Can a phone photo print at A4?

A standard 12 MP phone photo is 3024x4032 pixels, which comes to about 344 DPI at A4 once it is cropped to 1:1.414. Comfortably over 300 DPI, so it will come out sharp.

What aspect ratio is A4?

1:1.414, from 8.27 by 11.69 inches. Phones shoot 3:4, so reaching 1:1.414 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 an A4 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 2,556x3,582 pixels at 300 DPI. Leave the face comfortably clear of that outer band, since it gets cut away.

What resolution do you need for an A4 memorial portrait?

An A4 memorial portrait needs 2,481 × 3,507 pixels for a true 300 DPI print, or 1,654 × 2,338 pixels at a more forgiving 200 DPI. That is about a 8.7 MP camera if the photograph needs no cropping.

The international equivalent of 8x10, and the sheet a funeral program is printed on outside the US. Needed alongside the US sizes rather than instead of them.

Inches: 8.27 × 11.69
Aspect ratio: 1:1.414
Pixels at 300 DPI: 2,481 × 3,507
Pixels at 200 DPI: 1,654 × 2,338

Check your photograph against A4

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 A4

The crop to 1:1.414 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 A4 for common sources
Where it came from	Pixels	DPI at A4	Verdict
A photo saved from Facebook	1,536 × 2,048	175	Soft at this size
A photo sent by WhatsApp at standard quality	1,200 × 1,600	136	Soft at this size
A 6x4 print scanned at 300 DPI	1,200 × 1,800	145	Soft at this size
A 6x4 print scanned at 600 DPI	2,400 × 3,600	290	Fine framed
A 12 MP phone photo	3,024 × 4,032	344	Sharp
An iPhone 15 or later at its default 24 MP	4,284 × 5,712	488	Sharp
An iPhone at 48 MP, full resolution	6,048 × 8,064	689	Sharp
A camera, 24 MP	4,000 × 6,000	483	Sharp

What usually goes wrong at A4

Using a copy saved from Facebook or a message. Facebook keeps at most 2,048px on the long edge, which is 175 DPI at A4; 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 1:1.414 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

A4 questions

What resolution do you need for an A4 memorial portrait?: Count on 2,481x3,507 pixels to hold a true 300 DPI at this size, or 1,654x2,338 if 200 DPI will do — and for a framed portrait it usually will. Uncropped, the first of those is the work of about a 8.7 MP camera. Both figures have the trim to 1:1.414 taken off already.
Can a phone photo print at A4?: A standard 12 MP phone photo is 3024x4032 pixels, which comes to about 344 DPI at A4 once it is cropped to 1:1.414. Comfortably over 300 DPI, so it will come out sharp.
What aspect ratio is A4?: 1:1.414, from 8.27 by 11.69 inches. Phones shoot 3:4, so reaching 1:1.414 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 A4 the right size for a funeral?: The international equivalent of 8x10, and the sheet a funeral program is printed on outside the US. Needed alongside the US sizes rather than instead of them.
Do I need to add bleed to an A4 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 2,556x3,582 pixels at 300 DPI. Leave the face comfortably clear of that outer band, since it gets cut away.