How to make a passport photowith the phone you already have
The full walkthrough with the real numbers: shoot by a window, crop to the official spec (2x2 inch for the US, 35x45 mm for the UK and Schengen), and print a 4x6 sheet at the drugstore for under a dollar. The wall matters more than the camera. That part, no tool can fix.
- 1
Take a clear front-facing photo
Stand 1 to 2 metres in front of a plain pale wall, face a window for even daylight, and have someone shoot at eye level. Neutral face: mouth closed, eyes open, no smile. Skip hats and sunglasses. Any recent phone has plenty of resolution; the US digital spec only asks for 600x600 pixels.
- 2
Open the FileHook passport photo maker
It runs at a URL in any modern browser, nothing to install, and the photo stays on your device the whole time you work.
- 3
Pick your destination country
The picker holds 67 presets. The US uses a 2x2 inch square (51x51 mm). The UK, Schengen countries, India and Japan use 35x45 mm. Canada wants 50x70 mm. Choosing a country loads its exact size plus the head height and background rules, taken from the official application pages.
- 4
Crop to the country's official size
Drag and zoom until the head sits inside the guide lines. The guides encode the real numbers: for the US, the head must measure 25 to 35 mm chin to crown, with the eye line 28 to 35 mm up from the bottom edge. The frame is locked to the official ratio, so you can only position it wrong, and the guides catch that.
- 5
Pick an approved background colour
Most countries accept white or off-white; some also allow light grey or light blue. The fill tool can push a near-white wall to the exact accepted colour. It cannot rescue a dark or busy background; that needs a reshoot.
- 6
Download JPG or print sheet
For online forms, save the single JPG. For physical prints, save the 4x6 inch print sheet PDF, which repeats your photo at exact size with cut marks between the copies. Both files come out at full resolution, free and untagged.
- 7
Print at a drugstore (optional)
A photo counter (CVS, Walgreens, Boots, Walmart, Costco) prints the sheet as an ordinary 4x6 for $0.40 to $0.80. Compare that with $10 to $17 for the counter's own passport photo service. Cut along the marks and keep the spares for the next form that asks.
A few things that help the photo pass
- Even light beats gear. Face a window during the day. Shadows across the face are the single most common rejection reason.
- Hold the numbers. US: head 25 to 35 mm within the 51 mm frame. UK: head 29 to 34 mm within 45 mm. The crop guides track this for you.
- Neutral means neutral. Mouth closed, eyes open, head straight. Most rejections that are not lighting come from a smile or a tilt.
- Accessories fail. Hats, sunglasses and headphones all get bounced. Religious head coverings are usually allowed if the face stays fully visible.
- Recency counts. The US wants a photo taken within the last six months. Reusing an old one is a quiet way to get a renewal returned.
Rejections and other worries
Why do passport photos get rejected?+
Five reasons cover most rejections: shadows on the face or background, the head too large or too small in the frame, a smile or visible teeth, glasses (the US has banned them since 2016), and a photo older than six months. Filters and heavy retouching fail too. The crop guides handle the head-size part; the lighting part happens at shoot time.
Do I need a professional camera to make a passport photo?+
A phone from the last several years clears every country's bar. The US digital spec asks for 600x600 pixels minimum, and a modern phone shoots many times that. Light matters far more than the lens: daylight near a window beats any camera in a dim room.
What about the background colour?+
Shoot against the palest wall you have. White or off-white satisfies most countries. After cropping, the fill tool can shift a near-white wall to the required colour, but it cannot fix a dark one.
Will my home-made passport photo be accepted?+
The published rules are about geometry and lighting, not about who pressed the shutter. Match the size, head height, background and expression rules, and a home photo prints exactly like a studio one. A few strict embassies do insist on studio photos, so check your destination's page if in doubt.
How much does it cost to make a passport photo at home?+
The digital file is free at full resolution, with no tag on it. A drugstore print of the 4x6 sheet adds $0.40 to $0.80 and yields several copies, against $10 to $17 for an in-store passport photo service.
Can my child or baby use the same tool?+
The same country presets apply at every age. Lay a baby on a plain pale sheet, shoot from directly above, and use the head guides to position the crop. Most countries relax the eyes-open rule for newborns. Budget a few tries; babies do not take direction.
Run the seven steps
Grab a phone photo and walk it through. Crop included, it is a five minute job.
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