How to Print Passport Photos on 4×6 Paper

A single 4×6 inch (10×15 cm) print holds two US 2×2 inch passport photos side by side. Since a 4×6 print at any drugstore or photo lab costs $0.35–2 — versus $10–17 for the counter's “passport photo” service — cropping the file yourself and printing the standard size is the single easiest way to cut the cost of a passport application.

The layout: what fits on 4×6

• US 2×2 inch (51×51 mm): two photos fit side by side with margins — the standard layout.
• UK/EU/Australia 35×45 mm: one photo fits comfortably; two won't fit without overlapping. Print one per 4×6.
• Canada 50×70 mm: exactly one per 4×6 print, and the print must be on professional photo paper.

Printing at a drugstore or photo lab

1. Crop your photo to the correct spec first (size and head height), exported as a JPEG at 300 DPI.
2. Upload the file to the lab's kiosk or website (Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Boots, Superdrug and most local labs all accept 4×6 orders).
3. Order a standard 4×6 print — matte or glossy, both are fine.
4. Cut along the crop line if the two photos are joined; each half is a complete passport photo.

Printing at home

Home printing works for the US and most countries: use glossy or matte photo paper (plain paper is automatically rejected), set the printer to highest quality, and print at 300 DPI at actual size — no scaling or “fit to page”. The exception is Canada, where IRCC rejects home inkjet prints and requires professional or chemical photo paper output. For Canada, print the digital file at any lab.

Common printing mistakes

• Plain paper: the number one rejection cause for home printing.
• Rescaling: letting the printer “fit to page” changes the size and breaks the spec.
• Low DPI: exporting at screen resolution (72–96 DPI) and enlarging produces a pixelated print that authorities reject.
• Cutting too much margin off: the photo itself must be exactly the spec size — margin around it is fine on the print, but the photo border is not part of the photo.