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How to Print Passport Photos on 4×6 Paper: UK Guide

printer can be used to print out picture for your travel document

When applying for a new passport at a post office or by post, you need to print passport photos first. And when it comes to printing, the universally accepted format is 4×6 (also referred to as postcard size).

But why this format and how do you print your photos on 4×6 paper?

Let’s break the whole process down.

Contents

Does It Mean I Need to Print 4×6 Passport Photo?

Of course not—this size is equivalent to 10×15 cm, and that’s too big for your travel ID!

According to the official requirements, your British passport photo must be 45 mm high and 35 mm wide (which is roughly 1.38 by 1.77 inches).

That said, you won’t find a printer that would give you a 35×45 picture, since there is no paper format for such impractical dimensions. Instead, 35×45 pictures are printed on photo templates that measure four by six inches, like 4×6 paper postcards.

And if we do some simple math, we’ll see that one such template can include up to eight UK passport photos of the appropriate dimensions.

Why Postcard Proportions Exactly?

postcards of the same size used to print passport photo

Unlike 35×45, 4×6 (or 6×4, depending on your point of view) is one of the universal paper formats used by millions of photo studios and photographers around the world. If you want to print your passport images at a local place, you can always be sure that they have the photo paper of this exact format.

Can I Just Print One 35×45 Photo?

Unfortunately, you can’t.

Again, no inkjet printer will give you a printout of such proportions. It usually has to be a larger piece of 4×6 paper with one or more photos in it (which you’re supposed to cut out). So, a four-by-six template is actually the best way to get your printouts.

To top it off, one photograph isn’t enough for application by post, as HMPO requires that you submit exactly two printed images.

Preparing Your Passport Photo (4×6) Template

Before actually printing, make sure that it meets the quality requirements.

In addition to being coloured and in clear focus, your photo must be of good quality: the minimum DPI (dots per inch) resolution is 300. If measured in pixels, passport images must be 600×750 or more to look sharp on 4×6 paper.

If you don’t know what’s what when it comes to digital image parameters and other computer-related mumbo-jumbo, don’t worry. Instantly create a good-quality image on our website—it’ll take only three easy steps!

How to Create Printable Template in PhotoBooth Online

Here’s a three-step guide to making passport photos:

Step 1: Take a Digital Photo of Yourself

The best way to do this is to use a smartphone: open your integrated camera app, switch to the front camera and take your picture.

This doesn’t have to be a passport-style photo, it can even depict you at your full height as long as your facial features are clearly visible. Just make sure that you’re facing the camera and nothing is obscuring your appearance (if in doubt, check the official HMPO requirements).

Also, you needn’t bother with the background–it can contain absolutely anything as long as you’re in clear contrast with it.

If you’re going to use our service on a desktop or laptop computer, copy the photo you’ve just taken onto your computer’s hard drive.

Step 2: Upload Your Photo on Our Website

To start making passport photos, hit that green button below (if it isn’t there, upload your photo here). When pushed, this upload photo button will open your camera roll (the menu where all your photos are included). Find and select the picture you’ve just taken—our website will start converting it into a passport photo template suitable for printing on 4×6 paper.

Wait about ten seconds until the progress bar reaches 100%.

This is when PhotoBooth Online does everything for you: it crops your picture to a compliant portrait with the correct ratio and proportions and makes the background off-white.

Once the processing is completed, you’ll see your image trimmed to a handsome British passport photo and placed in a printable 6×4 template:

usual picture converted to a ready-to-print passport photo

Step 3: Download the Template (Or a Single Photo)

On the download page, you can save the converted image on your device.

It comes in two forms:

  • If you’re applying with a paper application, you’ll need to use the printable 4 by 6 photo template that includes four copies of your new passport photo—save and print it on 4×6 paper using the instructions below.
  • If you’re applying on the Internet (through the online submission form at the official UK government page), use the single digital picture.

Can I Fit 6 Passport Photos in a 4×6 Template?

Technically, you could do it (say, if you’re familiar with Paint, you can multiply your images by copy-pasting them).

But there’s no point in it.

His Majesty’s Passport Office requires two pictures, so a pair is enough. Moreover, our template leaves more space for you to cut out the pictures from the 4×6 paper sheet without damaging them with your scissors.

Now, to the part where you print your template.

How to Print Passport-Size Photos on 4×6 Paper

If you want to do the printing part by yourself, you’ll need a PC, a printer that can take four-by-six-inch paper and, accordingly, photo paper of this format.

We recommend glossy paper: it won’t give too much glare and reflections.

using computer

Here’s a three-step guide to making passport photo printouts:

Step 1: Get Your Printing Equipment Set Up

Turn on your printer and make sure it’s connected to your PC. We don’t recommend printing from your phone—as a rule, it’s easier to do from a PC.

If you made your 4×6 template on mobile, copy it to your PC’s hard drive.

Step 2: Open Your Passport Photo

Find your image in the Explorer and open it in the Windows Photo Viewer. Click on the three dots above and then click Print–you’ll see the window with printout settings.

Step 3: Set Up the Parameters

Make sure to select the printer you’re connected to. In paper parameters, select the 4×6 paper size. Set the photo size to 4×6 as well. Finally, make sure that you’re going to print in colour.

Below is an example of how your settings may look like if you’re using Windows (on Mac, the principle is roughly the same):

printing on Windows is similar to Mac

Once you’re all set, click Print.

This guide is a summary of the process which will differ between Windows and Mac—but only slightly, so you shouldn’t have any trouble.

Needless to say, the option described above has some drawbacks:

  • It will take quite some time to figure out how to work your printer
  • Not everyone has a photo printer at home in the first place
  • Buying a pack of 4×6 paper to print just one sheet seems excessive

It’ll be far easier to make a print-ready template here and then bring it to your nearest place or a professional photographer who can print passport photos.

Yes, printing services aren’t free, but the price is very low, considering the amount of time, money and effort you’d have spent printing your pictures by yourself!

For example, in most stores, one 4×6 photo paper printout is under a pound, which makes the whole affair a no-brainer! Just copy the JPEG to your flash drive and take it there: the staff knows how to work with photo templates. Also, some stores offer you the option to print passport photos online and collect them later.

paying for your pictures printed out on an in-store printer

As you see, the whole thing is not nearly as difficult as it seems to be—as long as you follow the easy steps listed above, you shouldn’t have any trouble whatsoever. Anyway, we hope this article makes printing passport photos on 4×6 paper a lot easier for you. Safe travels!