Can a phone photo print at 16x20"?

A standard 12 MP phone photo is 3024x4032 pixels, which comes to about 189 DPI at 16x20" once it is cropped to 4:5. That is below 200 DPI, so it will look visibly soft at this size. A smaller print from the same photograph will look better than a large soft one.

What aspect ratio is 16x20"?

4:5, from 16 by 20 inches. Phones shoot 3:4, so reaching 4:5 means giving up some of the edges, and that is precisely why the working resolution comes in under what the raw pixel count promises.

Do I need to add bleed to a 16x20" 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 4,875x6,075 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 16x20" memorial portrait?

A 16x20" memorial portrait needs 4,800 × 6,000 pixels for a true 300 DPI print, or 3,200 × 4,000 pixels at a more forgiving 200 DPI. That is about a 29 MP camera if the photograph needs no cropping.

The memorial board size, and where phone photographs start to struggle. A 12 MP phone shot cannot reach a true 300 DPI here, which is worth knowing before the print is ordered rather than after.

Inches: 16 × 20
Aspect ratio: 4:5
Pixels at 300 DPI: 4,800 × 6,000
Pixels at 200 DPI: 3,200 × 4,000

Check your photograph against 16x20"

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 16x20"

The crop to 4:5 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 16x20" for common sources
Where it came from	Pixels	DPI at 16x20"	Verdict
A photo saved from Facebook	1,536 × 2,048	96	Soft at this size
A photo sent by WhatsApp at standard quality	1,200 × 1,600	75	Soft at this size
A 6x4 print scanned at 300 DPI	1,200 × 1,800	75	Soft at this size
A 6x4 print scanned at 600 DPI	2,400 × 3,600	150	Soft at this size
A 12 MP phone photo	3,024 × 4,032	189	Soft at this size
An iPhone 15 or later at its default 24 MP	4,284 × 5,712	267	Fine framed
An iPhone at 48 MP, full resolution	6,048 × 8,064	378	Sharp
A camera, 24 MP	4,000 × 6,000	250	Fine framed

What usually goes wrong at 16x20"

Using a copy saved from Facebook or a message. Facebook keeps at most 2,048px on the long edge, which is 96 DPI at 16x20"; 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 4:5 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

16x20" questions

What resolution do you need for a 16x20" memorial portrait?: Count on 4,800x6,000 pixels to hold a true 300 DPI at this size, or 3,200x4,000 if 200 DPI will do — and for a framed portrait it usually will. Uncropped, the first of those is the work of about a 29 MP camera. Both figures have the trim to 4:5 taken off already.
Can a phone photo print at 16x20"?: A standard 12 MP phone photo is 3024x4032 pixels, which comes to about 189 DPI at 16x20" once it is cropped to 4:5. That is below 200 DPI, so it will look visibly soft at this size. A smaller print from the same photograph will look better than a large soft one.
What aspect ratio is 16x20"?: 4:5, from 16 by 20 inches. Phones shoot 3:4, so reaching 4:5 means giving up some of the edges, and that is precisely why the working resolution comes in under what the raw pixel count promises.
Is 16x20" the right size for a funeral?: The memorial board size, and where phone photographs start to struggle. A 12 MP phone shot cannot reach a true 300 DPI here, which is worth knowing before the print is ordered rather than after.
Do I need to add bleed to a 16x20" 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 4,875x6,075 pixels at 300 DPI. Leave the face comfortably clear of that outer band, since it gets cut away.