About the Percent to Point Converter
A percentage font size means nothing on its own, because it scales whatever size it inherits. To express it in points you need that inherited size first, which is what the base font size field supplies. With the browser default of 16 pixels, 100% is 12pt, 125% is 15pt and 75% is 9pt.
This matters when a web page is being adapted for print or fed to a PDF generator. Reviewers and print vendors talk in points, so a spec sheet saying body copy is 87.5% is not something a typesetter can act on. Converting the whole scale in one go gives you a table you can attach to the handoff.
The chain the tool applies is straightforward: the percentage multiplies the base font size to give pixels, then pixels are divided by 1.3333 to give points, since CSS fixes 96 pixels to an inch and 72 points to an inch. If the element is nested inside another sized block, enter the computed size of that parent rather than the root, because percentages resolve against the immediate parent. Should you need the on screen size instead, Percent to PX covers it.
How to use
- Enter the percentage font sizes, one per line.
- Set Base font size to the inherited size in pixels.
- Read the point equivalents for your print stylesheet.
- Copy the values or download the table for the handoff.
Common questions
- What is 100% in points?
- 12pt when the inherited font size is 16 pixels.
- Why do I need to supply a base size?
- A percentage is relative. Without knowing what it multiplies there is no fixed point value to report.
- Are points a good unit for the web?
- They are best kept for print stylesheets. On screen, rem or em respond better to user font size settings.
- What base should I use for a nested element?
- The computed font size of its parent, since a percentage resolves against the parent rather than the document root.