You already have a decent selfie or someone snapped your photo against a wall. Now you need to turn it into a compliant US passport photo — cropped, checked, and ready to print.
This guide walks you through the entire process using free tools you already have on Mac or Windows, plus free online tools for background removal and compliance checking. No apps to install, no subscriptions, no $16.99 Walgreens trips.
Already know this will be a hassle? If you'd rather skip the manual work, our AI handles everything in 30 seconds for $6.99 — crop, background removal, compliance checks, and print-ready grid included.
US Passport Photo Requirements (Quick Reference)
Before you start cropping, here are the exact specs your photo must meet. Keep these numbers handy — they're the difference between acceptance and a rejection letter.
| Requirement | Specification |
|---|---|
| Photo size | 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm), square |
| Digital dimensions | 600 × 600 px minimum, 1200 × 1200 px maximum |
| Resolution | 300 DPI for printing |
| Head size | 1 inch to 1⅜ inches (25–35 mm) — 50–69% of frame height |
| Eye position | Between 1⅛" and 1⅜" from bottom (roughly 56–69% up) |
| Face position | Centered horizontally, looking directly at camera |
| Background | Plain white or off-white, no shadows or patterns |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, both eyes open |
| Glasses | Not allowed (changed in 2016) |
| Head coverings | Only for religious reasons; full face must be visible |
The 50–69% head size rule is the single most common reason DIY passport photos get rejected. Your head (chin to crown, including hair) must fill between half and roughly two-thirds of the frame height. Too small? Rejection. Too large, or hair cropped off? Rejection. This is almost impossible to eyeball — which is why Step 2 (the free checker) exists.
Step 1: Crop & Resize to 2×2 Inches
The goal is a perfectly square image with your head sized and centered correctly. You don't need Photoshop — the tools built into your operating system work fine.
Mac: Using Preview
- Open your photo in Preview (right-click → Open With → Preview).
- Show the Markup Toolbar (click the pencil icon or View → Show Markup Toolbar).
- Select a square region: Choose the Rectangular Selection tool. Hold Shift while dragging to constrain to a perfect square. Position the selection so your head fills about 50–69% of the height, centered horizontally.
- Crop: Go to Tools → Crop (or press ⌘K).
- Resize to exact pixels: Go to Tools → Adjust Size. Uncheck "Scale proportionally" if needed, then set both Width and Height to 600 pixels (or 1200 for higher quality). Set Resolution to 300 pixels/inch.
- Save a copy: File → Export, choose JPEG, quality 90%+.
Common mistake: Not holding Shift during selection — you end up with a rectangle instead of a square. Preview doesn't have an aspect ratio lock for selections, so Shift is essential.
Mac: Using Photos App
- Open the image in Photos and click Edit.
- Crop: Click the Crop tool, then set the aspect ratio to Square (or "1:1" in newer versions).
- Position: Drag and zoom so your head is centered and fills the right proportion of the frame.
- Done: Click Done, then File → Export → Export 1 Photo and choose JPEG at full quality.
- Resize: Open the exported file in Preview and use Tools → Adjust Size to set 600×600 or 1200×1200 pixels.
Windows: Using Photos App (Windows 10/11)
- Open your photo in Microsoft Photos.
- Edit: Click Edit image (or the pencil icon).
- Crop: Select the Crop tool and choose a Square (1:1) aspect ratio.
- Position: Drag to center your face with proper head sizing.
- Save a copy.
Note: Windows Photos doesn't let you set exact pixel dimensions. After cropping, open the file in Paint to resize.
Windows: Using Paint (for Exact Pixel Dimensions)
- Open your cropped photo in Paint.
- Resize: Click Resize → choose Pixels → uncheck "Maintain aspect ratio" → set both to 600 (or 1200).
- Save as: File → Save As → JPEG.
Tips for Getting the Crop Right
- Too tight (head > 69% of frame): Top of hair gets cut off, or head dominates the frame. You'll fail the head-size check.
- Too loose (head < 50% of frame): Too much background showing, head looks small. Also fails.
- Off-center: Your nose should be roughly on the vertical center line. Eyes on the horizontal center or slightly above.
- Not square: If your image isn't 1:1, it will be distorted when printed as 2×2 inches.
Run the Free Compliance Checker →
15 instant checks including head size, centering, resolution, eyes, glasses, and more. Takes 3 seconds.
Step 2: Verify with the Free Compliance Checker
This is the step most DIY guides skip — and it's why so many home-cropped photos get rejected. Our free passport photo checker runs 15 automated checks against US passport requirements:
| What It Checks | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Head size ratio (50–69%) | Most common DIY crop failure |
| Face centering | Off-center photos get rejected |
| Resolution (≥600×600 px) | Low-res photos fail at print |
| Eyes open | Closed/squinting eyes = rejection |
| Mouth closed | Open mouth = rejection |
| No glasses | Glasses banned since 2016 |
| No sunglasses | Obvious, but people forget |
| Head yaw/pitch/roll | Head must face directly forward |
| Face not occluded | Hair, hands, masks covering face |
| Brightness | Too dark or overexposed |
| Sharpness | Blurry photos fail |
| Single face | Only one person in the frame |
| No head tilt | Head must be straight |
How to use it:
- Go to /passport-photo-checker.
