2x2 Inch
Make an Exact 2x2 Inch
The exact size of a 2x2 picture is 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm). As a digital file it is 600 × 600 pixels at 300 DPI, which is the smallest square the U.S. State Department accepts for visa photos (its ceiling is 1200 × 1200 px and 240 KB). The tool crops your photo square and saves it under 240 KB, without uploading it.
- Runs in your browser
- Nothing uploaded
- No sign-up
- Free, no daily limits
- 1Add your file
- 2Choose settings
- 3Download
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U.S. passport and visa applications mandate an exact 2×2 inch square photograph, and consular online forms enforce digital pixel and byte boundaries. This browser-based utility formats your picture to a 2×2 inch square (600×600 pixels at 300 DPI) and exports a clean JPEG file. All processing executes directly inside your browser through HTML5 Canvas APIs, ensuring personal identification portraits never leave your computer or phone.
The tool center-crops your image to a 1:1 square aspect ratio and tests JPEG quality levels to bring the file within the 10 KB to 240 KB ceiling. If your application requires European metric standards, use our 35 × 45 mm resizer, or verify your dimensions before uploading using our Document Checker.
How it works
1. Upload square portrait
Click Upload Photo or drop your file into the box. JPG, PNG and WEBP formats load across all modern browsers. Apple HEIC files open natively in Safari, while other browsers require JPG or PNG format.
2. Confirm preset parameters
Review the preset specifications card displaying 600×600 Pixels, 2×2 in Inches, 300 DPI Resolution, and the 10 to 240 KB File Size target range.
3. Execute crop and quality compression
Click Resize Photo. The tool draws the image to canvas, trims excess margins to maintain the 1:1 square ratio, and executes a binary search across JPEG quality settings.
4. Review specifications and download JPEG
Inspect the output status card. Files between 10 KB and 240 KB show Ready to use. Output smaller than 10 KB receives trailing zero-byte padding. Click Download to save your compliant file.
When you'd use it
Online U.S. visa (DS-160) digital submissions
Formatting a square 600×600 pixel JPEG under the U.S. State Department's mandatory 240 KB ceiling for nonimmigrant visa portal uploads.
Physical U.S. passport applications and renewals
Preparing a 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) photographic print for domestic or overseas embassy filing, adhering to white background and no-glasses rules.
Diversity Visa (DV Lottery) online entries
Creating the exact 600×600 pixel JPEG under 240 KB required by the annual U.S. Green Card Lottery registration portal.
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card registration
Preparing square 51×51 mm portraits required by Indian consular missions in the United States and Canada for OCI and passport services.
2 × 2 inch dimensions in pixels across different DPI settings
In physical measurements, a 2×2 inch photo equals exactly 50.8 × 50.8 mm (conventionally rounded to 51 × 51 mm). Digital pixel dimensions are calculated by multiplying physical inches by the target Dots Per Inch (DPI). At the photographic print standard of 300 DPI, 2 inches multiplied by 300 equals 600 pixels on each side, producing an exact 600 × 600 pixel square.
The U.S. Department of State accepts digital images from 600 × 600 pixels up to 1200 × 1200 pixels, provided the file size remains under 240 KB. Our 600 × 600 pixel output represents the exact 300 DPI print density. If you need a square avatar for social or corporate portals, our 600x600 px resizer applies the same geometry, while our Photo Resizer for Exams supports custom pixel presets.
| Resolution (DPI) | Pixel Dimensions | Total Pixels | Print Quality Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72 DPI | 144 × 144 px | 20,736 px | Low resolution screen draft |
| 96 DPI | 192 × 192 px | 36,864 px | Standard computer monitor preview |
| 150 DPI | 300 × 300 px | 90,000 px | Medium quality draft proof |
| 200 DPI | 400 × 400 px | 160,000 px | Acceptable document scanner density |
| 300 DPI (This Tool) | 600 × 600 px | 360,000 px | Standard photographic print density (600×600 px minimum) |
| 600 DPI | 1200 × 1200 px | 1,440,000 px | High resolution consular archive ceiling |
Which visa, passport and consular portals require 2×2 inch photos?
