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12 MP phone photo: how large can you print it?

A 12 MP phone photo, about 4,000 x 3,000 pixels, meets our 100 pixels per inch rule up to 30 x 40 in, which is 31 of the 34 listed sizes. It falls short of 36 x 48, 40 x 60 and 48 x 60 in. A 3:2, 16:9 or 1:1 crop keeps fewer sizes.

A 12 MP frame and its crops against 18 x 24, 24 x 36 and 30 x 40 in. Crops cut pixels, so the 1:1 and 16:9 bars are shorter.

What counts as a 12 MP phone photo?

Several phones give a 12 MP photo. The iPhone 13 has a dual 12MP system, the iPhone 16 has a 12MP ultra wide camera, and the Galaxy S25 has a 12 MP ultra wide camera. The Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G offers a 12.5MP mode on its 200MP sensor. In that mode the sensor combines pixels, with 2.24 micron pixels against 1.12 microns in the 50MP mode, which is four times the area. At 4:3 all of them give about 4,000 x 3,000 pixels.

Mode	Pixels (computed)	MP	Listed sizes reached	Largest size reached	ppi at 12 x 18	ppi at 24 x 36	ppi at 48 x 60
12 MP	4,000 x 3,000	12.0	31 of 34	30 x 40 in	222	111	62
12.5 MP (binned mode on a 200 MP sensor)	4,082 x 3,061	12.5	31 of 34	30 x 40 in	227	113	64

Crops of a 12 MP photo

If a camera app offers 3:2, 16:9 or 1:1, the saved photo is a crop of the 4:3 frame. Check your app, because some save the full frame and only show a guide. The sizes below assume the crop is saved as shown.

Shape	Pixels	MP	Listed sizes reached	Largest size reached	ppi at 12 x 18
4:3 (the sensor shape)	4,000 x 3,000	12.0	31 of 34	30 x 40 in	222
3:2 crop	4,000 x 2,666	10.7	29 of 34	24 x 36 in	222
16:9 crop	4,000 x 2,250	9.0	27 of 34	18 x 36 in	188
1:1 crop	3,000 x 3,000	9.0	28 of 34	28 x 28 in	167

Sizes either side of the line

Size (in)	Size (cm)	Pixels needed	ppi	Share of frame used	100 ppi rule	Framed canvas, with GST	Before GST
18 x 36	45.7 x 91.4	1,800 x 3,600	111	67%	meets	₹3,452	₹2,925
28 x 28	71.1 x 71.1	2,800 x 2,800	107	75%	meets	₹4,176	₹3,539
24 x 36	61 x 91.4	2,400 x 3,600	111	89%	meets	₹4,602	₹3,900
30 x 40	76.2 x 101.6	3,000 x 4,000	100	100%	meets	₹7,375	₹6,250
36 x 48	91.4 x 121.9	3,600 x 4,800	83	100%	below	₹10,620	₹9,000
40 x 60	101.6 x 152.4	4,000 x 6,000	67	89%	below	₹16,717	₹14,167
48 x 60	121.9 x 152.4	4,800 x 6,000	62	94%	below	₹20,060	₹17,000

The table shows the four largest sizes reached and the three sizes missed, for the 4:3 frame. Share of frame used is how much of the photo the print uses when the photo is cropped to the print's shape.

Worked example: 30 x 40 and 36 x 48 in

A 30 x 40 in print needs 30 x 100 = 3,000 pixels on the short side and 40 x 100 = 4,000 on the long side. A 4,000 x 3,000 photo has exactly that, so it meets the rule with no crop to spare (100 ppi). A 36 x 48 in print needs 4,800 on the long side, and 4,000 / 48 = 83 ppi.

We worked the sizes out from megapixels at 4:3, rounded down, so a real file differs a little. Read the width and height of your own file. The 12.5 MP row is a mode on the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G, and its saved file size is not stated.

Can I still order a size my 12 MP phone photo does not meet?

Yes. Sizes below 100 pixels per inch can still be ordered, and the studio shows a friendly note because the picture may look softer. For a 12 MP photo that means 36 x 48, 40 x 60 and 48 x 60 in. Check the width and height of your own file first.