Can a phone photo print at 12x16"?

A standard 12 MP phone photo is 3024x4032 pixels, which comes to about 252 DPI at 12x16" once it is cropped to 3:4. That is below 300 DPI but perfectly acceptable for a print people look at from a few feet away, which is how a memorial portrait is usually seen.

What aspect ratio is 12x16"?

3:4, from 12 by 16 inches. Phones shoot 3:4, so nothing has to be trimmed at all — of every size here, this one keeps the most of the picture.

Do I need to add bleed to a 12x16" print file?

Usually not — a portrait destined for a frame rarely needs any, and most shops will not ask. Where one does, expect the usual 0.125 inches all round, taking the file to 3,675x4,875 pixels at 300 DPI. Leave the face comfortably clear of that outer band, since it gets cut away.

What resolution do you need for a 12x16" memorial portrait?

A 12x16" memorial portrait needs 3,600 × 4,800 pixels for a true 300 DPI print, or 2,400 × 3,200 pixels at a more forgiving 200 DPI. That is about a 17 MP camera if the photograph needs no cropping.

A 3:4 ratio, which matches most phone camera sensors exactly. If the photograph came straight off a phone, this size crops away the least of it.

Inches: 12 × 16
Aspect ratio: 3:4
Pixels at 300 DPI: 3,600 × 4,800
Pixels at 200 DPI: 2,400 × 3,200

Check your photograph against 12x16"

Drop the file in. It is read on your own computer and never uploaded.

Drop the photograph here

JPG, PNG, WebP or iPhone HEIC. You can paste one from the clipboard too — a photo saved from a message works.

The photograph is read on this device and never uploaded.

What each kind of photograph gives you at 12x16"

The crop to 3:4 is already taken off these figures, which is why they are lower than dividing pixels by inches. If you know roughly how many megapixels the photograph is but not its pixel dimensions, start from what you can print from a 12 MP photo — the size nearly every phone saves — or compare every megapixel count against every print size.

Effective DPI at 12x16" for common sources
Where it came from	Pixels	DPI at 12x16"	Verdict
A photo saved from Facebook	1,536 × 2,048	128	Soft at this size
A photo sent by WhatsApp at standard quality	1,200 × 1,600	100	Soft at this size
A 6x4 print scanned at 300 DPI	1,200 × 1,800	100	Soft at this size
A 6x4 print scanned at 600 DPI	2,400 × 3,600	200	Fine framed
A 12 MP phone photo	3,024 × 4,032	252	Fine framed
An iPhone 15 or later at its default 24 MP	4,284 × 5,712	357	Sharp
An iPhone at 48 MP, full resolution	6,048 × 8,064	504	Sharp
A camera, 24 MP	4,000 × 6,000	333	Sharp

What usually goes wrong at 12x16"

Using a copy saved from Facebook or a message. Facebook keeps at most 2,048px on the long edge, which is 128 DPI at 12x16"; WhatsApp at standard quality sends about 1,600px. The original on somebody’s phone is usually several times larger. This is one of the most common reasons a photograph will not print, and one message asking for the original often fixes it.
Dividing raw pixels by inches. It ignores the crop to 3:4 and overstates the resolution, sometimes badly. Every figure on this page has the crop taken off already.
Scanning at 300 DPI and expecting a bigger print. A 6x4 print scanned at 300 DPI is only 1800px on the long edge. Scanning the same print at 600 DPI doubles that and costs nothing but a setting, so scan high the first time — the print may go back in an album.
Losing the DPI tag. Some printers and layout programs size the picture from the DPI field, so a file with the right pixels but a 72 DPI tag can come out the wrong size. Every file this site produces has the DPI written into it as well as into its name.

Every size, side by side

Pixel dimensions required for each standard frame size. The last column is the camera resolution needed to reach 300 DPI with no cropping at all.
Print size	Inches	Pixels at 300 DPI	Pixels at 200 DPI	Camera needed
5x7"	5 × 7	1,500 × 2,100	1,000 × 1,400	3.1 MP
8x10"	8 × 10	2,400 × 3,000	1,600 × 2,000	7.2 MP
A4	8.27 × 11.69	2,481 × 3,507	1,654 × 2,338	8.7 MP
11x14"	11 × 14	3,300 × 4,200	2,200 × 2,800	14 MP
12x16"	12 × 16	3,600 × 4,800	2,400 × 3,200	17 MP
A3	11.69 × 16.54	3,507 × 4,962	2,338 × 3,308	17 MP
16x20"	16 × 20	4,800 × 6,000	3,200 × 4,000	29 MP
18x24"	18 × 24	5,400 × 7,200	3,600 × 4,800	39 MP
20x24"	20 × 24	6,000 × 7,200	4,000 × 4,800	43 MP
24x36"	24 × 36	7,200 × 10,800	4,800 × 7,200	78 MP

Questions

12x16" questions

What resolution do you need for a 12x16" memorial portrait?: Count on 3,600x4,800 pixels to hold a true 300 DPI at this size, or 2,400x3,200 if 200 DPI will do — and for a framed portrait it usually will. Uncropped, the first of those is the work of about a 17 MP camera. Both figures have the trim to 3:4 taken off already.
Can a phone photo print at 12x16"?: A standard 12 MP phone photo is 3024x4032 pixels, which comes to about 252 DPI at 12x16" once it is cropped to 3:4. That is below 300 DPI but perfectly acceptable for a print people look at from a few feet away, which is how a memorial portrait is usually seen.
What aspect ratio is 12x16"?: 3:4, from 12 by 16 inches. Phones shoot 3:4, so nothing has to be trimmed at all — of every size here, this one keeps the most of the picture.
Is 12x16" the right size for a funeral?: A 3:4 ratio, which matches most phone camera sensors exactly. If the photograph came straight off a phone, this size crops away the least of it.
Do I need to add bleed to a 12x16" print file?: Usually not — a portrait destined for a frame rarely needs any, and most shops will not ask. Where one does, expect the usual 0.125 inches all round, taking the file to 3,675x4,875 pixels at 300 DPI. Leave the face comfortably clear of that outer band, since it gets cut away.