- Upload your cropped photo.
- Get instant pass/fail results for each check.
- If something fails, re-crop or retake and check again.
The checker is completely free — no account, no watermark, no limit on re-checks. The only thing it can't check is your background (that requires our AI background removal, which is part of the full service).
Step 3: Remove or Fix Your Background (If Needed)
US passport photos require a plain white or off-white background with no shadows, patterns, or objects. If you took your photo against a clean white wall and the checker didn't flag any issues, skip to Step 4.
If your background has furniture, colored walls, shadows, or other people — you need to remove it and replace it with pure white.
Free Online Background Removal Tools
Here's an honest assessment of the most popular free tools for passport photos:
-
remove.bg
- Free tier: one free high-res download (then requires credits or subscription).
- Quality: excellent edge detection, handles hair well.
- For passport photos: after removing background, you get a transparent PNG. You'll need to add a white background (open in Preview/Paint, paste onto a white canvas).
- Limitation: free tier may cap resolution — verify output is still ≥600×600 px. Apple "Lift Subject" (macOS Ventura+ / iOS 16+)
- How: open photo in Photos or Preview, right-click the subject, choose "Copy Subject." Create a new white canvas in Preview and paste.
- Quality: good for clean edges, struggles with wispy hair.
- Cost: free, built into macOS/iOS. GIMP (Manual Method)
- How: use "Fuzzy Select" or "Select by Color" tool to select background, delete, fill with white.
- Quality: as good as your patience — excellent for simple backgrounds, tedious for complex ones.
- Time: 10–30 minutes per photo for a beginner. Slazzer / PhotoScissors
- Free tiers with watermarks or resolution limits.
- Quality varies — test with your specific photo.
- Check output resolution before using for a passport photo. Samsung Gallery / Google Photos
- Samsung: open photo → Edit → tap subject to extract.
- Google Photos Magic Eraser (requires Pixel or Google One subscription).
- Both work but may not produce passport-quality edges.
Our Full Service (Automatic)
If background removal sounds like more work than you want, our service handles it automatically:
Upload your photo → AI removes background, crops, and checks compliance → done in 30 seconds
After removing the background, you still need to:
- Verify the background is pure white (not slightly gray or transparent).
- Re-crop if the removal tool changed your image dimensions.
- Run the checker again to make sure head size and centering are still correct.
Step 4: Build a Free 4×6 Print Grid
To print at home or at a drugstore, you need a 4×6 inch sheet with multiple 2×2 passport photos arranged in a grid. This is the standard format that CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and home printers all accept.
Our free grid maker handles this automatically:
- Open the free grid maker.
- Upload your final, checked passport photo.
- Download the 4×6 JPEG grid (6 passport photos per sheet, properly spaced).
- Print as a standard 4×6 photo.
The grid maker runs entirely in your browser — your photo never leaves your device.
DIY Alternative: Manual Grid in Preview or Paint
If you prefer to do it yourself:
- Create a blank canvas: 1800 × 1200 pixels (6 × 4 inches at 300 DPI).
- Paste your 600×600 photo 6 times in a 2-column × 3-row layout.
- Leave small gaps (about 12–24 pixels) between photos for cutting guides.
- Export as JPEG at maximum quality.
This works, but it's tedious — the grid maker does it in one click.
Upload your checked passport photo, get a print-ready 4×6 sheet with 6 photos — properly spaced, 300 DPI. Runs in your browser, nothing uploaded.
Make My Free Print Grid →
Step 5: Print Your Photo
Take your 4×6 grid file to any of these locations:
| Where | Cost | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Walgreens | $0.35–$0.49 per 4×6 | Same-day pickup (< 1 hour) |
| CVS | $0.35–$0.49 per 4×6 | Same-day pickup |
| Walmart | $0.25–$0.35 per 4×6 | Same-day at most locations |
| Home printer | Photo paper + ink cost | Immediate |
Printing tips:
- Use glossy or matte photo paper — regular printer paper won't pass. Drugstore kiosks print on proper photo paper by default.
- Select 4×6 inch size — not 5×7, not 8×10.
- Print at least 2 copies — one set to submit, one backup.
- Cut carefully along the borders using scissors or a paper cutter.
For a detailed walkthrough of the drugstore printing process, see our guide: Where to Print Passport Photos.