The U.S. Department of State mandates 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) photographs for all U.S. passports and DS-160 visa applications. The biometric framing requires that the head measure between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (50% to 69% of the total height) from the chin to the top of the head. Eyeglasses, headphones, and uniforms are prohibited.
Indian consular services operated through VFS Global in North America likewise require 2×2 inch photos for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) registration, Indian passport renewals, and renunciation certificates. In India, exams using UPSC One Time Registration, including UPSC CSE and NDA, accept square photos between 350×350 and 1000×1000 pixels (20–300 KB). In contrast, European Schengen countries and the UK mandate 35×45 mm vertical rectangular photos. If you are applying for a European visa, use our 35 × 45 mm resizer.
How center-cropping and canvas background work
When you upload an image, the tool calculates the source aspect ratio and compares it to the 1:1 square target. If the source is wider than it is tall, the tool slices off the left and right edges evenly. If the source is taller, it slices off the top and bottom. It does not fit or letterbox the photo, nor does it track where your face is located. If your face is off-center in the original picture, crop the photo yourself before uploading so the automated crop does not clip your forehead or ears.
Before drawing the image, the canvas context fills the target rectangle with white (#ffffff). This white layer shows through only if your source file has transparent sections, such as a transparent PNG. The tool does not alter, bleach, or replace the background of an ordinary opaque photo. It does not remove background clutter, lighten shadows, or fix uneven ambient room lighting. Capture your picture against a plain white or off-white wall under even, balanced light instead.
Understanding the 240 KB limit and file size status
The State Department's digital image requirements stipulate that the file must be a JPEG less than or equal to 240 KB. TryDocsy's resizer searches through JPEG quality settings from 1.0 down to a floor of 0.1, keeping the best-looking version that is 240 KB or smaller. A result under 10 KB gets zero bytes appended past its end-of-image marker until it weighs exactly 10 KB.
In our benchmark test with a synthetic 1920x2560 test portrait (flat illustration; 1,858 KB / 1,903,047 bytes), the tool center-cropped to the 1:1 square canvas and scaled to 600 × 600 px. It binary-searched JPEG quality down to 174.6 KB (178,766 bytes), achieving a 90.6% size reduction that lands safely below the 240 KB ceiling. Because real smartphone photographs contain natural lens grain and skin textures, they yield larger file sizes at this resolution.
When the file sits between 10 KB and 240 KB, the status card shows Ready to use with a green confirmation icon. A photo that is still above 240 KB at quality 0.1 produces an error in place of a download, ensuring an oversized picture is never produced. Busy backgrounds are the usual cause; retake the photo against a plain wall or crop in closer to your face.
Check before you upload: before submitting your visa or lottery photo, inspect your dimensions and file size in our Document Checker using the US Visa Photo, 600x600, 50-240 KB preset.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 2x2 photo in pixels?
At 300 DPI photographic print density, a 2×2 inch photo is exactly 600 × 600 pixels. At 200 DPI it is 400 × 400 pixels, and at 96 DPI screen preview resolution it is 192 × 192 pixels.
How many KB should a 2x2 passport photo be?
The U.S. Department of State requires digital visa and passport photos to be 240 KB or smaller. TryDocsy's 2x2 inch preset targets 10 to 240 KB, adding byte padding if the file drops below 10 KB.
Can I wear eyeglasses in a U.S. visa or passport photo?
No. The U.S. State Department explicitly bans eyeglasses in passport and visa photos to prevent flash glare and obscured eye biometric matching.
What head proportions are required for a 2x2 inch US visa photo?
The head from the bottom of the chin to the top of the hair must measure between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches, representing 50% to 69% of the overall image height.
Can I use this 2x2 inch photo for an Indian passport or OCI application in the US?
Yes. Indian consular missions and VFS Global centers in the United States and Canada accept standard 2×2 inch (51×51 mm) photographs on a plain white background.
Does this tool remove shadows or change background color to white?
No. The canvas white layer only shows through transparent pixels in files like PNG. It does not erase shadows or alter the existing background of an ordinary photo. Take your picture against a flat, evenly lit white wall.
Are my personal visa photos uploaded to any external server?
No. All cropping, canvas scaling, and compression calculations execute locally on your device inside your web browser. Your picture is never sent over the internet.