Anyone know how to print passport size photos at Kmart? I have downloaded the Kmart Photos app but not sure how to.
Don't want to pay $20 every time at Australia Post.
How to Print Passport Size Photo at Kmart
Related Stores
Comments
- 1
- 2
Upvoted as I use the same website.
Another tip: you can clean up backgrounds / get rid of shadows with a lot of free tools on the web (but you have to upload your photo).
This is prohibited according to passport photo requirements
No retouching of any kind (including removal of background, moles, wrinkles or scars)
Lol you think they're gonna be able to figure out a pro level photoshop job on a ~4cm photo card?
Second this.
Have used many times, never had an issue.I've used this many times and printed at kmart without issues. I would suggest double checking and measuring your face dimensions in the output, cause the outline was slightly off. Also make sure to print 4x6, kmart recently defaults to 3x5, same price.
Don't print at officeworks, their prints aren't accepted.
I wouldn’t print any passport photos from Officeworks as hey print in hybrid matte finish and AP will reject it. Info: https://www.passports.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-04/cam…
I’ve printed from Kmart and had passports done in Aug last year as Kmart prints in a gloss finish. Just be careful as some Kiosk Printers sometimes aren’t calibrated due to it not being looked after. I’ve had arguments with the staff about this and I was able to force them to print from a different printer after saying I’ll pay for the reprints if it looks the same.
The way to do it is to have the final image size
set to a 4x6 layout so going to print about 8 passport size photos on 1 print out this method is not for beginners and usually requires image editing tool like Photoshop or at minimum a online website that can generate a 4 x 6 layout.Mate I have submitted my $0.10 prints from Officeworks since 2010 and never got rejected. I've done it for 6 family members, so at least 12 times. It's printed on Fujifilm isn't it the standard for photos?
I guess some AP are shafting us with redickulous excuse huhhh
https://www.reddit.com/r/perth/comments/n3vp1c/australia_pos…True.
My first passports for my kid when he was a 10 months AP accepted it. Renewed his passport again and got rejected because it wasn’t printed on Gloss. The person showed me the requirements and on the guide it states “High quality, heavy‐weight, glossy prints – 200 gsm minimum” since then I’ve always printed in Glossy paper and they will accept. If they ask where I got them printed I just says “Camera House or Teds” no more questions after that since it meets all the requirements.You've been lucky. Officeworks uses lustre paper for their 10c or 15c prints which isn't gloss, so technically they could have been rejected. It's in the passport office guidelines
Photo paper comes in different finishes e.g. gloss, matte, lustre, silk. It's up to the operator which ones they put in the machines.
I took my own passport photos for my family members and printed them for $0.10 at Officeworks. I grid them 4x4 with plenty of space in between. It started with my 2 month old I didn't think she would stay still for the photo at the AP so I just took them all and now she's 13 I think I have done 4 times? for her over the years. I done the same for my younger son. I used DSLR all the way to my mobile then crop and rotare them to the requirements. None of them got rejected.
And the AP has no rights to reject your application but I have been asked to fix some of my writing mistake. Had to start with a new form, god when will it be digital.
Ensure there's no shadows under the chin and maintain neutral expression. Don't smile.
I do have the lighting equipment but I only used onboard bounce flash at night but I try shoot with indirect daylight from a floor to ceiling window nowadays.
"Don't want to pay $20 every time at Australia Post"
Seriously how many times have you had to get a photo done at Australia post?
Is this really a problem in my entire life ive been once for a photo but even if you had to once a year what is your time really worth?
Reading the comments and everyone having hurdles and requirements and AP rejecting or accepting, the time, the effort, the problems such as different film finish, lighting etc…..
Just go to AP, get it done there and submit your application at the same time.
The cons outweigh the pros in this bargain hunting…. Do people really want all the ifs and buts when AP can literally remove all those for just $20.
Conclusion: don't be cheap and go to AP.
For child passport you have to get someone to sign and witness on the back of the photo. Which means the child has to tag along to the post office to have photo taken. Then you get the witness to sign on the back of the photo. Then you return to the post office a second time to submit the application. This is annoying.
If the witness make a mistake when writing on the back of the photos you may not have a spare. I don't know how many photos you get.
Most importantly, I can shoot unlimited times and choose the bestest photo I like and the freedom to do my photos according to the requirements.
I have done this many times and non of my application got rejected. I also don't feel good paying for something when I can do a much better job. I am not saying everyone can do it but if you have experience with shooting and Photoshop you will know how to use light to avoid shadows this is one of the key point.
