Complete User Guide
Complete step-by-step guide to creating professional passport photos at home
No technical knowledge required • 100% free • Complete privacy
The Passport Photo Generator is a free, web-based tool that helps you create professional passport and ID photos at home. It works entirely in your browser—no uploads, no software installation, complete privacy.
Creating passport photos takes just 3 simple steps:
Choose your country and paper size. The app will automatically set the correct photo dimensions.
Upload your photo, then adjust zoom, position, rotation, and colors to look your best.
Download your photo sheet in JPG, PNG, or PDF format, then print it out!
💡 Tip: The app shows a progress indicator at the top. Follow it to know which step you're on!
When you first open the app, you'll see the Photo Settings panel. This is where you tell the app what size photos you need and how to arrange them.
The easiest way to get the right photo size is to select your country from the dropdown menu.
How to do it:
What happens: The photo dimensions automatically fill in with the correct size for that country.
💡 Tip: If your country isn't listed, choose "Common Sizes" and manually enter your required dimensions.
Photo dimensions tell the app how big each individual photo should be.
The Two Fields:
Default: 35×45 mm (the most common international standard)
Valid Range: 10-200 mm for both width and height
This determines what size paper your photos will be printed on.
Available Options:
💡 Tip: Use Letter or A4 if printing at home. Use 4×6 inch if printing at a photo lab.
Click the "mm" or "inch" button in the Units section. All dimensions automatically convert.
Conversion: 1 inch = 25.4 mm
Example: 35 mm = 1.38 inches, 51 mm = 2.01 inches (rounds to 2 inches)
This controls how many photos appear on your sheet.
Two Modes:
💡 Tip: Use Auto-fit unless you need a specific number of photos.
Method 1: Click to Upload
Method 2: Drag and Drop
✅ Supported: JPG/JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, WebP, SVG, TIFF, AVIF, and many more!
❌ NOT Supported: HEIC/HEIF (iPhone default), RAW formats (CR2, NEF, ARW, DNG)
For iPhone HEIC files:
When you upload your photo, the app automatically checks if it's high enough quality for printing.
Minimum resolution: 100×100 pixels
Recommended: Based on 300 DPI (industry standard)
Example: For a 35×45 mm photo, you need at least 413×531 pixels for perfect print quality.
✅ Best Practice: Take photos with your phone's camera at maximum quality settings.
Zoom lets you make your face bigger or smaller in the frame.
How to zoom: Use the "Zoom" slider (50% minimum, 300% maximum)
When to zoom in: Your face is too small, you want face to fill 70-80% of frame
When to zoom out: Your face is too large, top of head is cut off
💡 Tip: Most passport photos require your face to take up about 70-80% of the frame height.
Keyboard Shortcuts: Press + or = to zoom in, press - to zoom out
Straighten your photo if it's tilted or crooked.
How to rotate: Use the "Rotation" slider (drag left for counter-clockwise, right for clockwise, -45° to +45°)
Or click the ↻ Reset button to snap back to 0°
Keyboard Shortcuts:
Move your photo around inside the frame to position it perfectly.
How to move:
Your cursor changes to a "hand" icon when you can drag
💡 Tip: Most passport photos require your eyes to be about 2/3 up from the bottom of the frame.
A) Brightness 💡
Makes your photo lighter or darker (Range: 50% to 150%, Default: 100%)
When to adjust: Photo is too dark → Increase to 110-120%, Photo is too bright → Decrease to 90-95%
B) Contrast 🌓
Controls the difference between light and dark areas (Range: 50% to 150%, Default: 100%)
When to adjust: Photo looks flat/dull → Increase to 110-120%
C) Saturation 🌈
Controls how vivid the colors are (Range: 0% = black & white to 200% = super vivid, Default: 100%)
When to adjust: Colors look dull → Increase to 110-120%
D) Hue 🎨
Shifts all colors in the rainbow spectrum (Range: -180° to +180°, Default: 0°)
When to adjust: Only use if photo has weird lighting or color casts
💡 Tip: Small adjustments (±5-10%) usually look best. All adjustments update instantly!
Change the background behind you to meet passport requirements.
Available Backgrounds:
✅ Best Practice: If unsure, choose white. It's accepted almost everywhere.
Before downloading, you can see exactly how your photos will look on paper.
Main Preview: Shows one photo with your adjustments, blue frame indicates crop area
Sheet Preview: Scrolling down shows the full paper layout with all photos arranged with proper spacing
🎨 Editing Layout
After uploading your photo, you'll see a centered editing section with:
💡 Tip: Side-by-side layout on desktop makes editing faster—see photo and controls simultaneously!
🔍 Fullscreen Editor (Optional)
For even more precise adjustments, use the fullscreen editor!
