Print Calibration — Does Your Printer Print True Size?

Most home printouts of passport photos are silently shrunk: "Fit to page" is the default in many print dialogs, and a 35 × 45 mm photo printed at 95% is a wrong-size photo. Print this free sheet once, measure two lines with any ruler, and you'll know — and can correct — exactly how your printer behaves.

How to use it (2 minutes)

1. Print the sheet below at 100% scale — the option is called "Actual size", "100%", or "No scaling" (never "Fit" or "Shrink to fit"). Plain paper is fine.
2. Measure the big square with any ruler: it must be exactly 50 × 50 mm.
3. If it isn't 50 mm, enter the measured size below — you'll get the exact custom scale to set in your print dialog. Then reprint this sheet once to confirm, and print photos with confidence.

Reading your result

• Exactly 50 mm: your printer is honest at 100% — lay out your photos on a sheet and print away.
• 47–49 mm: classic "borderless shrink". Set the custom scale from the calculator above (usually 102–106%) and verify once more.
• Way off (<45 mm): the dialog is still scaling — look for "Fit to page" and switch it off, or pick "Actual size" / "No scaling".
• No home printer worth fixing? No shame — a drugstore kiosk or online print service costs pocket change; bring the file from our print sheet tool.

Why this matters

Accepting authorities measure your photo. A 35 × 45 mm requirement printed at 94% comes out 33 × 42 mm — visibly undersized next to the template, and a known rejection reason. Photo specs are in millimetres for a reason: check your country's exact size, then make sure your printer actually prints it.

You only need this once per printer. Then: print sheet tool → printing guide for paper and copies.