How to Print Passport Photos on a 4 x 6 Print

Printing passport photos on a 4 x 6 print means laying several copies of your photo, each at its true size, onto one standard 4 x 6 inch (102 x 152 mm) snapshot, then cutting them apart. Six US 2 x 2 inch photos fill the sheet exactly, and eight 35 x 45 mm photos fit with room to cut between them. The whole job is one ordinary print order and a few minutes with a ruler.

How many passport photos fit on a 4 x 6 print?

A 4 x 6 inch print measures 101.6 x 152.4 mm. Here is how the common passport sizes pack onto it at full size:

The US layout is a neat fit: three 2 inch photos make 6 inches and two make 4, with nothing left over. Four 35 mm photos take 140 mm of the 152.4 mm length and two 45 mm photos take 90 mm of the 101.6 mm width, which leaves space for thin gaps and a margin. Australia accepts 35 to 40 mm wide by 45 to 50 mm high, and 35 x 45 mm sits inside that range, so the same eight-up sheet works there.

For the full size, head, and background rules behind these numbers, see our passport and visa photo requirements by country.

Why a 4 x 6 sheet is the practical way to print

A 4 x 6 is the everyday snapshot size, so almost every photo kiosk, pharmacy photo counter, and online print lab offers it as a standard option. Ordering one means you pay for a single ordinary print and get six or eight passport-size copies from it, with spares left over for a visa or a retake.

It also keeps you in control of the size. Because you prepare the sheet yourself, each copy is already at its final dimensions before it reaches the printer. The lab's only job is to print the file without resizing it.

How to order the print at a kiosk, pharmacy, or online lab

1. Upload the sheet as a 4 x 6 print. At a kiosk, load the file from your phone or a USB stick; online, add it to a standard prints order. Choose 4 x 6 inches, not a "passport" or "wallet" product, which may crop your file to its own layout.
2. Turn off automatic cropping and enhancement. Kiosks and apps often offer options such as "fill," "fit," auto-correct, or red-eye fix. Switch them off so the file prints exactly as saved.
3. Pick the paper finish your country asks for. The US accepts matte or glossy. Australia requires heavy glossy paper of at least 200 gsm printed by dye sublimation, so ask the lab whether its printer and paper meet that before you order.
4. Check the first print with a ruler. A US copy should measure 2 inches (51 mm) on each side; a 35 x 45 mm copy should measure exactly that. If it is off, the print was scaled.

A note for anyone ordering outside North America: the nearest size is often sold as 10 x 15 cm. A true 100 x 150 mm print is about 1.6% smaller on each side than 4 x 6 inches, so a sheet made for 4 x 6 and scaled down to fit would turn a 45 mm photo into roughly 44.3 mm. Ask for a 4 x 6 inch (102 x 152 mm) print where you can, and measure either way.

The US sheet needs extra care here because its six copies run to the very edge of the paper. A print that trims even a millimetre at the border cuts into the outer copies, so choose an option that prints the full image with no cropping.

Printing at home: check your country first

Home printing is fine for some documents and ruled out for others. The official pages disagree more than people expect:

• United States: the State Department says you can print your own photo on matte or glossy paper (photo rules).
• Canada: "We don't accept photos printed at home," and the photo itself must come from a commercial photographer or studio (Canada.ca). Go to a studio.
• Australia: prints must be made by dye sublimation, "not from an inkjet printer," on glossy paper of at least 200 gsm (passports.gov.au). Typical home printers do not meet that, so use a lab, and note that the office recommends a professional passport photo provider.
• United Kingdom: a printed photo must be 35 mm wide by 45 mm high and "not be a cut down version of a larger picture" (GOV.UK). Each copy on a print sheet is already full size rather than cropped from a bigger photo, but GOV.UK also says booth and shop photos are more likely to be approved. Online applications use a digital photo instead of a print.

If you do print at home where it is allowed, use photo paper, set the paper size to 4 x 6, and set the scale to 100% or "actual size" rather than "fit to page." Measure a copy before you cut the rest.

How to cut the photos apart cleanly

A clean edge is easier than it looks with the right tool.

• Use a paper trimmer, or a craft knife with a metal ruler on a cutting mat. Scissors tend to wander and leave a wavy edge.
• Cut along the thin grey lines. On a 35 x 45 mm sheet, each copy has its own outline with a small gap between copies, so cut along each outline and throw the thin strips away. On the US and Canadian sheets, the copies touch, so make one cut between each pair of outlines.
• Make the long cuts first. Split the sheet into strips, then cut each strip into single photos.
• Measure one finished copy. It should match your country's size exactly. If one edge is a hair wide, trim it rather than guessing on the next one.
• Keep them flat. Store spares in an envelope and avoid bending or writing on the front.

Make the print sheet with OutfitGen

OutfitGen's AI Passport Photo tool builds the sheet for you. Upload a photo and pick your country. OutfitGen makes a passport-style photo (centered head and shoulders on a plain white or light grey backdrop, with even light on the face), and you line the head up against on-screen guides for the top of the head and the chin.

Then choose 4 x 6 print sheet. You get a 1,800 x 1,200 pixel JPEG with every copy placed at true size at 300 dpi and outlined with thin grey cut lines: six copies for the US and eight for the 35 x 45 mm sizes. Because the file has the exact 3:2 shape of a 4 x 6 print, a lab has nothing to crop. India and the Saudi eVisa get a digital download only, since neither official page we reviewed gives a print size.

Your first 3 generations are free, no account needed. If you are still setting up the original shot, our guide to taking a passport photo at home with your phone covers light, distance, and background.

Rules change and some countries do not accept edited photos, so check the official page for your document before you submit.

FAQ

Will a 4 x 6 print come out at the right passport size?

Yes, if the sheet was made at true size and the lab prints it without scaling or cropping. Turn off fit, fill, and auto-enhance options, then measure one copy with a ruler before cutting the rest.

Is glossy or matte paper better for passport photos?

It depends on the country. The US accepts either, while Australia requires glossy paper of at least 200 gsm printed by dye sublimation.

Can I print passport photos on an inkjet printer?

For a US passport, printing your own photo on matte or glossy paper is allowed. Australia rules out inkjet prints, and Canada does not accept photos printed at home at all.

Why did my passport photos print slightly too small?

The lab probably scaled the sheet, often because it printed on 10 x 15 cm paper or applied a "fit" setting. Reorder as a 4 x 6 inch print with cropping and resizing turned off.

How many passport photos do I need to print?

That depends on the application, so check its checklist. One 4 x 6 sheet gives you six US copies or eight 35 x 45 mm copies, which leaves spares if an application or visa asks for more.

Can I cut a UK passport photo from a larger print?

GOV.UK says a printed photo must "not be a cut down version of a larger picture." A print sheet holds separate full-size copies rather than one enlarged photo, but GOV.UK also says booth or shop photos are more likely to be approved, and online applications need no print at all.