Passport size photos are needed in ones and twos — a form here, an application there — but studios print them in sheets and charge for the sheet. If you already have a good headshot, you can lay out your own sheet, print it at any photo counter or on a home printer, and cut what you need.
The part people get wrong is the sizing. A photo that looks right on screen prints at the wrong size unless the sheet is built at a real physical measurement, not in pixels.
Pixels are not a size
An image that is 600 × 800 pixels has no physical size at all until you say how many pixels go into an inch. At 300 pixels per inch it prints two inches wide; at 150 it prints four. This is why a photo emailed to a print shop comes back the wrong size so often.
A photo sheet tool avoids the problem by working the other way round: you give it the size in centimetres, and it builds the sheet at print resolution so the printed photo measures what you asked for.
Common passport photo sizes
| Size | Roughly | Typically used for |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5 × 4.5 cm | 1.38 × 1.77 in | The most commonly requested size on Indian forms and applications |
| 5.1 × 5.1 cm (2 × 2 in) | square | US visa and several other countries' applications |
| 2.5 × 3.5 cm | 1 × 1.4 in | Stamp size, school and office records |
Requirements differ by authority and they change, so read the size, background colour and head-position rules on the actual form or portal you are applying to before you print a sheet.
How to make an A4 sheet of passport photos
- Open the Passport Photo Maker.
- Upload a clear, front-facing headshot on a plain background.
- Enter the photo width and height in centimetres — 3.5 × 4.5 is the usual starting point.
- Choose the paper size and how many copies you want. Leave the copies at the default and the sheet is filled with as many as fit.
- Preview the sheet, then download it and print at 100% scale — not "fit to page", which resizes everything.
Build a print-ready A4 sheet of passport photos free.
Open the Passport Photo MakerGetting the source photo right
The sheet can only be as good as the photo you feed it. Before you lay anything out:
- Plain background. Most authorities want plain white or light grey with no pattern and no shadow behind the head. If yours is busy, run the photo through the AI Background Remover first and set a white background.
- Face the camera squarely, eyes open, neutral expression, mouth closed.
- Even light on the face. Side light creates shadows down one cheek; overhead light creates shadows in the eye sockets. Facing a window is usually the easiest good light there is.
- No sunglasses or caps. Ordinary spectacles are usually allowed provided the eyes are visible with no glare, but check your form.
- Head and upper shoulders in frame, with a little space above the head. Do not crop so tightly that the hair touches the edge.
Printing the sheet so the size is right
This is where home printing goes wrong most often.
- Print at 100% / actual size. Any "fit to page", "shrink to fit" or "scale to paper" option changes the physical measurements.
- Set the paper size in the print dialog to the same paper you actually loaded.
- Use photo paper if you have it. Plain paper works for office records but looks flat and can smudge.
- Measure one photo with a ruler after the first print. If it is off, the scaling setting is the culprit, not the file.
Frequently asked questions
How many 3.5 × 4.5 cm photos fit on an A4 sheet?
A4 is 210 × 297 mm, so with sensible margins and a cutting gap you get a grid of roughly 20 to 24 photos. Leave the copies field at its default and the tool fills the sheet for you.
Can I use a phone photo?
Yes, and a modern phone has more than enough resolution. What matters is the lighting and the background, not the camera.
Can I change the background to white or blue?
Use the AI Background Remover first — it can cut out the subject and place a plain white or blue background behind them — then bring the result here.
Which paper sizes are supported?
A4 is the default and the one most shops print on. Other sizes are available in the paper dropdown for smaller sheets.
Can I print at a photo shop?
Yes. Take the downloaded file on a phone or a pen drive and ask for a plain print at actual size. Since the sheet is already laid out, they only have to print it.
Related tools
- AI Background Remover — put the subject on a clean white or blue background.
- Resize / Convert Image — set exact dimensions in px, cm or inches.
- Compress Image — meet the KB limit when a form wants the photo uploaded rather than printed.
- PVC Card Layout — the same idea for ID cards instead of photos.