How to print passport photos on 4 × 6 paper
A standard 4 × 6 inch photo print is the cheapest way to get passport photos. The size comes out right only if the print is made at 100%, so this guide covers the settings as well as the layout.
By Yaseen Khan. Last checked against the official sources on 11 November 2026.
How many photos fit on one print
| 35 × 45 mm (UK, Schengen, Australia and most countries) | 8 on a 4 × 6 inch or 10 × 15 cm print, in two rows of four |
|---|---|
| 2 × 2 inch (United States) | 2 with a safe margin, or 6 if the lab prints right to the edge without cropping |
| 33 × 48 mm (China visa) | 4 |
| 35 × 45 mm on A4 paper | 30 |
The print sheet from the ID photo maker arranges the photos for you, with dashed cut lines and a small gap between them.
The one setting that matters: 100%
Passport photos are judged in millimetres. If the lab or printer scales the sheet, every photo on it changes size.
- At a kiosk or online lab, order a standard 4 × 6 inch (10 × 15 cm) print and switch off any “auto crop”, “fill” or “fit” option. Choose no border if asked, and do not let the kiosk zoom the image.
- On a home or office printer, choose Actual size or 100% scale. Never “Fit to page” or “Shrink to fit”.
The files from this site carry a 300 dpi tag, so software that respects print size places them at their true dimensions.
Check with a ruler before cutting
Measure one photo on the print. A 35 × 45 mm photo should be 35 mm wide; a 2 × 2 inch photo should be 51 mm. If it is off by a millimetre or more, the print was scaled: reprint it before you cut anything.
Why 2 × 2 inch photos need care
A 4 × 6 inch sheet is exactly two photos wide and three tall, so six 2 × 2 photos fill it with no margin at all. Many labs trim a little from each edge of a borderless print. That would leave the outer photos under 2 inches. The sheet therefore places two photos with margins by default. If you need six, choose 5 × 7 inch paper, or select six and confirm with the lab that nothing is cropped.
Paper each authority asks for
- United States: matte or glossy photo-quality paper. Grainy or pixelated prints are refused.
- United Kingdom: a professional-standard colour print on plain white photographic paper with no border.
- Australia: a dye-sublimation print on glossy paper of at least 200 gsm. Inkjet prints are excluded, so use a lab or kiosk, not a home printer.
- China visa: glossy photo paper, not matte or plain paper.
- Schengen visa (German missions): photo-quality paper.
Plain office paper is not accepted anywhere.
Cutting
- Use a paper trimmer or a craft knife and a steel ruler. Scissors rarely give straight edges.
- Cut on the dashed lines so none of the line remains on the photo.
- Handle the prints by the edges, and do not bend, staple or write on the front.
If you only need a digital photo
Many applications are now online and need a file, not a print. Each document page exports the file at the pixel size and kilobyte limit that form requires.
Official sources
The rules in this guide come from these pages, read on the date shown at the top:
- U.S. Department of State, Foreign Affairs Manual 8 FAM 402.1
- GOV.UK: Photos for passports
- Australian Passport Office: passport photos
- Chinese Visa Application Service Center: photo requirements
- German Embassy London: Schengen visa FAQ (photos)