Printing passport photos at home can save you time and money. This guide provides simple steps to correctly format and print your passport photos on standard A4 paper using common photo editing software like iPhoto and Preview. We’ll cover techniques for both US and UK passport photo dimensions.
Formatting and Printing US Passport Photos on A4
For US passport photos, you need a 2×2 inch square image. Here’s how to achieve that using iPhoto and Preview:
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Crop in iPhoto: Open your photo in iPhoto and use the cropping tool to select a square aspect ratio. Adjust the cropping area until your face and shoulders are centered and meet the official passport photo guidelines. Save the cropped image.
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Open in Preview: Drag the saved image to your desktop and open it with Preview.
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Adjust Print Settings: In Preview, go to the “Print” dialog box. At the bottom, select “6 images per page” and check the box for “6 copies per page.”
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Print Borderless: Choose “borderless” printing and select 4×6 inch photo paper. This layout will produce six 2×2 inch photos on a single 4×6 print, providing multiple copies for your application. Ensure your printer supports borderless printing on 4×6 paper.
Printing UK Passport Photos on A4
UK passport photos require dimensions of 45x35mm. While slightly different from US requirements, you can still utilize Preview to format them on A4:
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Open in Preview: Drag your chosen passport photo to your desktop and open it with Preview.
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Center and Scale: In the “Print” settings of Preview, ensure both “Center Image” and “Scale to fit” boxes are checked. This centers the photo on the page and scales it to the printable area.
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Advanced Settings: Click on the “Advanced” button in the print dialog.
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Layout Adjustment: In the “copies and pages” section, select “Layout.” Choose “16 pages per sheet” from the dropdown menu. You can also use a “photo on photo paper” preset if available. Select A4 paper in “paper handling.”
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Print and Rotate: This configuration will print one correctly sized photo per A4 sheet. To maximize paper usage, reinsert the printed sheet to print another photo on the reverse side.
Conclusion
By following these methods, you can efficiently print passport photos on A4 paper at home. Remember to always double-check the official passport photo requirements for your country to ensure your photos meet the specific guidelines before submitting your application. Using iPhoto and Preview, you can easily manipulate your images and print them correctly, saving you a trip to a photo studio.
