How to print passport photos correctly (home or shop)
Print passport photos at actual size — not fit-to-page. Paper, layout, and what to tell the shop.
What you'll need
- Phone with rear camera
- Plain wall or white sheet
- Even front light
Step 1: Prepare the background
Use a plain light wall. Stand one arm's length away to reduce shadows.
Step 2: Frame the shot
Rear camera at eye level. Leave headroom — see Passport photo print sheet — 4×6 layout for a local print shop for face-height rules.
Step 3: Light from the front
Face the window or lamp. Avoid overhead-only light.
Step 4: Export to spec
Crop, resize, then compress — see Indian passport photo size — 35×45 mm (2026 rules). Wrong order causes blur.
Common mistakes at each step
- HEIC from iPhone — convert to JPG
- Compress before crop — loses quality
- Ignoring minimum KB — over-compression fails too
Do it automatically
Processed on your device. Your photo is never uploaded.
Upload a photo to see the compliance checklist.
India Passport (ICAO 2026) specs are sourced from official notifications and may change. Always confirm against your portal before submitting. PhotoFix does not guarantee acceptance — we build to published requirements.
FAQ
Can I use the front camera? Rear camera is sharper; front works if the lens is clean.
Where is the full spec? See How to take a passport photo at home with your phone and the official notification.
Document photo rules look similar across portals but differ in pixels, KB, and background. Always read the current notification instead of copying last year's file. When a form rejects an upload, note the exact error text — "invalid dimensions" and "file too large" need different fixes. PhotoFix presets encode the published spec so you do not have to memorize each exam.
Before final submit, compare your export against the checklist: correct JPG, dimensions within range, KB inside the window, plain background, and face proportion where applicable. Keeping the original photo lets you re-export if a portal updates limits mid-cycle.
See also
Related guides
More PhotoFix articles on the same problem or document type.
- How-toPrint Passport Size Photo Online for Free: What to Watch ForFree online print layouts can rescale your file. To print passport size photo online free at true 35×45 mm, lock actual size, verify DPI, and measure the print with a ruler.
- How-toWhat to Tell a Print Shop for Correct Passport PhotosPrint shop instructions India applicants should use: 35×45 mm, 300 DPI, actual size, no fit-to-page — plus what to bring and how to verify before you pay.
- How-toPrint a Passport Photo Free at Home: Materials and MethodPrint passport-size photos free at home with a correct 630×810 file, photo paper or plain sheet, actual-size scaling, and a ruler check — no studio required.