What a good ID photo needs
Most of the quality of an ID photo comes from the original picture, not from the editing. A few simple things make the difference.
- Face the camera straight on, with your head and shoulders in the frame.
- Stand in front of a window or another soft light, so the light falls on your face and not behind you.
- Use a plain, light wall behind you. A clean wall gives clean edges around your hair.
- Keep a neutral expression with your eyes open. Take off glasses if they reflect light.
- Wear clothes that stand out from the background. White clothes work well on red or blue.
Ask someone to take the picture, or put the phone on a stable surface at eye level. A photo taken from above or below makes the face look uneven.
Common sizes
ID photo sizes are given in centimetres. At 300 dpi, the usual print quality, the sizes in pixels are:
- 2 x 3 cm: 236 x 354 pixels
- 3 x 4 cm: 354 x 472 pixels
- 4 x 6 cm: 472 x 709 pixels
Check which size your form or office asks for before you start. The most common sizes for school and job applications are 3 x 4 cm and 4 x 6 cm.
How to make one with Velfile
- Open ID Photo (Pas Foto) and choose your portrait. The first time, the tool downloads a small AI model of about 25 MB, then it removes the background by itself.
- Pick the Size and the Background colour: red, blue or white.
- Drag the photo to move it, and use Zoom until your face fills the frame with a little space above your head.
- Under Save as, choose One photo for a single file to upload, or Print sheet 10 x 15 cm to print several copies.
- Press Download.
Your photo is processed in your browser. It is not uploaded to a server.
Red or blue?
There is no single rule. Each school, office or company decides, and some choose red or blue based on the year of birth or the purpose of the photo. Always follow the instructions on your form. If it does not say, ask the person who collects the photos before you print many copies.
Printing the sheet
The print sheet is a 10 x 15 cm page, the size of the common 4R photo paper, with thin grey guide lines around each photo.
- Print it on 4R photo paper, or take the file to a print shop and ask for a 4R print.
- In the print settings, choose 100% or Actual size. Do not choose "Fit to page", because it changes the size of the photos.
- Measure one printed photo with a ruler. A 3 x 4 cm photo should measure 3 cm wide and 4 cm tall.
- Cut along the guide lines with scissors or a paper cutter.
If the form asks for a small file
Some online forms limit the upload to 100 KB or 200 KB. Make the photo first, then shrink it with Compress Image using the Target size option. The guide How to compress a photo to 100 KB or 200 KB explains how.
When to use a studio instead
Passports, visas and some official ID documents have strict rules about the size of the head, the position, the lighting and the background. A photo made at home may not pass. For those documents, read the official requirements first, or have the photo taken at a studio that knows the rules. A home-made photo is a good choice for school, work and general forms.
Last updated: 11 October 2026