The Full DIY Flow at a Glance
- Take your photo — white background, good lighting, neutral expression (photo tips)
- Crop to square — Preview (Mac) or Photos/Paint (Windows) → 600×600 or 1200×1200 px
- Check compliance — free checker → fix and re-check until all 15 checks pass
- Remove background (if needed) — remove.bg, Apple Lift Subject, or GIMP → re-check
- Build print grid — free grid maker → download 4×6 JPEG
- Print — Walgreens/CVS/Walmart for $0.35–$0.49, or home printer on photo paper
- Cut — scissors or paper cutter along the borders
Estimated time: 15–30 minutes for a single photo with a clean background. Add 10–20 minutes if you need background removal. Multiply by the number of people for a family.
Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
After reviewing thousands of passport photos, here are the most frequent DIY failures:
| Mistake | What Happens | How to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Head too small (< 50%) | Rejection — too much background | Crop tighter, re-check with checker |
| Head too large (> 69%) | Rejection — hair cut off at top | Zoom out slightly, include full crown |
| Not square | Distorted when printed 2×2 | Always use 1:1 aspect ratio lock |
| Low resolution | Blurry print, possible rejection | Start with highest-res original |
| Over-compressed JPEG | Artifacts, blurriness | Save at quality 90%+ |
| Gray background (not white) | Rejection | Background should be #FFFFFF or close |
| BG removal artifacts | Visible halos around hair | Zoom to 100%, check edges carefully |
| Shadow on background | Rejection | Stand 2–3 feet from wall, frontal light |
| Glasses in photo | Automatic rejection since 2016 | Remove all glasses including clear frames |
| Wrong expression | Rejection if smiling/mouth open | Neutral expression, mouth closed |
When DIY Isn't Worth the Time
The free DIY path works. We built the checker and grid maker specifically so you can do this yourself. But be honest about the math:
Single person, clean background: 15–20 minutes → totally worth doing yourself.
Single person, busy background: 30–45 minutes (cropping + background removal + re-checking + grid) → still worth it if you enjoy the process.
Family of 4, mixed background quality: 2–3 hours of photo editing → that's where the math breaks. See our family passport photo guide for a cost comparison.
Baby or toddler: Getting a cooperative subject AND editing precisely is a special kind of challenge. Babies squirm, close their eyes, and cry — you might need 20 shots to get one usable photo, then careful editing on top of that. Our baby passport photo guide has age-by-age tactics and the official infant eye exception explained.
Upload your photo, pick the shot you love — we handle crop, background, compliance, and print grid for you.
Get My Photo — $6.99
Or $12.49 printed and mailed to you — zero effort.
Families: Same price per person, same 30-second turnaround.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size should a US passport photo be?
2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm). Digitally, that's 600 × 600 pixels minimum at 300 DPI. The State Department accepts up to 1200 × 1200 pixels.
What is the head size requirement for US passport photos?
Your head (from chin to the top of your hair) must be between 1 inch and 1⅜ inches tall, which translates to 50–69% of the photo height. This is the single most common reason DIY photos get rejected — use our free checker to verify.
Can I wear glasses in my passport photo?
No. Since November 2016, the US State Department does not allow glasses of any kind in passport photos — including prescription glasses, reading glasses, and fashion frames. The only exception is if you have a signed medical statement.
Do I need a white background for a US passport photo?
Yes — the background must be plain white or off-white with no shadows, patterns, or other people/objects. If your wall isn't pure white, use a white sheet or use background removal tools.
Can I smile in my passport photo?
A natural, neutral expression is required. No wide smiles, no open mouth. A very slight, closed-mouth expression is fine — just don't grin.
How do I know if my passport photo will be accepted?
Run it through our free compliance checker, which validates 15 requirements including head size, centering, resolution, expression, and more. If all checks pass, your photo meets the published State Department specs.
Where can I print passport photos cheaply?
Print your 4×6 grid at Walgreens, CVS, or Walmart for $0.35–$0.49 per print. One 4×6 sheet gives you 6 passport photos. See our full guide: Where to Print Passport Photos.
Is this guide only for US passports?
Yes — the dimensions, head size rules, and other specs in this guide are specific to US passport photos. Many checks (eyes open, no glasses, centered face) are universal, but other countries have different size requirements. See our passport photo requirements by country for other documents.
Related Resources
- Free Passport Photo Compliance Checker — verify your photo meets requirements
- Free 4×6 Passport Photo Grid Maker — create a print-ready grid
- US Passport Photo Requirements — complete official specs
- Passport Photo Tips — how to take a good photo before editing
- Baby Passport Photo at Home — infant/toddler rules, setups, and age-by-age tactics
- Family Passport Photos: Save $40+ — cost comparison and family workflow
- How to Take a Passport Photo at Home — the "take" step before "edit"
- Where to Print Passport Photos — drugstore printing walkthrough
- Common Passport Photo Mistakes to Avoid