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India passport photo size — printable guide

Get the standard 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) Indian passport photograph right, then print a cuttable sheet at home — privately in your browser.

Official size at a glance

• Print size: 2 in × 2 in (51 mm × 51 mm)
• Background: usually white or light-coloured, plain, without shadows
• Face: centred, neutral expression, eyes open, no heavy filters
• Recent photo: should look like you look now

Always re-check the latest Passport Seva / embassy instructions for your application type (fresh, re-issue, tatkal, OCI, visa). Rules for glasses, head coverings, and digital pixel sizes can differ slightly by form.

Make a printable sheet with ITCOH

1. Open the Passport Photo & Sheet Generator.
2. Upload a clear front-facing photo (or PDF page) — processing stays in your browser.
3. Choose the India / 2×2 preset (or custom mm/inches if needed).
4. Crop and position the face; adjust brightness/background aids if available.
5. Generate a printable sheet (for example on 4×6 photo paper) with crop marks.
6. Download and print at 100% scale (disable “fit to page” if it shrinks the photo).

Open Passport Photo Generator Open Image Cropper

DPI and print quality

For a sharp 2×2 print, aim for enough pixels that the photo is not soft when printed. Roughly 300 DPI means about 600×600 pixels for a 2-inch square — more is better if your source allows. Soft phone selfies blown up from a distant crop often fail studio checks; start from a well-lit, high-resolution original.

Digital upload vs physical copies

Some forms ask for a digital JPEG with exact pixel dimensions; others still want physical photos pasted on paper forms. The generator helps with printable sheets; for digital-only uploads, export a single correctly sized image and, if required, strip metadata with the EXIF Remover before submitting.

Common rejection reasons

• Wrong size or stretched aspect ratio
• Busy background or shadows behind the head
• Face too small / too large in the frame
• Heavy beauty filters or incorrect red-eye edits
• Printed with “fit to page” so the photo is undersized

Lighting and framing tips that survive print

Stand facing a window or soft lamp so both sides of the face are lit evenly. Avoid harsh overhead bulbs that carve eye sockets into shadow. Keep the camera at eye level, arm’s length or further with zoom if needed, so features are not distorted. Shoulders square to the camera; head straight, not tilted.

Wear everyday clothes that contrast with a light background. Religious head coverings are often permitted when worn daily, but the full face from chin to forehead should remain visible — confirm current Passport Seva guidance for your case. Remove sunglasses; prescription glasses policies vary by year and form, so verify before you print a full sheet.

Home printing checklist

1. Use glossy or matte 4×6 photo paper rated for your inkjet/laser.
2. In the print dialog, set actual size / 100% scale — not “fit to printable area.”
3. Disable borderless auto-expand if it stretches the layout.
4. Print one test sheet, measure a single photo with a ruler (should be 2×2 in), then print the rest.
5. Cut on the crop marks with a sharp blade and straight edge for clean edges.

If a shop prints for you, hand them the downloaded sheet PDF/JPG and say “print at 100%, India passport 2×2.” Many shops already know the size; the sheet simply saves studio fees when you already have a good source photo.

Digital application uploads

Online forms may demand a specific pixel box (for example a square JPEG under a size cap). Generate a single correctly cropped image from the same tool, compress carefully if the portal rejects large files (Image Compressor), and strip EXIF if you prefer not to embed device tags in a government upload. Keep a copy of what you submitted.

Requirements change. Before a high-stakes appointment, re-read the official checklist for your application type. This guide and the Passport Photo Generator help you produce compliant dimensions privately; they do not replace the issuing authority’s rules.

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