HELP & PHOTO TIPS
A little help for a better photo.
Start with a well-lit, recent photo. The studio helps you crop and prepare files; it does not check or guarantee acceptance.
From photo to finished file
- Choose Print sheet or Single photo. Set the dimensions your application or print lab needs.
- Add a photo from your files or camera. Position your face with crop, pan and zoom. Keep passport-safe mode selected for official photos.
- Review the preview, pixels and actual file size. Download or share the prepared file. For printing, PDF preserves the paper's physical page size.
Taking a U.S. passport photo
Use a color photo taken within the last six months. Face the camera with your full face visible, eyes open and a neutral expression. Use even lighting and a plain white or off-white background. Remove glasses unless an official medical exception applies. Avoid filters, beauty effects and digital changes to your appearance.
Printed applications: use a 2 × 2-inch photo and check the official head-size rules. The editor's oval is a framing aid, not a measurement. Print on matte or glossy photo-quality paper.
Online renewal: keep the original, unedited image and crop in the government's renewal portal. The official page currently lists JPG/JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF and 54 KB–10 MB. A generic square export from this studio is not an online-renewal preset.
Official printed-photo guidance · Official online-renewal guidance
Official pages reviewed October 4, 2026. Recheck before applying. Other authorities have different rules; the 1.5-inch option and pixel presets are generic dimensions.
Paid web sessions
Watermarked previews are free. The paid web edition charges $2.99 once for 24 hours of unlimited clean JPG, PNG and PDF exports in the same browser. There is no subscription. Checkout and payment verification require internet access.
Clean exports are rendered by the protected export service only after payment is verified and you approve the temporary photo transfer for that export. Read the paid export privacy notice and refund policy.
If payment succeeds but access does not activate, keep the original studio tab open and choose Check payment / restore session. If the problem continues, use the contact options at slicknext.com. Do not send passport photos or full card details.
Common questions
How do I print six 2 × 2-inch photos?
Choose 2 × 2-inch photos, 4 × 6-inch paper and six copies. Select one original for six copies, two originals for three each, or three originals for two each. Six squares exactly fill the paper: there is no spare margin. At the print lab, disable automatic cropping or enlargement. At home, use the matching paper and 100% / actual size, with borderless printing when required. Measure a test print before using it.
What do borders and cut guides change?
They are off by default. An inside white border makes the visible image smaller while keeping the outer cut size unchanged. Guides add marks along the cell edges. Leave both off for official passport output unless your issuing authority permits them. Single-photo exports always omit them.
Why is my download blocked by a KB limit?
The studio measures the real encoded file. If it cannot meet your limit at the selected dimensions and available JPG quality, it blocks that export. Increase the limit if the receiving site allows it, or explicitly choose different dimensions. Dimensions are never silently changed. Inspect compressed photos at full size because lower quality can reduce detail.
Camera access was denied. What next?
Open this website's camera permission in your browser settings, allow access and retry. Web camera capture requires HTTPS. You can also choose an existing file. Capture has Cancel and Retake controls; the app stops its camera stream when capture closes or the page becomes inactive.
My iPhone HEIC photo will not open.
HEIC/HEIF editing needs a browser or device that can decode that format. Try a compatible device or create a JPG copy outside the studio. If you need the original, use “Keep an untouched source file” instead; it preserves the selected bytes without decoding. Photos pickers can convert an image before the studio receives it. Choose the untouched file through Files / Browse when required.
Can I keep an original and an edited version?
Yes. “Save unchanged selected file” preserves the exact file received from the picker, separately from your crop and edits. The source-file keeper also accepts supported image files that cannot be decoded here. Save both files before closing the app. A camera-generated file or a picker-converted selection may differ from an original stored elsewhere.
How do passport-safe and general-photo modes differ?
Passport-safe mode keeps crop, positioning, zoom and rotation available while disabling appearance adjustments, filters and mirroring. Returning from general-photo mode removes incompatible edits from all photos and their output. This does not certify photo compliance or measure head size.
How do I install it or use it offline?
Visit the studio once while online so it can cache its public app files. Use “Install app” when your browser offers it. On iPhone, open the site in Safari and use Share → Add to Home Screen. The studio can then edit and export offline; official guidance links need internet. Downloads and sharing depend on your device's supported actions.
Where did my editing session go?
Photos and edits are held in memory, rather than saved as a project. Closing or reloading the page, device memory cleanup, or Clear all photos ends that session. Download important outputs and originals before leaving. Re-import a file to start again.
Passport Print Studio is an independent tool and is not affiliated with a government agency. Use your issuing authority's current requirements.