We're the Perfect Print team. When a license renewal or ID service is captured on site, you usually can't choose the shot and you pay whatever the counter charges. But some renewals and ID applications — and many in other countries — let you submit your own photo instead. When that's allowed, you can use a picture you actually like and prepare it for a fraction of the cost. This article covers how to size and print that photo accurately, with one big caveat up front: requirements differ everywhere, so check your local rules before you start.
First, check whether a submitted photo is accepted
This is the part we can't decide for you. In the U.S., most states take your license or ID photo at the DMV, so a self-prepared photo often isn't an option — but rules vary by state, by the type of credential, and by whether it's an in-person or mail/online renewal. Other places routinely accept a printed photo you bring in. The required dimensions also differ: a square 2 x 2 inch format is common for U.S. federal applications, while many countries use a small rectangle such as 3.5 x 4.5cm.
So before anything else, confirm two things with the issuing agency: whether they accept a photo you supply, and the exact size and conditions they require. Once you know those, the rest is just preparing the photo precisely — which is where we can help.
Why a quick crop won't match the required size
Say the rules call for a small rectangle or square. The instinct is to crop the photo to that shape in the photos app, but a crop only rearranges pixels — it never fixes how many inches or centimeters the print becomes. Sent to a printer with fit-to-page on, that cropped image scales up to the sheet, and the careful shape you made comes out the wrong physical size. Matching on screen and matching on paper are two different things.
To land on the exact required dimensions, the photo has to be locked to a real measurement before printing. Perfect Print does that on your phone, in inches or centimeters, down to the millimeter.
Size it to spec and print several to save
Once you've confirmed the size your agency wants, the flow is short. Pick a paper size — a letter sheet or a 4x6 photo print — choose your photo, and enter the required dimensions (for example 3.5 x 4.5cm or 2 x 2 inches) so the image sits at actual size. Center the face with natural margins, matching the conditions your agency lists for head size and background.
Save the image, then print at home or at a print shop with the setting on actual size (100%). Because several copies fit on one sheet, you can print a few at once — one to submit, the rest as spares — and the cost per photo drops far below an on-site capture fee. Measure the result with a ruler to be sure it's exactly what the agency specified.
Perfect Print
A free app that sets ID photos to the exact required size in inches or centimeters and prints at 100%. Millimeter-precise, batch-print several at once. No sign-up, iPhone / Android.
Learn more about Perfect PrintFrequently asked questions
Can I bring my own photo for a license or ID?
It depends entirely on the issuing agency. In the U.S., many states capture the photo at the DMV, while other places and certain credentials accept a submitted photo. Check your local requirements before preparing one.
What size should the photo be?
There is no single answer — a square 2 x 2 inch format is common in the U.S., and a small rectangle such as 3.5 x 4.5cm is common elsewhere. Confirm the exact size with the agency, then enter it in Perfect Print.
Why does my cropped photo print the wrong size?
Cropping changes pixels, not physical size, and fit-to-page scales the image when you print. Lock the dimensions in Perfect Print and print at actual size (100%).
How much can I save?
A photo print often costs well under a dollar and you can fit several on one sheet, so preparing your own is usually far cheaper than an on-site capture fee — when a submitted photo is accepted.