British Passport Photos

[Namphonny]

Hi All,

I wonder if anyone has come across a problem with the British Embassy requirements for passport photos? I have been to three photo shops and cannot find one with photo paper that is not water-marked on the back, ie not plain white as required. When I phoned the embassy to enquire the reply was that there must not be any water-mark. Where do I go from here? The process seems to be fully automated in these shops so that the assistants have no control over the paper that is used. Apparently using an ordinary computer printer is not a solution even if the correct paper is used because photos taken at home are unlikely to meet the requirements.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[lopburi3]

Why are photos taken at home not able to meet requirements? Are they that fussy? My US passport has photo I took and printed at home a couple of months ago.

The other problem with local ID photos is they always want to make the background blue - even if shot on white.

Expect the shops near the Embassy can take/process to meet requirements.

Edited August 11, 2009 by lopburi3

[Crossy]

Where are you getting your specification from?

I've just checked the spare photos from my last application (12 months ago) and there is very clear printing on the back, there was no issue using these photos. I don't think this is what they mean by a watermark.

Of course all the links I've tried to get the UK spec are now dead, even from the embassy website

EDIT There's a photo shop in the mall at the end of Wireless Road near the embassy, they are well versed in the requirements

LOP At one time the BE insisted upon proper silver-halide prints (not inkjet) as they are more fade resistant, not such an issue now as the image is scanned and printed on the passport itself.

Yet another edit from the IPS site http://www.ips.gov.uk/cps/rde/xchg/ips_live/hs.xsl/36.htm

Trademarks or other printing on the reverse is acceptable, provided it does not show through when the photo is scanned onto our system. This is most likely to occur where bold back print is used, and the image captured is very pale. Proper lighting and exposure are essential in order to capture the level of detail required for all customers, but this takes on added importance where back printed paper is used

For future reference, the UK requirements are now here http://www.ips.gov.uk/cps/files/ips/live/a...ents/photos.pdf

[Petbon]

Was surprised to find that countries vary as to actual size, background colour etc. of visa photoes, and Kodak actually set camera accordingly.

Have you ever been turned down due to not meeting requirements exactly?

Eight photoes had the cheapest price, but will be a pest if I have to get others taken.

[Namphonny]

Where are you getting your specification from?

I've just checked the spare photos from my last application (12 months ago) and there is very clear printing on the back, there was no issue using these photos. I don't think this is what they mean by a watermark.

Of course all the links I've tried to get the UK spec are now dead, even from the embassy website

EDIT There's a photo shop in the mall at the end of Wireless Road near the embassy, they are well versed in the requirements

LOP At one time the BE insisted upon proper silver-halide prints (not inkjet) as they are more fade resistant, not such an issue now as the image is scanned and printed on the passport itself.

Yet another edit from the IPS site http://www.ips.gov.uk/cps/rde/xchg/ips_live/hs.xsl/36.htm

Trademarks or other printing on the reverse is acceptable, provided it does not show through when the photo is scanned onto our system. This is most likely to occur where bold back print is used, and the image captured is very pale. Proper lighting and exposure are essential in order to capture the level of detail required for all customers, but this takes on added importance where back printed paper is used

For future reference, the UK requirements are now here http://www.ips.gov.uk/cps/files/ips/live/a...ents/photos.pdf

Hi Crossy,

Thank you very much - that makes it a lot clearer (the IPS site I mean). I was under the impression that 'water-mark' referred to the back of the photo but apparently not, so now there is no problem except that I now have 36 photos when I only needed two!

Nam.

[Mario2008]

There is either a Robinson or Central near the UK embassy. There is a photoshop in there, I believe it was the 5th floor, where they know the requirements for the Uk embassy.

[Prudent_rabbit]

There is either a Robinson or Central near the UK embassy. There is a photoshop in there, I believe it was the 5th floor, where they know the requirements for the Uk embassy.

Best bet is the photo shop at the bottom of Homepro in the wave centre right next door to the embassy, they do the right size for the biometric passports and all their printing / paper is the required standard

[syd barrett]

I had my photos taken in a Pattaya photographic shop against a white wall on a digital camera and then printed out while I waited and 8 photos cost 200 baht.

They were accepted at the BKK British embassy, no problem recently (ie. after recent electronic passport introduction).

[saintofsilence]

If you use picas 3 then its easy to print them yourself

[johnwills]

Had to do this recently, the first attempt didn't work out, I gave them the specification sheet supplied by the passport office and explained what they had to do, they said they understood, but when I got the photos back, I had become 4 shades whiter, looked 10 years younger and was suddenly wearing a suit and tie. After another 20 minutes of explaining, we managed to get the photos to meet the requirements, although I was a little concerned that they photo shopped the back ground colour to light grey, it was excepted by the embassy.

[theoldgit]

I use this programe to print my photos at home, it's free for home users and produces photos to the required format.

http://www.idphotos.info/Overview.aspx

[lopburi3]

Very nice software. Thanks.