How to print ID photos at home
A professional photo studio typically charges £8–20 for a set of ID photos. Using our free online tool and a home printer, you can print an entire sheet of 8–20 photos for the cost of a single sheet of bond paper. Here is exactly how to do it.
Three things, nothing specialist
Home Printer
Inkjet or laser — any modern printer works. No specialist photo printer required.
Bond Paper
Standard 80 gsm short bond, long bond, or A4. Costs pennies per sheet.
Scissors or Craft Knife
For cutting along the L-shaped crop marks. A cutting mat gives the neatest edges.
Step-by-step instructions
Upload your photo
Open the editor and upload a clear, front-facing photo, or take one directly with your webcam. Use natural light and a plain light-coloured wall as your background. Most smartphone photos work fine — the tool shows a ⚠ low-res warning if your photo doesn't have enough pixels for the chosen print size.
Remove background and adjust (optional)
Click 'Remove Background' to replace your background with clean white in one click. Use the Brightness, Contrast, and Saturation sliders to fine-tune the photo. Changes appear live in the preview. You can undo background removal instantly if you change your mind.
Choose your ID photo size
Go to the Sizes panel and select from the Country tab (12 countries including US, UK, EU, AU, CA, IN, JP, KR, PH, CN, AE, BR), pick a service set (Set A–F), or enter any custom size. Mix multiple sizes on the same sheet.
Set your paper size
Pick your paper — Short Bond (8.5×11 in), Long Bond (8.5×14 in), or A4. Choose portrait or landscape orientation. The tool automatically fits the maximum number of photos on the sheet.
Download or print directly
Click Download PDF to save the file, or click Print to open the layout straight in your browser's print dialog. Either way, the output is 300 DPI with L-shaped crop marks on every photo.
Print at home
Open the PDF in any PDF viewer and print on standard 80 gsm bond paper. Set your printer to 'Actual size' (not 'Fit to page') and choose 'Best' or 'Photo' quality for the sharpest results.
Printing tips for the best result
Use 'Actual Size' not 'Fit to Page'
If your printer scales the PDF, the photos will print at the wrong physical size. Always choose 'Actual size' or 100% scale in the print dialog. This is the single most common mistake when printing ID photos at home.
Bond paper works perfectly
You do not need glossy photo paper. Standard 80 gsm bond paper is accepted by government offices worldwide and produces clear, sharp photos on most inkjet and laser printers.
Use a ruler for clean cuts
The L-shaped crop marks on the PDF make it easy to align a ruler and get straight cuts. A craft knife and cutting mat produce the neatest edges. Stack two sheets and cut together to save time.
Check background colour requirements
Most government IDs require a plain white background. Some visa photos need light blue. Use the background removal tool and studio background picker, then verify the specific requirement from the issuing authority before printing.
Use your phone at full resolution
Modern smartphones shoot at 12 MP or above — more than enough for any ID photo size at 300 DPI. If you see a low-res warning, switch to full resolution in your camera settings and re-upload.
Print a test strip first
Before printing a full sheet, print one photo at the top corner of a page to verify the size is correct. Hold a ruler against it — if the dimensions match exactly, you're good to go.