How Big is a Point?

How Big is a Point?
(We're Talking Font Size)


Jason Morrell

Have you ever wondered: What is a point? Not, what is the point, - a point? 

Whenever you see a reference to font size, it is specified in points, e.g. font size 10, font size 12. What is 'point size'? How big is a point?

Again, this is a historical convention that dates back to the original printing presses of yesteryear.

There are 72 points in one inch.

Therefore, if you are using font size 12, the text size is 12/72 of an inch high when it is printed.

Put another way, 1 inch contains exactly 6 lines of size 12 text (6 x 12 = 72).

You never know when a fun fact like that might pop up in pub trivia quiz.

So now you know!

Here are some other advanced text effects you may be interested in.



Enjoy the rest of your day!

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