How to Crop a Photo to 4x6 (Print-Ready, Free)

Camera photos aren't 4x6-shaped, so prints get cropped. Here's how to crop to 4x6 yourself for clean prints — free.

Order a 4×6 print from a typical camera photo and the lab crops it to fit — often cutting off heads or edges you didn't expect. That's because most cameras shoot a different shape than 4×6. Cropping to 4×6 yourself means clean prints with nothing important lost. Here's how, free.

Why prints get cropped

A 4×6 print has a 3:2 aspect ratio. Many phone cameras shoot 4:3, so the lab has to trim to make it fit — and it doesn't know what matters in your shot. Cropping to 3:2 yourself puts you in control of the framing.

How to crop to 4x6 (free)

Step 1 — Open the crop tool at sjpt.io.

Step 3 — Choose the 3:2 (4×6) ratio and position your subject.

Step 4 — Download and send to print.

No watermark, no sign-up.

Frame for the print

Leave a small margin around faces and edges in case of slight over-trim at the lab. Keep the horizon level. For portrait 4×6, use 2:3 instead of 3:2. Export at a good resolution (at least ~1200×1800 for a sharp 4×6).

Resolution for 4x6

For a sharp 4×6 at 300 DPI you want about 1800 × 1200 pixels. If your cropped image is smaller than that, upscale it first so the print stays crisp rather than soft.

Frequently asked questions

3:2 (landscape) or 2:3 (portrait). Crop to that so the lab doesn't trim your photo unexpectedly.

Use Pixel Shine's crop tool, pick the 3:2 ratio, frame your subject, and download.

Camera photos are often 4:3, so labs crop to 3:2. Cropping yourself controls the framing.

About 1800×1200 for a sharp 4×6 at 300 DPI — upscale first if smaller.

Key takeaways

Crop to 3:2 for 4×6 prints so the lab doesn't chop your photo — leave a margin and export ~1800×1200 for sharpness. Free at sjpt.io. Crop to 4x6 Free →