Convert Points (pt) to Ems (em) | pt in em

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Let's convert Points (pt) to Ems (em)

This quick and easy calculator will convert Points (pt) to Ems (em) and show formula, brief history on the units and quick maths for the conversion.

Enter Points to convert to Ems


Quick Reference for Converting Points to Ems

Formula
em = pt / 12.04
Quick Rough Maths
To get the Ems, divide the number of Points by 12.0
Points (pt) in 1 Em
There are 12.04 Points in 1 Em
Ems (em) in 1 Point
There are 0.08 Ems in 1 Point

Unit Information

Point
/pɔɪnt/
Symbol: pt
Unit System: Typography

What is the Point?

The point is a unit of length in the field of typography and uses the symbol pt.

It is the smallest unit in the world of typography. There are 12 points in a pica.

In physical printing methods / press systems, the point size is the height of the metal press body on which the font's letters are made. When applied to the digital type space, letters are designed around a theoretical size, an em square which is scaled to the relative point size (when specified of course!).

Em
/ɛm/
Symbol: em
Unit System: Typography

What is the Em?

The em is a unit of length in the field of typography and uses the symbol em.

It is a "relative" unit and equals the currently specified point size. For example, 1 em in a 24-point typeface is equal to 24 points. This allows a typographer to specify text size relative to a base figure.

In metal type, the em was equal to the line height of the metal body. This meant the physical size of the letter could not exceed the em. In digital type, the em is a grid of arbitrary resolution so can be scaled to any point size for screen or print.


Conversion Tables for Points (pt) to Ems (em)