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PresetsCountry & size presets
India, UK, US, Canada, Schengen, and standard size pages share the same framing engine.
Passport photo how-to
How to crop a passport photo
Passport crops are not Instagram squares. You need the right millimetre size, face-height band, and centred head — Passprint applies country presets so the crop matches official rules.
Country size presetsFace-height framing300 DPI export
Common mistakesBad crops cause quiet rejections
Bad crops cause quiet rejections
even when the portrait looks fine
Offices reject photos when the head is too small, cut off at the chin, or the image is stretched to fit a template. Crop to the official aspect ratio — never squeeze the face. Passprint automates the entire workflow from upload to print-ready sheet in just a few clicks.
Studio challenge
Head too small or too large in the frame
ICAO guidance and many countries expect the chin-to-crown distance to fill most of the image height (often around 70–80%). A tiny face in a large frame fails automated checks.
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Studio challenge
Wrong aspect ratio or stretched pixels
Forcing a 35×45 mm portrait into a square 2×2 template (or the reverse) without a proper crop warps proportions. Always crop to the destination size, then resize at 300 DPI.
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Studio challenge
Cutting ears, crown, or leaving uneven margins
Ears should normally be visible; leave a small margin above the hair. Centre the face horizontally so one shoulder is not cropped tighter than the other.
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Step-by-step
How to crop a passport photo correctly
Confirm the destination size first, crop without stretching, check face height, then export at print resolution — or let Passprint apply the preset automatically.
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Confirm the required photo size
Look up your destination: India/UK/Schengen often use 35×45 mm; the US uses 2×2 in; Canada uses 50×70 mm. Cropping to the wrong size wastes the whole workflow.
Crop to the correct aspect ratio only
Use a fixed-ratio crop matching the official dimensions. Do not stretch or squish the image to fill a box — that changes face proportions.
Centre the face and set head height
Place the head in the middle of the frame. Aim for chin-to-crown filling the band your country or ICAO expects, with a little space above the hair.
Export at 300 DPI for print
Printed passport photos should be sharp at 300 DPI. Digital uploads may also require minimum pixel dimensions — check the form before submitting.
Or crop automatically in Passprint
Upload once, pick a country or size preset, and Passprint frames the face, applies the millimetre crop, and builds a multi-copy print sheet.
Upload Photo
Processing
25 mm35 mm ISO
←35 mm→
25 to 35 mm (50 to 69%)
For Print (A4).pdf300 DPI
Passport Size Photos
A4 · 210 × 297 mm · 35 × 45 mm
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Confirm the required photo size
Look up your destination: India/UK/Schengen often use 35×45 mm; the US uses 2×2 in; Canada uses 50×70 mm. Cropping to the wrong size wastes the whole workflow.
Upload Photo
2
Crop to the correct aspect ratio only
Use a fixed-ratio crop matching the official dimensions. Do not stretch or squish the image to fill a box — that changes face proportions.
Processing
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Centre the face and set head height
Place the head in the middle of the frame. Aim for chin-to-crown filling the band your country or ICAO expects, with a little space above the hair.
25 mm35 mm ISO
←35 mm→
25 to 35 mm (50 to 69%)
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Export at 300 DPI for print
Printed passport photos should be sharp at 300 DPI. Digital uploads may also require minimum pixel dimensions — check the form before submitting.
For Print (A4).pdf300 DPI
Passport Size Photos
A4 · 210 × 297 mm · 35 × 45 mm
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Or crop automatically in Passprint
Upload once, pick a country or size preset, and Passprint frames the face, applies the millimetre crop, and builds a multi-copy print sheet.
Accurate cropping toolsMillimetre crops,
Millimetre crops,
not guesswork.
Country presets apply the right aspect ratio and face-height band so you do not stretch portraits into the wrong template.
35×45mm common
2×2US inch
50×70Canada mm
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ICAOFace-height targeting
Head size lands in the ICAO band before you export.
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PrintLayout after crop
Place multiple copies on one A4 sheet once the single crop is correct.
Crop FAQ
Passport photo cropping — FAQ
Correct cropping means the right dimensions, face height, and resolution — not just cutting a rectangle around the face.
What size should I crop a passport photo to?
It depends on the country. Common sizes are 35×45 mm (India, UK, Schengen), 2×2 inches (US), and 50×70 mm (Canada). Always match the destination authority’s published size.
How much of the photo should the face occupy?
ICAO Doc 9303 typically expects the head (chin to crown) to occupy about 70–80% of the image height. Some countries publish exact millimetre face-height ranges — Canada, for example, specifies 31–36 mm.
Can I crop a passport photo in free photo editors?
Yes, if you set the exact aspect ratio and avoid stretching. Passprint is faster because country presets and face detection handle millimetre sizing and print layout together.
Should I crop before or after changing the background?
Either works if you re-check framing after a background swap. Passprint applies background replacement and crop in one workflow so head size stays compliant.
What resolution do cropped passport photos need?
Printed photos are usually expected at 300 DPI. Online applications may list minimum pixel sizes — export from Passprint at print quality, then downscale only if a form requires it.
Official references
Passprint uses AI-assisted processing for background replacement, face framing, and sizing. Final acceptance is decided by the issuing authority — always verify against the official references on this page and inspect your printed sheet before submission.
Last reviewed: July 30, 2026
Skip manual millimetre crops. Use Passprint presets.
Face-height framing for India, UK, US, Canada, and more — plus A4 print layouts.