This is OzBargain. We're here for bargains. Paying AP $20 for photos which still have a chance of being rejected is not a bargain. Paying Kmart/OfficeWorks 10c is a bargain, even if you have to redo them, still a bargain.
Get your employer to pay for a Working with Children check. Australia post gives you the 5 spare photos and you can use them for a passport.
Or get a volunteer one, that's free.
This worked for my first son. Second son they wouldn't accept it even though my photo was definitely better (dslr with off camera flash) so I guess depends who you get at Australia Post.
Yeah it's safer just to use AP now, I think it's a scam they've got going.
I experienced this first hand overseas when I tried to renew my Australian passport, they had recommended photo providers, and if you didn't use those, it was rejected.
I've used that website in the past successfully, but not recently.
Scam they got going? Must be going well with the $200m year they lost as a service last year.
I would recommend getting it done at AP once, getting the digital copy and then you can use an online tool that makes it the correct size so that you can print 6 or 8 per photo if you need more in the future.
Where do you print them so it wouldn't get rejected?
AP just reject them if you dont do it in-house. I've had "discussions" about it before
If you decide to do it in kmart etc, take the application to the biggest AP in your area
Biggest or busiest?
Biggest, one that isnt franchised
Officeworks take compliance passport photo $17.95. So use your gift card flybuys point etc. Took mine last year, you get a confirm the 4 photos is certified PASS ticket as complete and paid.
when you go process the application. some average post office staff will give you hard time you shouldn't take photo anywhere even the photo is certify valid. Ignore them just submit as the application. Passport office will accept
Just google photoshop passport template or something equivalent, there are tutorials to get it the correct size for 4x6. Never have had my passport or visa photo from any country rejected. I have done quite a bit for family and friends passports in Oz UK and US and none have been rejected either.
I did manage to do this last year. I used my google pixel photo to take the photos using the standard camera setting ensuring there were no shadows. I used our white plaster wall background. The printing is kinda tricky to do and I ended up having to print quite a few test runs. The method that worked for me was to choose a 3 photo strip setting which is set for landscape photos. You then rotate your photo in the kmart software 90 degrees. It prints slightly bigger than required, so you need to trim the photo to size with scissors. It probably ended up costing me $5 of 20c prints in the end for 5 people. I would recommend you use the instant print function (I think its 20c vs 10c) but is so much more convenient. Kmart does have a passport function photo that resizes your photo and head to fit the specifications required however this function cost $6 each (I was too cheap for that too). Good luck
It's doable but very finicky getting the size, position and framing exactly what's needed. I did it with the kids photos when they were younger because they are more flexible with them and I was able to do them for 25c vs the $25 each or whatever it is.
But tbh, the amount of time you spend taking the perfect photo, sizing it, making sure it fits in the exact sight spacing and so on. The time and effort spend is probably more than just paying auspost to do it in one shot.
Correct, it took me hours to get it right the first time, very hard with a 2mo old baby but after a few years with everything setup in the same manner its a breeze. For kids photos where you need to go to the AP twice it's worth DIY.
But it's 99% discount ! And a feeling of DIY. Always a winner's smile on face once done.
Lightroom Print template.
Select the 6x4 $0.10 print, select gloss (not matte).Interesting post, as I've recently done mine and my family's photos and had Australia Post reject them. I made Australia Post submit the photos and they wrote on my application that the photos were non compliant and that I was refusing to get compliant photos. They tried to bully me into paying for photos from them. Accused me of being cheap and were very rude. But for six people that would have been upwards of $120. Australia Post couldn't point to any specific non compliance.
The applications were submitted and the passport office processed the passports in a week no issues.
I printed the 15c prints from Kmart. I used one of the free online passport photo services that appeared to be well regarded.
Be careful printing at Kmart. They have some automated enhancement settings that you need to manually turn off otherwise they ruin the colour of the photos. I had to reprint one set due to that.
Also a few people I know who have done their own photos have had AP take photos of them for free. AP have said that the photos are non compliant. Not provided a reason and have done free photos. They said it's a service they provide for non compliant photos.
Funnily enough, in those instances the AP photos were non compliant as per the specifications of the passport office (size of crown to chin), but were still accepted by the passport office.
I used one of the free online passport photo services that appeared to be well regarded.
Which one?
Great suggestions in the comments. For my family we used photoshop and kmart, following the guidelines closely. You are absolutely right to avoid paying $20 for $0.10 photo.
I'm surprised to see so many ozbargainers think that Stevo at the auspost counter is some sort of renowed portrait photographer for celebrities, with skill that us commonfolk couldn't imagine achieving ourselves.
I know full well I can do it myself and still technically meet the stated requirements.
But I also know they’ll nit pick it and find excuse to reject it if it isn’t done by them.
