Passport Photo Maker

What this tool does

Passport, visa and ID applications almost always ask for a photo with exact dimensions, a plain background and a head of a particular size. Getting all three right with a phone camera and a generic photo editor is fiddly, and a photo studio visit costs time and money. This tool handles the measuring for you. You choose the document type, and the photo frame on screen takes the correct shape. Guide bands show where the top of the head and the chin should sit, so the face ends up at the size the issuing office expects.

When the photo is in place, you can download it in two ways. A single photo at 300 pixels per inch is the right choice for online applications, which ask you to upload one image file. A print sheet places several copies on 4 x 6 inch photo paper or an A4 page, with thin cut lines, so a print shop can print it at the correct physical size.

Common photo sizes

The table below lists the presets built into the tool. Sizes change from time to time, and some offices publish extra rules about head position, glasses or expression, so always confirm with the authority that will receive your photo.

Step-by-step: from phone photo to print sheet

1. Take the photo first. Stand about half a metre in front of a plain, light wall, facing a window or other soft light. Ask someone to take the photo from about one and a half metres away, at your eye level.
2. Open the tool and choose your photo. The face is detected automatically and the photo is moved, zoomed and straightened so the head fits the guide.
3. Check the result against the shaded bands. The top of the hair should be inside the upper band and the chin inside the lower band. Drag the photo or use the Zoom slider to adjust.
4. If the wall behind you is not plain or not the right color, choose a new background. White and off-white are the most widely accepted. Some offices ask for light blue or light grey.
5. Use Brightness and Contrast only if the face looks too dark or washed out. Keep changes small so skin tones stay natural.
6. Choose Single photo for an online form, or Print sheet for printing, then download.

How to take a photo that will be accepted

Most rejections come from the original photo rather than the cropping. A few habits make a big difference:

• Light: face a window during the day, or use two lamps at equal distance on either side. Avoid overhead light that casts shadows under the eyes and nose.
• Expression: look straight into the camera with a neutral expression and your mouth closed. Both eyes must be open and clearly visible.
• Glasses: many countries no longer accept glasses in passport photos. If you need them, make sure there is no glare on the lenses.
• Clothing: wear something that contrasts with the background. A white shirt against a white background can make the shoulders disappear.
• Hair and accessories: keep hair away from the eyes. Head coverings are usually allowed only for religious or medical reasons, and the full face must remain visible.
• Camera: use the back camera of a phone rather than the selfie camera, which is lower quality and distorts the face when held at arm's length.

Replacing the background

When you choose a background color, an AI model that runs in your browser separates you from the original background, including hair, and places you on a clean color. The first time you use it, the model (about 16 MB) is downloaded to your browser, so it may take a few seconds on a slow connection. After that, it starts almost immediately.

The result is usually very good, but check the outline around your hair and shoulders at full size. If the original background was very close in color to your hair or clothing, it can help to retake the photo in front of a lighter wall. Offices are strict about backgrounds that look edited, so a natural-looking edge matters more than a perfectly uniform color.

Printing the sheet correctly

The print sheet is created at 300 pixels per inch, the resolution photo labs use. The PDF version stores the exact physical size of the page, which makes it the safest option for printing.

• On a 4 x 6 inch sheet you get 8 photos of 35 x 45 mm, or 6 photos of 2 x 2 inches.
• When printing yourself, choose Actual size or 100 percent in the print dialog. Do not use Fit to page, which shrinks every photo slightly.
• Photo paper gives the best result. Plain office paper is usually not accepted for official photos.
• At a print shop, ask for the file to be printed on 4R or 4 x 6 inch photo paper without any scaling.

After printing, measure one photo with a ruler. A 35 x 45 mm photo should be exactly 3.5 cm wide. If it is smaller, the printer scaled the page.

Troubleshooting

• The face was not found automatically: this happens with side-on poses, very dark photos or faces that fill the whole image. Drag and zoom the photo by hand so the head fits between the bands.
• A warning says the photo does not fill the frame: there is not enough of the original photo around your head. Zoom in slightly, or retake the photo from a little further away so there is space above the head and below the shoulders.
• A warning says the resolution is low: the original image is small for the chosen print size. Use the original photo from your camera rather than a copy received through a messaging app, which compresses images.
• The background looks patchy around the hair: retake the photo in front of a plain, light wall with even light, then try again.