Despite the fact that nowadays more and more documents in various spheres are being converted into electronic format, in many cases it is still necessary to provide a photo for documents in printed form: to an embassy or consulate to obtain a visa, to make a photo for a new passport, a work pass, a student ID card and for other purposes, both business and personal.
There are enough services where you can take and print ID photos: photo studios, photo shops in large supermarkets, photo booths. You can also take a photo yourself and print it in any printing office. However, you can save a lot if you do it at home. In this article, we will tell you how to make high-quality and compliant with all official norms ID photos by yourself and how to print passport photos from the comfort of your own home. Let’s get started.
How To Take A Good ID Photo
Before you print your photos, make sure they meet all the official requirements for ID photo. To be accepted by the passport office, your photo must be:
- Taken within the last 6 months;
- In color;
- With a plain white or creamy background;
- Sharp and correctly exposed, with no reflects or shadows.
As for dimensions, it depends on the document you are creating a photo for. For a US passport, you need a square photo of 2×2 inches or 50×50 mm, with the head height from 25 to 35 mm. For most European countries, the standard size of an ID photo is 35×45 mm. In each case, check for specifications on the official website.
Before posing for a photo, take off your:
- headgear, except for that you are wearing constantly for religious or medical reasons;
- eyeglasses;
- earphones.
Make sure that your hair doesn’t cover your face or ears.
While posing for an ID photo, remember to:
- Keep your head straight;
- Watch the camera with your both eyes open;
- Maintain a neutral expression with no smile.
Here are some tips that will help you take a decent ID photo at home:
- You can use your smartphone, but not a frontal camera. So ask a friend for help or use a tripod rather than taking a selfie.
- Find a plain wall of a light color and ensure good lighting, natural by preference.
- Take several photos varying slightly the distance.
How To Put Your Photos In ID Format
Now you need to crop your photos to the right format. You’d better do it in a special program, though your regular photo editing software may do the job. For example, in Photoshop, you can create a new file of the exact size you need, like 35×45 mm.
The other important parameter is the resolution. For passport photos, define it to 300 dpi. Drag your edited photo to the new window and resize it accordingly.
Add a border to your resized image and make as many copies as you need, placing them in one page for printing.
How To Choose The Right Printer
Laser printers are not the best choice for printing photos, as they do not produce sufficiently bright and clean images. There are many inkjet printers available on the market which allow you to print passport photos in high resolution. Taking into account the cost of cartridges, the price of printing one page may be rather high, though.
Dye-sublimation printers used by many professionals are more economical and able to produce perfectly dry photos with true colors at a high speed. Besides, you’ll get more acute and long-lasting pictures. But you’ll need to use only especially coated paper of a matching size. So, for home use, a good inkjet printer might be the best solution. Choose a trusted brand like Canon, Epson, HP or Brother and mind the price, the resolution, the accurate color reproduction, compatible types of paper and the cost of supplies.
How To Choose The Right Paper For ID Photo Printing
You don’t have to look for any special paper for ID photos. To make professional quality passport photo prints at home, you need ordinary matt or low gloss photo paper, white and having a weight not less than 200gsm.
As for paper size, there is a wide range of formats available, from the smallest 2R (2.5 x 3.5 inches) perfect for business cards to the very large 12R (12 x 15 inches) good for photo exhibitions. But you probably wonder how to print passport photos on 4×6 paper, because this 4R format – 4×6 inches or 10×15 cm – is the most popular photo format worldwide.
To apply for a US passport, it’s common to submit a couple of 2×2 photos on a 4×6 postcard. You can get it printed for a very affordable price of less than a dollar in any photo center or store or you can display 2 or more – up to 6 exactly – pictures on a page and print them on a 4×6 photo paper sheet at home.
How To Set The Printer Parameters
Before printing, you need to customize the printer settings. If you use an inkjet printer, first of all, make sure to choose the Photo Printing option in the Printer Properties menu. There, you can choose media type, paper size, opt for borderless printing, set the number of photos, the spaces between them and adjust other settings.
Make sure your paper scale is 100 %, which means the same size as onscreen, and deny any prompts from your printer in case it suggests resizing to page. Double check the settings, and after printing, measure the pictures with the ruler in case of.
Want to be sure to make ID photos in a required format with no hassle? Follow the link and learn how to print passport size photos step by step in a convenient program specially designed for ID photos creation and printing.
After printing, all you have to do is cut out the photos with the scissors. That’s how you get perfect passport size photos made on your own on a low budget.
