How to print a passport photo at home or for pennies

The cheap way to print a passport photo: get a compliant digital photo, place it on a standard 4 x 6 print sheet (two 2 x 2 copies fit with room to spare), and print that sheet at home on photo paper or at any pharmacy photo kiosk as a regular 4 x 6 print, which costs well under a dollar. You then cut out the 2 x 2 photos. The store charges $15-17 for the same thing.

Check your United States passport photo against the official spec → Free check, accepted-or-money-back.

The catch: the sheet must be exactly to scale

Kiosks print 4 x 6 images edge to edge. If your sheet has the photo at the wrong scale, the printed head size will be out of spec even though the digital file was fine. Use a properly generated print sheet where the 2 x 2 crop is exact, and choose 'do not resize or crop' at the kiosk.

Paper and quality

Matte or glossy photo paper both work; plain office paper does not. Check the print for color casts and make sure no lines or borders cross the photo area. Our paid download includes exactly this pre-scaled 4 x 6 sheet with two copies.

Frequently asked questions

How many passport photos do I need?

US passport applications need one photo; visas often want two prints. A 4 x 6 sheet with two copies covers the common cases for one print price.

Can a pharmacy refuse to print my sheet?

Kiosk self-service prints it like any 4 x 6 photo. You are paying for a standard print, not their passport photo service.