Online ID Photo Maker That's Free & Instant

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to take an ID photo?

   There are three main options:
    

   1. Take your ID photo in a retail store, pharmacy, shipping center, or professional studio. This variant is most useful when you want someone else to prepare a perfect picture for you. The photographer will set up their camera, ensure proper lighting in the room, and create a plain background. They will also make sure that your face is fully visible and of the correct size, and so on.
       
      When it’s done, they’ll also check the resulting printable image against the requirements for this photo type (DV lottery green card photo, identification headshot, social security card picture, etc.). Of course, all this convenience doesn’t come for free: it will cost you $10-15 on average. Creating a mere JPEG shouldn’t be that expensive, don’t you think?
       
   2. Find a photo booth. Sadly, this machine can’t take care of every detail for you like a human photographer. It hasn’t got any built-in photo editor, so all it has to offer is a proper background, lighting, and photo printer.
       
      The rest, however, is up to you: you have to check that the overall look of your photo meets the relevant ID requirements. This implies some pressure if you need your photo urgently (say, for the upcoming DV lottery). That being said, the price for such a service is comparable to that of the previous option. To top it off, most of these booths have gone out of date. So this variant is arguably the worst (especially so if compared with the free option), but we have to mention it to give you the full picture.
       
   3. Create a compliant image at home using an online ID photo maker. This way you can stay home and save money you could’ve spent on a lengthy visit to a studio or booth. Plus, you’ll save time (a lot of it), as everything’s done in minutes. Also, there won’t be any watermarks or hidden fees.
       
      The only visible drawback of this online option is that you have to make sure you meet all the requirements relevant to your type of document. And yes, we can help you with that—whether you need to edit a DV lottery green card photo or some other type of identification headshot. All we need from you is a JPG picture taken with a digital camera. Once we get it, we’ll crop-frame and cut the image to the same height and photo size they use in identification documents.

2. What ID photo maker should I choose?

   The available options are legion. The three main types are smartphone applications, software tools, and websites. But the first two solutions require you to do some prep before you actually edit your picture (like installing the editor to your smartphone or PC, signing up, and so on).
    
   As for ID photo websites, many of those tend to have a nasty habit of asking you to pay at the download page. That is AFTER they generate your image. This move can be quite irritating if you need to get a photo urgently (say, for a DV lottery).
    
   However, the PhotoBooth Online website doesn’t use that unpleasant practice. Our easy photo generator is transparent—we process your pictures into neat templates for free. Also, we run them through an integrated ID and green card check tool. So, if you want to print, save the output file in a click.

3. How to take ID photo with iPhone?

   Apple iPhone has a great camera that can take perfect pictures in ultra HD resolution. But please mind that you’ll have to resize your iPhone portrait to use it for an identification document. There’s a decent number of iOS apps available in the App Store that can do that. In fact, the available options are overwhelming: whether you need a headshot for your library card or a DV lottery green card photo editor, there is a dedicated app for any of those.
    
   Luckily, you don’t have to trudge through all of this to find what will work for you. There’s also an easier option to resize without quality loss and avoid getting a pixelated image. Open Safari, go to this website, and upload a suitable file from your iPhone gallery. PhotoBooth Online is iOS and Safari-friendly, so it’ll process your photograph in a matter of seconds without any trouble.

4. How can I make my photo ID online free?

   It depends on the type of identification document you want to get. You may obtain it at a governmental institution, educational organization, or private company. As for the photo for your new document, you’re often allowed to take and check it yourself. Here’s how you can make a DIY picture quickly:
    

   1. Take a good headshot with your Android or iPhone. Please note that you mustn’t wear glasses, hats, or other hair accessories. Also, avoid shadows on your face or background, don’t apply any filters, and keep your eyes open and mouth closed
   2. Upload your picture to our online editor
   3. We’ll automatically crop-frame your portrait and run our integrated ID and green card photo check to make sure it’s compliant
   4. Proceed to the last page and click the button to get a 2 x 2 size ID photo for the online application or JPG print

5. How to take a good ID photo?

   No matter what document you need a picture for, some preparation never hurts if you want to look your best. Here are some quick tips that’ll help you get a perfect photo for your ID card with our free online tool:
    

   • Pick a place where it’s most comfortable for you. Feel awkward when photographed by another person or by the robot camera in a photo booth? If so, it’s best to take your image in the comfort of your home and then simply upload it to our free ID picture editor.
      
   • Make sure you look tidy. Carefully arrange your hair—in an ID photo, a business-like hairstyle will work best (check that there are no flyaways or tousle). Also, apply some makeup if that’s your thing (but keep it natural). This stage is especially important since you aren’t allowed to apply any filters later, and our online ID picture maker won’t do it either.
      
   • Wear the right outfit. We recommend putting on something business-like for your photo. That’s the case for the upper body clothes—only your shoulders and upper chest will be visible (so, no tank tops or you’ll look naked). As for lower-body clothes like pants and shoes, they can be anything: even if you take a full-body image, our free ID photo generator will crop them out.