How to print photo booth strips at home

Print the original downloaded PNG, keep its proportions, and place it on a page at the width you want. Make one plain-paper test before using photo paper so you can check the size with a ruler.

A photo strip does not have to fill the whole sheet. Leaving space around it protects the frame's edges and gives you room to cut.

1. Download the finished strip

On Shot after Shot's final screen, press Download. One finished frame downloads as a PNG. If you made several frames, the download is a ZIP containing the PNG files. Extract it, open the files, and choose the strip you want to print.

Use that original file rather than a screenshot of the preview or a copy saved from a chat. A screenshot may include the interface, and a messaging app may reduce the image quality.

Still making the strip? The how-to guide shows the camera, frame, editing, and download steps.

2. Choose a width and keep the proportions

Turn on your editor's lock aspect ratio or keep proportions setting. Change the width and let the height update automatically. Setting both dimensions independently can stretch faces; filling a differently shaped box can crop the frame.

Our 3-Pose Vertical Strip is 855 × 1791 pixels. Here are three sizes with the same proportions:

Printed width	Resulting height	Useful for
1.5 in / 3.81 cm	About 3.14 in / 7.98 cm	Two small copies on a 4 × 6 sheet
2 in / 5.08 cm	About 4.19 in / 10.64 cm	A compact strip on a larger sheet
2.5 in / 6.35 cm	About 5.24 in / 13.30 cm	One larger strip on a 4 × 6 sheet

These sizes apply to that layout. Other strips and grids have different proportions. Check your downloaded image's dimensions in its file information, then calculate height = chosen width × image height ÷ image width.

For example, 2.5 × 1791 ÷ 855 gives a height of about 5.24 inches. Forcing this strip into a 2 × 6 inch shape changes its appearance.

3. Arrange the strip on the paper

Use a document or photo-layout editor that lets you set the page size and image width in inches or centimetres. A page-layout method gives you more control than printing a PNG with the app's default settings.

1. Set the page to the paper you will load, such as portrait 4 × 6 inches, A4, or US Letter.
2. Insert the original PNG. Keep its proportions locked and set your chosen width.
3. Centre the strip inside the printer's printable area. Keep its entire border visible.
4. Add a second copy if there is space. Leave a gap for cutting.
5. Export the page as a PDF if your editor supports it, keeping the same page size.

A centred 2.5 × 5.24 inch strip on 4 × 6 paper leaves 0.75 inches on each side and about 0.38 inches above and below. Check whether your printer can print within those margins.

Two 2-inch-wide strips already occupy all four inches of the sheet's width. There is no space left for margins or a cutting gap. For two copies that wide, use A4 or US Letter. On 4 × 6 paper, the smaller example below uses two 1.5-inch-wide strips with a quarter-inch gap.

4. Check the print settings

Match the print dialog's paper size and orientation to your document and loaded paper. For a PDF arranged at your intended dimensions, choose Actual size or 100%. Adobe's page-size guidance explains that Fit enlarges or reduces the page to the printable area, while Actual size does not scale it.

If the preview cuts off part of the strip, move it farther inside the page or make it smaller in your editor. Fit can prevent clipping, but it may change the dimensions you chose. Measure the result if you use it.

Printing the PNG directly? Choose an option that keeps the entire image, such as Fit or Entire image, rather than Fill or Crop. Its physical size may depend on that app's settings, so check a test print. Selecting 100% for a raw PNG does not by itself establish a two-inch print width.

Leave borderless printing off for this method. Some drivers enlarge the image to reach the paper's edges. Epson's borderless guidance describes this expansion and the possible loss of edges. That is an awkward trade for a strip whose outer frame you want to keep.

5. Test once, then use photo paper

Print one copy on plain paper first. Measure the strip's width and height, check that every frame edge is present, and make sure faces have their normal proportions. The test checks layout and size; plain paper will not show the final photo-paper colours or finish.

Once the size is right, load photo paper labelled compatible with your printer. Follow its instructions for the printable side and choose the matching paper type in the print settings. Use the printer's photo or high-quality setting if available.

Let the print dry for the time recommended by the paper or printer manufacturer. Then cut along the outside of the strip with scissors or a paper trimmer. Keep the white frame intact; the extra sheet around it is what you remove.

Fix a print that looks wrong

What you see	What to check	What to change
Faces look too tall or wide	Width and height were set separately	Restore the original image and lock its proportions
Side edges or the frame are missing	Fill, crop, or borderless expansion	Keep the whole image and move it inside the printable area
The measured width is wrong	Page size or PDF scaling	Match the loaded paper and print the prepared PDF at Actual size
The photos look blurry	Screenshot, compressed copy, or excessive enlargement	Use the original PNG and try a smaller print
Colours are dull or the print has streaks	Paper type, draft quality, or printer condition	Match the paper setting and follow the printer's maintenance guide

Change one thing, then test again. If a face is already blurry in the downloaded PNG, the printer cannot recover that detail; a retake may be the better use of your time.

Keep the original PNG and your finished page layout together. When a friend wants another copy, you can reuse the measured arrangement. To make a new strip, open the photobooth.