Photo · 600 × 600 px
Produce a square photo at 600 × 600 pixels
Square photographs are a common format for identity documents, visa applications and online verification systems. They are also the format people most often get wrong, because a normal phone photo is rectangular and forcing it into a square either squashes it or crops it badly.
This page produces a square image at 600 by 600 pixels, cropped to fill the frame rather than stretched to it.
Your file is processed inside this browser and is never uploaded. There is no server involved, so nothing is stored or transmitted.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Pixel dimensions | 600 × 600, square |
| Placement | Scaled to fill, centred crop — never stretched |
| Maximum file size | Compressed to stay within 240 KB |
| Format | JPEG |
| Typical use | Square identity photos for forms and online verification |
Photo specifications are set by the authority you are applying to, not by this site. Sizes, backgrounds and head proportions differ between countries and between offices. Read the requirement you have been given.
Check the specification you have been given first
This is the most important thing on this page. There is no single international standard for an identity photograph. Different authorities specify different pixel sizes, different physical dimensions, different background colours, and different rules about expression, glasses and head coverings.
The tool below produces a square 600 by 600 JPEG under a size ceiling. If your requirement matches that, it will work. If your requirement states something else — a different pixel count, a physical size in millimetres, a plain white background — follow the requirement, not this page.
Where a specification states a physical size and a resolution, the pixel count is those two multiplied together. A 51 mm square at 300 dots per inch works out close to 600 pixels, which is where this size commonly comes from. But confirm the figure you have been given rather than assuming it.
Why square photos go wrong
Nearly every bad square photo fails in one of three ways:
- It was stretched. A rectangular source forced into a square makes the face too wide or too narrow. This tool crops instead.
- It was cropped from the wrong place. A centre crop of a photo where the face sits low will cut off the top of the head.
- It was taken too far away. A square frame filled with background and a small face rarely passes an automated or manual check.
Preparing a source that crops well to a square
Because the tool crops the centre of your image, the source needs to be framed with that in mind.
- Take the photo in portrait orientation with the head centred and clear space above it.
- Fill much of the frame with the head and shoulders rather than standing back.
- Use a plain, light background with no objects behind you.
- Light the face evenly from the front — a window works well, harsh flash does not.
- Check the eyes are open, the expression is neutral, and nothing covers the face.
If the result is refused
A refused photo is usually refused for what is in it, not for its file size. Go back to the requirement and check each rule separately: dimensions, background, head size and position, recency, and anything said about glasses or head coverings.
If a specific dimension is stated and it is not 600 by 600, that is the first thing to correct — and it is the difference between a file that passes and one that does not.
Questions people ask
Is 600 × 600 the correct size for every passport or visa photo?
No, and this matters. Requirements are set by the authority you are applying to and they differ. 600 × 600 is a common square format, but confirm the exact figures in the instructions you were given before relying on this page.
How do I convert a physical size in millimetres into pixels?
Multiply the size in inches by the required dots per inch. A 2 inch square at 300 DPI is 600 × 600 pixels. If your instructions give millimetres, divide by 25.4 to get inches first.
Will this stretch my rectangular photo into a square?
No. It scales the image until it fills the square and then crops the overflow, so the face keeps its correct proportions. The preview above shows exactly what will be produced.
What background colour does it produce?
The tool fills empty areas with white, but because it crops to fill the square there is usually no empty area at all — your original background remains. If your requirement specifies white, photograph against a white wall.
Can I use a selfie?
Technically yes, but it often fails. A selfie is taken close up with the phone held, which distorts facial proportions and usually leaves a shadow or an uneven background. A photo taken by someone else, straight on, is far more likely to pass.
The portal accepts the file but a person rejected the photo. Why?
Automated checks usually only check dimensions, size and format. A human checks the content. Recency, expression, background and whether the face is the right size in the frame are all common reasons for a manual rejection.