Yes I can be like some of posters here, ie go home, ring head office to complain, and come back to relodge, but I value my time, and thus just pay them for the ease and convenience every 10 years or so.well said, that's fair enough. for a family renewing around the same time, it can add up and feel like a rort. I would be in more in favour if auspost had a of a bulk/family deal on them!
Who's nitpicking? Australia Post? They're nobodies. Just insist they submit the application and it'll all be good. The whole thing is an AP scam.
The Passport office just follow the guidelines. They don't care who takes the photos.
I have previously printed my passport photos on my home colour inkjet printer.
Bit of photoshop (i.e. paint) magic to get rid of background shadows, and for sizing.
Aaaand this is how Auspost gets away with taking crappy photos and charging a huge amount for it. They're just playing on everyone's fears. Most of the people working there will try and reject your photos straight away without checking with their template stencil thing if you say they weren't from Auspost.
Take your own photo at home, crop and created a 6x4 collage. So long as they conform to the Passport requirements, there will be no issues with it.
I had to print the photos at Harvey Norman on glossy paper. Officeworks only prints in matt paper and Kmart machines couldn't work out how to print my 6x4 photo on 6x4 paper. Wanted to bring it on 8x5 or some crazy size??
Got 6 passport photos for $0.15. I've done this for all 4 family members now. Most recent application was submitted just last week.
Quite disappointing how many people here are recommending to instantly cough up the $20 per photo, where the option for a .10c print is available, thats like a 99.5% saving, is that not the ultimate bargain that this very site is contantly striving for…….
Doing the photos yourself can take a little bit of work to get right but hardly impossible, I paid AP to do it once, they pulled out the exact same model camera that I had at the time which was nothing more then an entry level DSLR, set on auto, the only thing they had was a fancy screen, and when returning a few days later to submit the application, the AP staff instantly tried to reject the picture, after explaining the picture was taken only a few feet from where we were standing it suddenly miraculously was passable…. what a joke, that was the last time I ever paid AP to take a photo, I've done my kids infant photos and their renewals, and other family members. !00% it will depend on the staff member your submitting it to, however just make sure you fully understand the requirments and be pre-pared to counter their weak arguements of non-compliance, they are used to making a comment and then having people quickly fold and give in. They will try and fear you out and convince you the safer route is to to just 'cough up'… just look at all the examples above. Sure pay for the convenience if you so wish, but there is a 99.5% saving on hand for those wanting to take it.
Doing the photos yourself can take a little bit of work to get right but hardly impossible.
You said it yourself, it’s a bit of work which some of us choose to pay someone else to do for us.
If I put the work involved (take selfie, edit on computer, self print at Kmart) at 30 minutes, it’s around $40/hr for the ease and convenience, at minimal risk of wasting my time further with retakes, every 10 years or so.
There’s saving a buck here and there where it counts, there’s also the equivalence of bringing instant noodles on your oversea holiday trips, or massaging your own legs instead of paying someone else for the experience.
Nothing wrong either way, but hardly “dissapointing” to see some value their time and convenience more than others.I thought the whole point of this forum was about saving a buck..
I do agree with you, we all have limits and boundries to how far we want to go for a some savings
I looked at my 2mo old I knew straightaway I am not going to save any time or money when I decided to DIY passport photo. I don't know how AP does newborn photos who can't even sit or hold their neck up. When I can do it on the floor in a well lit room with natural light.
Being her first passport I want it to be memorable I don't know how many of you keep your old passports but as a father with some photography skill I had to do it.
Unbelievable eh! The photograph cost is a total rip-off. I would never pay that price.
Tip: in Adelaide, use Harvey Norman (Citi Cross), they do gloss prints. Matte prints aren't accepted.
Take the photo with your phone. Ensure that there is no shadow, enough lighting and capture it from a distance so it has enough margin while trimming in the next step. Upload and follow the steps in https://makepassportphoto.com/. Also print at BigW. Better than KMart, atleast where I went. Melbourne west.
The passport photo from Auspost or Officeworks etc., they will provide a certificate of the photo compliance.
which you can do without if you diy. 5 mins in photoshop.
So many people are calling out what if photo is rejected. Passport size pics are not rocket science. There are few apps which facilitate it and you print for less than a dollar.
More importantly, the experience will set you up cheap printing in future for the whole family.If your photo is rejected, ask them what is wrong with it and then go home and do it again.
I've done adults, kids and babies pictures and never had an issue. Once I was told at AP that it wasn't a great photo and there is a chance it would get rejected. I said let's try and hope for the best. Spoiler alert: It was accepted!
