Does this tool remove or replace the background behind me?

No. It does not cut you out of the original photo. The background colour you pick only fills empty space, for example when you zoom out or move the photo away from an edge. For a clean result, stand in front of a plain white or light wall in daylight before you take the picture.

Which size should I use for a resume or CV?

Use the 4:5 resume preset for most CVs that show a photo, and the larger Gulf CV preset when an employer in the Gulf asks for a sharper image. A head-and-shoulders crop with a neutral expression and plain clothes works best. Many employers in the US, UK and Canada prefer no photo at all.

Will the passport-size photo be accepted by the passport office?

We cannot promise that. The presets give the correct pixel size at 300 dpi, and the oval and eye line are only an approximate guide. Passport offices and visa centres set their own rules on head size, expression, glasses and background, so read the official instructions for your application before you print or upload.

How do I print passport photos at home or at a shop?

Choose a passport preset, position your face, then press Make 6 × 4 inch print sheet. The JPG is 1800 × 1200 pixels at 300 dpi. Print it on 6 × 4 inch photo paper at actual size or 100 percent, with fit-to-page turned off, then cut along the thin grey lines.

Resume Photo Maker – Crop a Professional Headshot

How to take a headshot that crops well

Stand about half a metre in front of a plain, light wall, facing a window so daylight falls evenly on your face. Avoid overhead light that throws shadows under the eyes.
Ask someone to hold the phone at eye level, about one to one and a half metres away, and use the normal camera lens, not the wide or selfie lens up close.
Leave space around your head and shoulders. It is easier to zoom in on a loose photo than to rescue one that cuts off your hair or chin.
Wear plain, solid clothes that contrast with the wall. Keep glasses clean and free of glare, or take them off if the form asks you to.

Resume, passport and LinkedIn photos are not the same

Resume and Gulf CV photos: a relaxed head-and-shoulders portrait in 4:5, with a slight smile. It sits in the corner of the page, so it only needs to look clear at a small size.
Passport and visa photos: a full-face, neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open and looking at the camera, with strict head size and background rules. Use the oval and eye line to get close, then check the official rules.
LinkedIn: shown as a circle, so keep your face centred with some space around it. A square photo of at least 400 × 400 pixels stays sharp.

What to do with your photo next

Press “Use in my resume builder” to drop the photo straight into the free resume builder, then choose a template that shows a photo. If a job or exam portal asks for a size this tool does not list, or a strict KB range, use the photo resizer or the image compressor. Not sure whether your target country expects a photo at all? See the resume format by country guide.

Worked example

A phone selfie turned into a Gulf CV photo

What goes in

Photo: phone picture taken against a cream wall Size: Gulf CV photo 4:5 (600 × 750 px) Empty-area colour: White

What you get

The 4:5 frame crops the selfie to head and upper shoulders, and zoom and position put the eyes about a third of the way down the frame. The cream wall stays as it is, because the tool does not detect or replace backgrounds; white only fills space the photo does not reach after zooming out. A slight brightness lift fixes a dim indoor shot. Saved as JPG, the file is small enough for most job portals while staying sharp at the size a CV template prints it.

Common mistakes

Expecting the tool to remove a busy background; it only fills empty areas, so take the photo against a plain wall in the first place.

Cropping so tightly that the top of the head or chin is cut off, which looks careless in a CV photo box.

Using a heavily filtered or years-old picture; recruiters who meet you should recognise you from the photo on your CV.

When to use it: Use the resume photo maker for a framed headshot on a CV or profile; for an exact form size under a KB limit, the photo resizer is the better fit.

Free Resume Photo Maker