The specification at a glance
A US passport photo is 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm) on a white background. That is the entry in the ShrinkLab spec registry, last checked in October 2026 against the Department of State photo page at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/photos.html. This guide covers the pixel maths, how to get a sharp crop from a phone photo, how to order an inexpensive 4 × 6 print, and what to confirm on the official page.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Document | US passport (Department of State) |
| Photo size | 2 × 2 in (51 × 51 mm) |
| Background | White |
| Official source | https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/photos.html |
| Last checked | October 2026 |
| What this preset exports | 600 × 600 pixel JPEG at 300 DPI, or a print sheet |
The registry records the size and background only. The official page also covers head size, expression, eyewear, clothing, how recent the photo must be and the rules for digital photos in online applications. Read it once before you start; it changes from time to time and it is what your photo will be checked against.
Inches, millimetres and pixels
| DPI | Pixels | Printed size |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | 400 × 400 | 2 × 2 in |
| 300 | 600 × 600 | 2 × 2 in |
| 600 | 1200 × 1200 | 2 × 2 in |
Because the size is in whole inches, the maths is just the DPI times two. Two inches is 50.8 mm, which is rounded to 51 mm in most descriptions. The printed size is the same at every DPI; a higher DPI only adds detail and makes the file larger. 300 DPI is the default and suits ordinary photo printing.
Worked example: getting a sharp crop from a phone photo
Say your phone takes portrait photos at 3024 × 4032 pixels, and the square you crop around your head and shoulders is about 1800 pixels across. The tool scales that square down to 600 × 600 for 300 DPI, so there is three times more detail than needed and the print will be sharp.
Now say you crop a much smaller square, about 400 pixels across, because you stood far away or used a copy sent through a messaging app. That square has to be enlarged by 1.5 times to reach 600 pixels, and it will look soft on paper. The fix is a closer photo or the original file, not a higher DPI. These figures are illustrative; the point is to keep the cropped square larger than the target.
Step by step
- Stand in front of a plain white or off-white wall, with soft light from the front and no shadow behind you. Have someone else take the photo at about head height.
- Open this page. The size is already 2 × 2 in and the background white.
- Add the photo, press the crop button on its card and fit your head inside the dashed oval of the square box. Press Apply.
- Keep 300 DPI.
- For printing, choose 4×6 in sheet. Two copies fit, one above the other. For more copies on one page, choose A4 sheet, which fits up to 15.
- If you need a digital file instead, choose Single photo and only turn on Also limit file size if the application states a limit.
- Press Create photo and download the JPEG.
Ordering a 4 × 6 print
A 4 × 6 inch print is the standard snapshot size at most photo printing counters and online print services, and it is usually one of the cheapest options they sell.
- The sheet file is 1200 × 1800 pixels at 300 DPI, exactly the 2:3 shape of a 4 × 6 print, so it should print without being cropped.
- If the service offers fill or fit options, check the preview to make sure nothing at the edges is trimmed.
- Avoid any automatic enhancement, red-eye fix or beauty filter the service applies by default.
- When the print arrives, measure each photo: it should be 2 inches on each side. Cut along the dashed lines.
Common problems
- The wall looks grey or has a shadow. Move away from the wall a little and light your face from the front. If the background is still uneven, use Remove background, fill with white and bring the result back here.
- The photo is printed slightly too small. The print was scaled to fit the page. Print at 100 percent or Actual size.
- The sheet shows only two photos although you asked for eight. Two is the maximum for 2 × 2 inch photos on a 4 × 6 sheet; use A4 for more.
- The photo looks soft. The crop was enlarged. See the worked example above.
- An online form rejects the file size. Choose Single photo, turn on Also limit file size and enter the limit stated in the application. The photo keeps its 600 × 600 pixels and its DPI; only the JPEG compression changes to fit.
- The face is not centred. Reopen the crop editor, adjust, and run again.
Home, pharmacy counter or upload service
A pharmacy or studio photo counter takes the photo for you and hands over a print within minutes, at a higher price per set. Online passport photo services take your upload, process it on their servers and keep a copy under their own terms. A clear, front-facing photo of your face is identity data, so it is reasonable to limit how many companies hold it.
This tool does the cropping, scaling and sheet layout in your browser, with no upload. What it cannot do is check your photo against the rules, so compare it with the official page before you send or print it. If it does not pass, a counter photo is still available as a fallback.