
Light yourself from the front - a window you are facing is ideal - because a ceiling light puts shadows under the eyes and a flash puts a bright spot on the forehead. Stand far enough from the wall that you do not cast a shadow onto it. Use the rear camera and have someone else take it: a selfie at arm's length distorts the face, which is why phone selfies are often rejected.
The background must be plain and light. If yours is not, the Background Remover will replace it with a clean one.
Printing the sheet
Choose your paper size - A4, Letter, 4 by 6 - and the tool lays out the copies with the correct physical dimensions. Then the part that ruins most home prints: in the print dialogue, set scaling to 100 per cent or Actual Size. The default "Fit to page" quietly shrinks everything by a few per cent, and a photo a few per cent small is a photo that gets rejected.
Print on photo paper rather than plain. Matte is usually specified, glossy is often accepted, and plain copier paper is neither and looks it. Check one sheet with a ruler before printing more.
Common questions
How do I know the print came out the right size?
Measure the head on the printed photo with a ruler and compare it with the requirement. This takes ten seconds and is the only real check.
Can I wear glasses?
Many countries now say no, and almost all refuse glare, heavy frames or anything obscuring the eyes. Take them off.
Can I smile?
A neutral expression with the mouth closed is the safe answer everywhere.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. The layout is produced in your browser, which is worth knowing for a photograph destined for an identity document.
Ready to print a sheet of your own?