How to print a 4 × 6 photo at exact size from iPhone

Updated 3 October 2026

To print a 4 × 6 in (10 × 15 cm) photo at exactly that size from an iPhone, the printer has to receive a page that is 4 × 6 in and print it at 100% scale, with no “fit to page”. Load 4 × 6 photo paper, choose that paper in the print options, and use a printer that can print borderless; or place the 4 × 6 photo at true size on an A4 or US Letter page and cut it out.

Photo Print: Size & Layout is an iPhone and iPad app that does this: you give each photo its print size, and it prints through AirPrint or saves a PDF at true size, never scaled.

Why the Photos app doesn’t print at an exact size

It prints to fit the paper. Printing from Photos scales the picture to the paper you choose and the area your printer can reach. There is no setting for a physical size like 4 × 6 in or 35 × 45 mm.
The shape doesn’t match. The iPhone camera shoots 4:3 by default; 4 × 6 paper is 3:2. A 4:3 photo on 4 × 6 paper is either cropped or printed with white strips on two sides.
Printer margins. On a printer that can’t print to the edge, a “full page” photo is shrunk to the printable area, so it comes out a few millimetres smaller.

Choosing the paper in AirPrint

AirPrint has no “print at 4 × 6 in” switch; the size comes from the page the app sends and the paper the printer uses. Photo Print sends a page that is exactly the layout’s paper size, asks AirPrint for that paper, and sets the job type to photo for 4 × 6 layouts. On your side: put the matching paper in the tray, and if the print options show a paper size or tray, choose the one that matches the layout.

Borderless 4 × 6 paper

A 4 × 6 photo fills a 4 × 6 sheet completely, so it can only be printed at full size if the printer prints to all four edges. Photo Print gives 4 × 6 layouts a zero margin for this reason. Most photo printers and inkjets with a photo tray support borderless printing on photo paper; check your printer’s manual if you’re unsure. When the printer can’t reach the edges, Photo Print does not secretly shrink the page; it tells you after the job that the sheet was clipped. The fix is to print on A4 or Letter and cut, or to use a smaller photo size with a margin.

Printing the PDF at 100%

A PDF saved from Photo Print has pages that are the real paper size: a 4 × 6 layout makes a 4 × 6 in page, an A4 layout a 210 × 297 mm page. When you print that PDF from Files, a computer or a print shop, choose 100% or Actual Size and turn off Fit to Page. More on this in Photo printed the wrong size?

Steps: print a 4 × 6 photo at true size

Load the paper. Put 4 × 6 in (10 × 15 cm) photo paper in the printer’s photo tray, or A4 / US Letter paper if your printer can’t print borderless.
Create a layout on that paper. In Photo Print, start a layout and choose 4 × 6 in paper (or A4 / US Letter). A 4 × 6 layout has no margin, because a 4 × 6 photo only fits 4 × 6 paper edge to edge.
Add the photo and set it to 4 × 6. Set the photo’s size to 4 × 6 in. Choose Fill to cover the whole 4 × 6 area and adjust the crop, or Fit to keep the whole picture with white space on two sides.
Check the preview. The preview is drawn by the same code that draws the print and the PDF, so what you see is what is printed.
Print with AirPrint. Tap Print, choose your printer, and if the print options show a paper size, make sure it is the same paper as the layout and the tray. Photo Print sends the page at true size; it does not scale it.
Or save a PDF. Export a PDF instead: its page is exactly 4 × 6 in (or A4 / Letter). Print it from any app or computer at 100% / Actual Size with “Fit to page” turned off.
Measure. A correct 4 × 6 print measures 101.6 × 152.4 mm (4 × 6 in) edge to edge.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my iPhone print a 4×6 photo smaller or cropped?

The Photos app scales each photo to the paper and the printer’s printable area; it has no setting for a physical size. iPhone photos are also 4:3 by default, while 4 × 6 is 3:2, so the picture either gets white bars or loses part of the image. A layout app that sends a page at true size, with the crop you chose, avoids both.

What is 4×6 in centimetres?

4 × 6 inches is 10.16 × 15.24 cm. It is sold as 10 × 15 cm photo paper in most of Europe and Asia; the two are the same paper.

Can every printer print a borderless 4×6?

No. Borderless printing depends on the printer and the paper type. Photo printers and most inkjets with a photo tray can; many laser printers and some inkjets keep a margin of a few millimetres. If yours keeps a margin, the edges of a full 4 × 6 photo are not printed. Photo Print explains a clipped sheet after the print job.

Can I print a 4×6 photo on A4 or Letter paper?

Yes. Two 4 × 6 photos fit on one A4 or US Letter sheet, turned sideways, with a ¼ in margin and 3 mm gaps. They print at true size and you cut them out along the cut guides.

How do I print a PDF at actual size?

In the print dialog choose 100%, Actual Size or Scale: Default (the wording depends on the app) and turn off Fit to Page, Shrink oversized pages or Fit to printable area. Choose the same paper size as the PDF page.

What resolution do I need for a sharp 4×6 print?

About 1200 × 1800 pixels is 300 pixels per inch at 4 × 6 in, which Photo Print rates Excellent. 800 × 1200 pixels (200 ppi) still looks sharp at normal viewing distance. Every recent iPhone photo has many more pixels than that.

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.

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.