How to Print Your Own Passport Photo cheap / free ($1 or Less)

$15 for a passport photo!!! What a rip off?! (http://www.thetaoofmakingmoney.com/2008/01/14/561.html) Ya, I've been there before. Here is how you do it yourself and save a nice T-Bone dinner out of it. I will show you how to use your own digital camera and computer to generate a 4x6 picture (contains 6 of the 2x2 passport photos)

Things You'll Need

• digital camera with 2mp or above
• computer that has visio or other photo edit programs
• USB drive 32mb or bigger

Instructions

1. Pay attention to the passport photo requirements on back ground color, hair style, cloth, etc. Requirements may change over time. Here is a sample of what's the USA government requirements as of 1/25/2009:
   * Identical
   * In color
   * 2 x 2 inches in size
   * Taken within the past 6 months, showing current appearance
   Full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background
   * Between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head
   * Taken in normal street attire:
   1) Uniforms should not be worn in photographs except religious attire that is worn daily
   2) Do not wear a hat or headgear that obscures the hair or hairline
   3) If you normally wear prescription glasses, a hearing device, wig or similar articles, they should be worn for your picture
   4) Dark glasses or nonprescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless you need them for medical reasons (a medical certificate may be required)

2. Now use your digital camera to take a picture base on the above requirements and save it on your computer in .jpg or .bmp format;

3. 

   Open Visio or any photo edit programs on your computer and open the pictures.

   Note: make sure you select the file type (bottom of the open dialog box) as ".jpg" or ".bmp". Some program's default will not show your picture. For example, Visio.

4. 

   (these steps are base off Visio program)
   - First, crop and edit your photo fit the head size and other requirements mentioned in step 1 above;
   - Then click "file" -> "save as", and again change to ".jpg" as file type. Click "save"
   - (VERY IMPORTANT) Now in Visio, this screen will pop up automatically and ask you to select the "resolution" and "size";
   - Pick these values: Resolution (custom, 1200 x 1200 dpi), size (custom, 2 x 2 Inch)

5. 

   Now Close the file without saving the drawing 1, since you already save the photo to a different name

   * Click "file" -> "open" and make sure you are using file type ".jpg" again, then open your file saved earlier;
   Note: please make sure you can see the ruler by clicking on the "View" menu, and select "Ruler"
   (We are almost done)
   * Now you can view the 2 x 2 pic you save earlier and moved it anywhere you want within the ruler. The idea here is to copy and paste 5 more copies and make it 6 of the 2 x 2 pictures total
   * Once you done that (see sample picture), you can do the save as again and make a new .jpg file now the value should be: resolution (custom, 1200 x 1200 dpi), size (custom, 6 x 4 inch)

6. Now you can print your own passport photo through your home photo printer OR save it in USB drive and take it to print at any printing station in CVS, Walgreen, costo, or Sam's club.

   The total cost should be less than a $1. That's cheap, or some may even consider it as free

Tips & Warnings

• Please remember to check the official government passport application web site or the latest passport application form for photo requirement updates

• You should keep your USB drive with only photos at the root. Some photo printer retailers only reads the root or only reads the USB when it has .jpg files only

• Althought I have done this myself and for every family members for their passport photo, you should still read the warnings below.

• Not responsible for passport application that failed because of picture requirements

Resources

• immigration lawyer