Pro tip: Have the person stand about a metre away from the white wall/background so that you don't get the shadow behind them.
Done it for multiple passports without any issues.
Recommend to have 2-3 copies with different zoom on face and ensure no background shadows.
If they say it might delay the passport, tell them you take the responsibility and are fine with that ;-)
https://kimnotes.blogspot.com/2016/04/using-gimp-to-create-i…
easy to follow diy tutorial I have used many times
I use pixlr . com to create a 4 inch by 6 inch image (1200x1800 px). import the passport size photo. make it 35mm x 45mm size. duplicate the layer for multiple copies.
Having done my passport recently, they have been very strict with the photo's given, especially for kids. Had to resubmit 3 times, due to lighting, shadows, too much reflection off hair etc. All were done by Australia Post, so was able to get them re-done for free.
Speaking with Australia Post, the business centres have better setups then the general stores, which is the last one that I used and it worked.
Correct you need a proper lighting setup not even on board flash. Don't even bother shooting if you haven't get the lighting right. If you have no lighting equipment your best bet is a room with a huge floor to ceiling window with indirect sunlight.
No shadows in your picture.
Slight chin, hair fringe, and collar shadow is fine. But yes your background needs to be shadow-less and uniform, or at least sufficiently uniform to the eye. (Blur tool is your friend)
Or subject stands away from the background and close to the light source.
I’ve always used
Created the photos, download and print at Kmart - have been rejected only once
I've never paid someone $20 to take passport photos for me. I just take the photos at home in front of a white wall with flat lighting and crop and size them in Photoshop. I used to use a DSLR but nowadays I just use my iPhone and haven't had a problem getting the photos accepted. I put 8 photos on one 6x4" photo. 8 photos for 10c, doesn't get much cheaper than that.
The passport office requires the photos to be on gloss paper which Kmart can do. Officeworks only offers lustre paper if you print your own photos which isn't gloss, so not recommended.
Anyway to answer OP's question, you can't make passport photos with the Kmart Photos app alone. You either need to do some work in an image editing program on a computer or use an online service or an app that can format the photo to the required dimensions first.
I've always DIY'd it with tools available online, and printed on whatever Officeworks' default photo paper offering is, never had a passport rejected. Just read the rules, make sure you follow them, and I guess don't admit that you took it yourself if questioned.
I've just taken photos using my phone camera against the wall in my house and used an app in the google play store called "passport photo editor" which lets you select the country you need a photo for and automatically adjusts your photo to meet the requirements then got them printed at officeworks for 15 cents. I've done this for myself and my mum and were both approved and I'll admit my photo was pretty shitty quality since it was taken on a 4 year old Nokia. The auspost person who processed it tried to get me to take a new photo with them instead but I declined and my passport still went through smoothly and for my mum's application, the person there said the photo looked great.
Agree with the above comments, it's not rocket science. I'd give it a go.
Take a photo with the appropriate background
Go here and use the template
https://www.idphoto4you.com/Print a 4x8 at kmart for $0.50
OP I did mime at officeworks. Cheaper.
Officeworks is $17.95 and Aus Post is $21.95
'a friend's has been shooting and printing all his and his family's passport size photos including infant's at Officeworks and Harvey Norman on 4x6" never paid more than 10cents for 4 photos on a single sheet of 4x6 in last 15 years. Use Microsoft Paint to crop ( use ruler ) and make sure the ratio of head to chin is same as on the form. Need some calculation in mm but in the end it's worth it as it serves you for the years to come. Once an Australian Post (franchisee) CS tried to find fault in self-supplied photo, just got the form back and lodged at another Post office 1km away. Someone who tries to scam you definitely doesn't deserve your business.
I always did it on my own and never got rejected. Just made sure that I followed the guidelines properly and the photo quality is the best and nothing weird.
My gf got her photo from the AusPost, probably the ugliest photo of her I have ever seen yet. She is now stuck looking ugly two renewals in a row LOL
If you don't care about your passport photo then I understand why people do it at Auspost. But if you care about your photo that will be there for 10 years then organise it yourself.
Sorry but Auspost takes horrible photos. Had one recently taken, because my one was rejected, I didn't have extra time so just did it through Auspost. The photo in the end was not even in focus and blurry….it is a horrible and the ugliest photo lol
I am still firm on believing that it depends who you get at Auspost and also they just become salty or insist on taking a photo with them.
I use this
https://makepassportphoto.com/ for the picture and download the picture in 6*4 frame which makes 6 ppassport pictures. Print at office works for 10cents
- 1
- 2
Used this many times. Just ensure photo is without smile or shadows. And while printing at kmart use glossy finish not matt.