Print passport photos on a 4x6 sheet for under $1

Updated September 25, 2026 · Rules checked September 25, 2026 against travel.state.gov (last updated March 24, 2026)

Two ways to print

Make and check your photo first with the US passport photo maker. When it's ready, you can save two print-ready files:

• A 4×6 print sheet (JPG). A 4×6 inch image at 300 dpi, which works out to 1200×1800 pixels, with copies of your photo placed at their true size. You order it as a regular 4×6 print from a store. For printed documents, such as a US passport, it's what the main save button gives you.
• A Letter PDF. An 8.5×11 inch page with several copies of your photo and cut lines, for printing at home on photo paper.

Both only work if the photo is printed at 100% of its size. Any setting that stretches or shrinks the image to fill the paper changes the size of every photo on it.

What the rules say about the print

The State Department's passport photo page says: "Print your photo on matte or glossy photo-quality paper." It also says not to submit photocopies or digitally scanned photos, or a damaged photo with holes, creases or smudges, and that the photo should not have visible printer dots. A regular 4×6 photo print from a store meets the paper rule, and so does a home print on photo paper at your printer's highest quality setting.

Order the 4×6 sheet at Walgreens, CVS or Walmart

Online, for same-day pickup

1. Save the 4×6 print sheet to your phone or computer. On an iPhone, Save to Photos puts it in your Photos app, where the store's app can find it.
2. Open the store's photo website or app and start a regular prints order. Don't choose the passport photo service, which is a separate and much more expensive product.
3. Upload the JPG and choose the 4×6 print size. One print is enough.
4. Look at the preview. If the app shows a crop box or trims the edges, change the crop so the whole image fits, or turn off options such as "fill" or "crop to fit." The cut lines and the white margin should be fully visible.
5. Pick a finish. Matte and glossy are both fine for a US passport. If the photos are for a USCIS form that asks for them, choose glossy, which is what the form instructions ask for.
6. Choose same-day pickup at a nearby store.

At the in-store photo kiosk

1. Save the 4×6 print sheet JPG on your phone.
2. At the kiosk, load the photo from your phone and choose 4×6 prints.
3. Check the on-screen preview for trimmed edges and fix the crop if needed.
4. If the kiosk offers auto-enhance, color correction or red-eye fixes, turn them off. Passport photos can't be edited, and those tools change the image.
5. Print one copy and check it before you leave.

Print the Letter PDF at home

1. Load photo paper into your printer. Matte or glossy both work. Plain office paper doesn't, because passport photos have to be on photo-quality paper.
2. Open the PDF and choose Print. Set the scale to Actual size or 100%. Don't use "Fit to page," "Shrink oversized pages" or any borderless option that enlarges the image.
3. In the printer settings, choose the paper type that matches your photo paper and the highest quality setting.
4. Print one page and leave it alone until the ink is completely dry. Touching a fresh inkjet print leaves smudges, which aren't allowed.
5. Measure one photo with a ruler. It should be exactly 2 inches square.

How to cut the photos accurately

A paper trimmer gives the straightest edges. Line up the cut line with the blade guide, hold the paper flat and cut in one stroke. Without a trimmer, use a metal ruler and a sharp craft knife on a cutting mat or a piece of cardboard. Scissors work, but it's harder to keep the edges straight over two inches.

• Cut exactly on the lines so each photo keeps its full 2×2 size.
• Cut the long lines first to make a strip, then cut the strip into single photos.
• Hold the photos by the edges and don't bend them. Creases aren't allowed.
• Keep the spare copies in an envelope. You may need them for another application.

What printing costs

These are the published prices we found on each store's website on September 25, 2026. Prices can vary by location and change over time, so check before you order.

A single 4×6 print at Walmart or Walgreens costs less than $1 and gives you spare copies. USPS and FedEx Office prices are in what passport photos cost at CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and USPS.

Which option to choose

If a store is on your way, the 4×6 print is the cheapest and simplest option, and you don't need to buy photo paper or ink. Print at home if you already have photo paper and a color printer, or if you need photos tonight and the store is closed. Either way, the photo itself comes from the same file, so the result depends on printing it at 100% and cutting it cleanly.

Questions