Photo printed the wrong size? How to fix it

Updated 3 October 2026

A photo that prints smaller or larger than it should is almost always being scaled on the way to the paper: “Fit to page” or a scale other than 100% in the print dialog or the PDF viewer, a mismatch between the page size and the paper in the tray, or a printer that can’t print to the edge. Print at 100% / Actual Size on the same paper the page was made for, keep a margin of about 5 mm unless your printer prints borderless, and check the result with a ruler.

Common causes

“Fit to page” or scaling in the print dialog

Print dialogs on Windows, macOS and in printer drivers often scale the page to the printable area by default. The labels vary: Fit to Page, Shrink oversized pages, Fit to printable area, Fit to paper, or a Scale percentage. Choose 100%, Actual Size or Scale: Default. A page scaled to fit usually comes out a few percent smaller, which is enough to make a passport photo the wrong size.

PDF viewers that scale

A PDF has a fixed page size, but the app printing it may still scale it. Photo Print’s PDFs have pages that are the real paper size (4 × 6 in, A4 or US Letter) with every photo at true size, so printing them at 100% gives the right size. If the PDF prints small, look for the viewer’s page sizing or scale option.

Printer margins

Most printers leave a strip of a few millimetres unprinted around the paper edge. A photo that runs into that strip loses its edge; an app that scales to avoid it makes the photo smaller. Photo Print never scales: it keeps true size and warns before printing when the margin is under 5 mm, and after printing if the printer clipped the sheet. For full-bleed 4 × 6 prints, see borderless 4 × 6 printing.

Paper size mismatch

If the page is A4 and the tray holds US Letter (or the other way round), the printer either scales, crops, or shifts the page. A4 is 210 × 297 mm; Letter is 216 × 279 mm. Use the same paper in the layout, the print options and the tray.

Printing from the Photos app

The iPhone Photos app prints a picture to fit the paper; it has no setting for a physical size. To print at a set size such as 2 × 2 in or 35 × 45 mm, use an app that lays the photo out at that size.

How to check a print with a ruler

Print a test page. Make a layout with one photo at a size that is easy to measure, such as 4 × 6 in or 100 × 150 mm, on the paper you normally use.
Print at 100%. Print with AirPrint from Photo Print, or open the PDF and print at 100% / Actual Size with Fit to Page off.
Measure. Lay a ruler along one edge of the photo, from the outer edge of the photo (including any white border you added) to the opposite edge. Measure both width and height.
Compare. A correct 4 × 6 in print measures 101.6 × 152.4 mm. A 2 × 2 in photo measures 50.8 mm (call it 51 mm). Within about 0.5 mm is normal for a home printer.
Work out the cause. Smaller by the same percentage on both sides points to scaling (Fit to Page, Shrink to fit). Correct size but missing edges points to printer margins. Wrong paper or orientation points to the paper setting.

What a correct print should measure
Size	Millimetres	Inches
5 × 7 in	127 × 177.8	5 × 7
4 × 6 in	101.6 × 152.4	4 × 6
2 × 3 in wallet	50.8 × 76.2	2 × 3
2 × 2 in	50.8 × 50.8	2 × 2
35 × 45 mm	35 × 45	1.38 × 1.77

Frequently asked questions

Why is my printed photo smaller than it should be?

Almost always a scaling setting: Fit to Page, Shrink oversized pages, Fit to printable area, or a scale below 100% in the print dialog or the PDF viewer. Turn it off and print at 100% / Actual Size. Printers that can’t print to the edge also make full-page photos slightly smaller when the app scales to the printable area.

How do I stop the printer from scaling my photo?

In the print dialog, choose 100%, Actual Size or Scale: Default, and turn off Fit to Page, Shrink to fit, Fit to paper and Fit to printable area. Some printer drivers have their own Fit to Page option in printer properties; turn that off too.

Why are the edges of my photo cut off?

Most printers can’t print within a few millimetres of the paper edge. Anything placed in that strip is not printed. Keep a page margin of at least 5 mm (0.2 in), or use a printer and paper that support borderless printing. Photo Print tells you after the print job if the printer’s printable area clipped the sheet.

Why did my photo print on the wrong paper size?

The printer used a different paper from the one the page was made for, for example A4 in the tray but a Letter page, or a 4 × 6 page sent to an A4 tray. Choose the same paper in the layout, the print options and the tray.

Why does the PDF print at the wrong size?

The PDF itself is the right size, but many PDF viewers default to fitting the page to the printable area, which shrinks it by a few percent. Choose Actual Size or 100%. You can check the PDF’s page size in the viewer’s document properties: a Photo Print A4 PDF is 210 × 297 mm, a Letter PDF 8.5 × 11 in.

How do I measure a printed photo accurately?

Use a steel ruler marked in millimetres, measure edge to edge along the middle of the photo rather than the corners, and measure both width and height. Millimetres are easier to read precisely than fractions of an inch: 1 in = 25.4 mm.

Get Photo Print: Size & Layout on the App Store

For iPhone and iPad. Your first print or PDF export is free, and you can keep up to three layouts. Pro is a one-time purchase for unlimited prints, exports and layouts. No account; photos stay on your device.

Still the wrong size? Write to atabany.apps@gmail.com with your printer model, the paper, and what you measured. See also Support.

Written by Mohamed Elatabany, developer of Photo Print. App instructions are based on Photo Print; printer behaviour varies. Send a correction or ask for help.