How to open:
What you get:
How to close:
💡 Tip: Use fullscreen mode when you need to see fine details or make very precise positioning adjustments. Changes are independent—you can experiment freely and cancel if you don't like the result!
You have three download options:
1) JPG (JPEG) - Most Common
Best for printing at photo labs, uploading to websites. 95% quality, medium file size, works everywhere.
💡 Tip: Choose JPG if you're unsure. It's the most universal format.
2) PNG - Highest Quality
Best for maximum quality, professional printing. Lossless (perfect) quality, larger file size.
✅ Best Practice: Use PNG if you want absolute best quality and file size doesn't matter.
3) PDF - Professional
Best for sending via email, professional submissions. 95% JPG compression inside PDF, requires PDF reader.
Note: Requires internet connection (loads library from CDN). If it fails, use JPG or PNG instead.
What You'll Download:
Made a mistake? No problem! The app remembers up to 20 steps back.
With Buttons: Click "↶ Undo" or "↷ Redo"
With Keyboard:
💡 Tip: Don't be afraid to experiment! You can always undo.
Easy on the eyes, especially at night!
How to toggle:
Persistence: Your choice is saved. Next time you visit, your preference is remembered.
Zoom: + or = to zoom in, - to zoom out
Rotation: Shift + ← or → to rotate, R to reset
Brightness: Shift + ↑ or ↓ to adjust
Undo/Redo: Ctrl+Z (undo), Ctrl+Y (redo)
Interface: Ctrl+R (reset all), Escape (close modal)
⚠️ Note: Shortcuts only work when you're not typing in an input field!
The app remembers your preferences! Even if you close the browser and come back later.
What's remembered:
What's NOT remembered: Your uploaded photo (for privacy!), zoom, rotation, adjustments
Lighting:
Background:
Camera Position:
Resolution:
Format:
General rules:
Zoom & Positioning:
Colors:
💡 Pro Tip: Print a test sheet first! Check if the size is correct before making multiple copies.
CRITICAL: These settings determine if your photos come out the right size!
Scale/Size:
Quality:
Paper Selection:
Photo Paper (Best)
Premium Inkjet (Good)
Regular Paper (Budget)
✅ Best Practice: Print one test sheet on regular paper first to check size. Then print on photo paper.
Option 1: Home Printer
Pros: Immediate, private, can print multiple times
Cost: $0.10-0.50 per sheet
Option 2: Photo Lab (Walgreens, CVS, Costco)
Pros: Professional quality, cheap, no equipment needed
Cost: $0.15-0.50 per 4×6 print
Option 3: Office Supply Store (FedEx, Staples)
Pros: High-quality printers, helpful staff
Cost: $0.50-2.00 per sheet
💡 Tip: For fastest results, use home printer. For best quality at low cost, use Costco or Walgreens photo lab.
What you'll need: Sharp scissors or craft knife, ruler (metal is best), cutting mat (if using knife), good lighting
Method 1: Scissors (Easier)
Method 2: Craft Knife (More Precise)
💡 Pro Tip: Use a paper trimmer or photo cutter if you have one—much easier and more accurate!
Having issues? Here are quick solutions to common problems:
For detailed troubleshooting, see the FAQ page.
1. Photo Settings Panel
Left side (or top on mobile): Country dropdown, photo dimensions with mm/inch toggle, preset size buttons, paper size options, photo count settings
2. Upload & Preview Panel
Right side (or top on mobile): Upload area (before photo loaded), preview canvas with download buttons (after upload), print instructions
3. Editing Section (Full-width, centered below main panels)
Left Column: Crop canvas with drag-to-reposition functionality, Fullscreen editor button (🔍)
Right Column: All adjustment sliders (Zoom, Rotation, Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Hue), Undo/Redo/Reset buttons
Bottom: Upload area (dimmed, repositioned here after photo upload for easy access to upload another image)
Floating Buttons: Bottom-right corner has Scroll to Top (↑) and Dark Mode toggle (🌙/☀️)
Your photos NEVER leave your device.
Third-party library: jsPDF (for PDF downloads) loads from trusted CDN, works locally, doesn't track or send data
Always verify official requirements before applying! Requirements change occasionally and special cases exist.
United States
Size: 2×2 inches (51×51 mm), Background: White, Expression: Neutral
travel.state.gov
United Kingdom
Size: 35×45 mm, Background: Plain light-colored, Expression: Neutral
gov.uk/photos-for-passports
Canada
Size: 50×70 mm, Background: Plain white/light-colored, Expression: Neutral
canada.ca
Common requirements: Head and shoulders only, face centered, neutral expression, both eyes open, plain background, no shadows, taken within last 6 months
Before taking your photo:
When using the app:
Printer settings (CRITICAL):
You're Ready! 🎉
You now know everything you need to create professional passport photos at home.
Made with ❤️ for people who want privacy, convenience, and professional results.