Convert font size in points to inches, cm or mm with an estimated letter height, or find the point size that gives a target letter height in inches.

CSS units and physical device pixels use different mappings.

Letter heights are estimates from typical font metrics. Print at 100% and measure to confirm.

Font metrics and line spacing

Blank metric overrides use the selected approximate typeface preset. Actual font files and glyphs vary.

Blank uses a 1.2em estimate; application single spacing may use different font metrics.

Font Size To Inches Formula

The following formulas are used to convert a font size to inches, depending on the units.

I & = (F) / (72) (F in points (pt))\ I & = (P) / (R) (P in pixels (px), R in pixels per inch (PPI))

Variables:

  • I is the size in inches
  • F is the font size in points (pt)
  • P is the font size in pixels (px)
  • R is the screen resolution in pixels per inch (PPI) (if not known, CSS commonly uses 96 PPI as a reference)

Divide points by 72 for nominal em inches, not the height of a printed capital. Divide physical pixels by display PPI for a physical-pixel estimate. CSS pixels use 96 px per CSS inch; OS scaling and browser zoom mean CSS size need not match a ruler on the screen.

Font Size to Physical Size Conversion Table (CSS reference: 1 in = 72 pt = 96 CSS px)
Points (pt) Pixels (px) Inches (in) Centimeters (cm) Millimeters (mm)
68.00.0830.2122.117
79.30.0970.2472.469
810.70.1110.2822.822
912.00.1250.3183.175
1013.30.1390.3533.528
1114.70.1530.3883.881
1216.00.1670.4234.233
1418.70.1940.4944.944
1621.30.2220.5645.644
1824.00.2500.6356.350
2026.70.2780.7067.056
2229.30.3060.7767.761
2432.00.3330.8478.467
2837.30.3890.9889.878
3242.70.4441.12911.289
3648.00.5001.27012.700
4053.30.5561.41114.111
4864.00.6671.69316.933
6080.00.8332.11721.167
7296.01.0002.54025.400
*Assumes CSS reference mapping: 1 inch = 72 points = 96 CSS pixels. Physical size on screen may vary with actual display PPI and OS/browser scaling.

What Does “Font Size to Inches” Mean?

Font size to inches is a way to express the height of text as a physical length. In typography, font size is often measured in points, where 1 point (pt) equals 1/72 of an inch (in). On screens, font sizes are commonly specified in pixels (px), and converting pixels to inches requires knowing the display’s pixel density (PPI).

How to Calculate Font Size To Inches?

The following steps outline how to calculate the Font Size To Inches.

  1. First, determine the font size in points (pt) or pixels (px).
  2. If your font size is in points, use inches = points / 72.
  3. If your font size is in pixels, determine the screen resolution in pixels per inch (PPI), then use inches = pixels / PPI.
  4. If needed, convert inches to other units (1 in = 2.54 cm = 25.4 mm).
  5. After calculating, check your answer with the calculator above.

Example Problem : 

Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.

font size = 12 points (pt)

Using I = F / 72: I = 12 / 72 = 0.1667 inches (≈ 0.167 in).

For comparison, 16 px at 96 PPI (CSS reference) is also 16 / 96 = 0.1667 inches.