Photo Size Converter: cm to Pixels for Form Photos (3.5×4.5 cm, 2×2 Inch & More)
Convert photo sizes from cm and inches to pixels. 3.5×4.5 cm = 413×531 px at 300 DPI. Conversion tables and the formula for every common Indian form photo size.
Official notifications love mixing units: the photo must be "3.5 cm × 4.5 cm", but the upload portal wants pixels, and the scanner talks DPI. This guide gives you the formula and ready conversion tables for every photo size used in Indian exam and government forms.
The formula
pixels = (size in cm ÷ 2.54) × DPI
DPI (dots per inch) is the print resolution. 300 DPI is the standard for photos that will be printed or verified; some portals accept 200 DPI. Example: 3.5 cm ÷ 2.54 = 1.378 inches; at 300 DPI that's 1.378 × 300 ≈ 413 pixels.
Common photo sizes: cm → pixels
| Physical size | Used for | At 200 DPI | At 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 × 4.5 cm (35×45 mm) | Indian "passport size", Schengen visa, most exam forms | 276 × 354 px | 413 × 531 px |
| 2 × 2 inch (51×51 mm) | Indian Passport (online), US visa | 400 × 400 px | 600 × 600 px |
| 4.0 × 2.0 cm | Signature box (SSC and others) | 315 × 157 px | 472 × 236 px |
| 4 × 6 inch (postcard) | NEET UG postcard photo | 800 × 1200 px | 1200 × 1800 px |
But my form asks for exact pixels — which wins?
When a portal publishes pixel dimensions (200×230 px, 140×60 px, 100×120 px), the pixels win. The cm figure in the notification describes the printed photo; the upload validator checks pixels and file size only — it cannot measure centimetres. So for online submission:
- UPSC, IBPS PO, NEET, PAN: photo 200×230 px — upload exactly that, whatever DPI your camera used.
- SSC CGL: photo 100×120 px, signature 140×60 px.
- Signature boxes across banking and exam forms are almost always 140×60 px.
Each form page on this site already maps the official notification (cm or pixels) to the exact upload spec and resizes your image to it — see the full list of forms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How many pixels is a 3.5 × 4.5 cm photo?
413 × 531 pixels at 300 DPI, or 276 × 354 pixels at 200 DPI. The formula is (cm ÷ 2.54) × DPI.
Q2. What is passport size photo in pixels in India?
Indian "passport size" is 3.5 × 4.5 cm, which is 413 × 531 pixels at 300 DPI. Note that the online Indian Passport application itself uses a different, square 2 × 2 inch photo (600 × 600 pixels).
Q3. What DPI should my form photo be?
Use 300 DPI when a notification mentions DPI or the photo will be printed. Most online upload portals never check DPI — they validate pixel dimensions and file size, so matching the published pixels matters more.
Q4. My form says 200 × 230 pixels — what is that in cm?
At 300 DPI, 200 × 230 pixels is about 1.7 × 1.9 cm printed — it's a screen spec, not a print size. Upload the exact pixel dimensions; only print at passport size (3.5 × 4.5 cm) if you also need physical copies.