Formula
pt = px x 72 / DPI
Quick Reference (DPI: 96)
| PT | Pixels (px) |
|---|---|
| 8 | 10.6667 |
| 10 | 13.3333 |
| 12 | 16 |
| 14 | 18.6667 |
| 16 | 21.3333 |
| 18 | 24 |
| 20 | 26.6667 |
| 24 | 32 |
| 28 | 37.3333 |
| 32 | 42.6667 |
| 36 | 48 |
| 40 | 53.3333 |
| 48 | 64 |
| 56 | 74.6667 |
| 64 | 85.3333 |
Calculators
PT to PX Converter
At 96 DPI, 1 point equals 1.333 pixels. The formula is: px = pt x DPI / 72. A 12pt font equals 16 pixels at standard screen DPI. Points are absolute print-world units; pixels vary by display density.
Convert typographic points to pixels. At 96 DPI: 1pt = 1.333px, 12pt = 16px, 18pt = 24px. Free PT to PX calculator for type and layout work.
PT to PX Converter
At 96 DPI, 1 point equals 1.333 pixels. The formula is: px = pt x DPI / 72. A 12pt font equals 16 pixels at standard screen DPI. Points are absolute print-world units; pixels vary by display density.
Convert typographic points to pixels. At 96 DPI: 1pt = 1.333px, 12pt = 16px, 18pt = 24px. Free PT to PX calculator for type and layout work.
What a point means
A point is a print typography unit. There are 72 points in one inch. Browsers map one CSS inch to 96 CSS pixels, so the web conversion at the standard CSS reference density is 1pt = 96 / 72 = 1.333px.
This conversion is about CSS pixels, not the tiny physical pixels on a Retina or high-DPI display. The browser calculates CSS pixels first, then the device maps those CSS pixels to physical device pixels based on device pixel ratio.
Common PT to PX values
| Point size | Pixels at 96 DPI | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 9pt | 12px | Small captions, dense print tables |
| 10.5pt | 14px | Compact body text |
| 12pt | 16px | Default document body text |
| 18pt | 24px | Small headings |
| 24pt | 32px | Display headings |
Print-to-web typography workflow
When translating a print style guide to CSS, convert the point size first, then decide whether the result should remain in pixels or move into REM. For example, a 12pt body font converts to 16px. In most web projects that becomes 1rem. An 18pt subheading converts to 24px, which becomes 1.5rem on a 16px root.
- Use PT in print stylesheets and PDF-focused design specs.
- Use PX or REM in screen CSS after converting the point value.
- Use the actual print DPI only when calculating raster image output, not CSS type.
Common mistake
Do not assume a 12pt web font and a 12px web font are the same size. At the CSS reference density, 12pt becomes 16px. That is why text copied directly from a print document often looks too small on the web when the point value is treated as a pixel value.
Practical Quality Notes for PT to PX Converter
This calculator is most helpful when the result is tied to a real workflow, not treated as a loose number. For PT to PX Converter, verify the CSS reference value, the component context, and the viewport or font-size setting used by the layout. That context prevents the common mistake of copying a pixel value into a print, web, or CSS workflow where the reference size is different.
PT to PX Converter follows the CSS print relationship where 1pt is 1/72 inch and 12pt maps to 16px at the 96px-per-inch CSS reference. If the number looks unexpectedly large or small, check the unit direction first, then check the DPI, base font size, viewport width, or physical measurement that controls the calculation.
A good review pass for PT to PX Converter is simple: calculate once, compare against a known example, and preview the final output at the size people will actually see. At 96 DPI, 1 point equals 1.333 pixels. The formula is: px = pt x DPI / 72. A 12pt font equals 16 pixels at standard screen DPI. Points are absolute print-world units; pixels vary by display density.
Checks Before You Use the Result
- Confirm that PT to PX Converter is using the same input unit your source file or design brief uses.
- Save the DPI, viewport, or font-size setting next to the final PT to PX Converter value so another person can reproduce it.
- Preview the PT to PX Converter output on the target medium before sending it to print, publishing it, or adding it to CSS.
- Recalculate PT to PX Converter after resizing, cropping, changing aspect ratio, or changing the root font-size or viewport assumption.
When the Number Needs a Second Look
Recheck the result if the project moves from screen to print, from desktop to mobile, from one social platform placement to another, or from a draft export to a production file. Small context changes can make a correct PT to PX Converter answer wrong for the final job.
Sources
Reference Sources
These external references support the page's conversion formulas, resolution guidance, and unit explanations.
w3.org
W3C: CSS Values and Units Module Level 4
Specification covering absolute lengths and resolution units such as px, in, cm, mm, pt, and dpi.
Visit source
developer.mozilla.org
MDN: CSS values and units
Reference guide for CSS measurement units and how browsers interpret physical and relative sizes.
Visit source
developer.mozilla.org
MDN: <resolution>
Reference for resolution units including dpi, dppx, and dpcm used in screen and print discussions.
Visit source
developer.mozilla.org
MDN: image-resolution
Explains how raster image resolution metadata interacts with CSS and print-oriented image workflows.
Visit source
Frequently Asked Questions
Multiply pt by DPI and divide by 72. Formula: px = pt x DPI / 72. At 96 DPI: 1pt = 1.333px, 12pt = 16px, 18pt = 24px. At 72 DPI (legacy Mac): 1pt = 1px exactly.
12pt equals 16 pixels at 96 DPI, which is the standard for modern browsers. 12pt is also the default body font size in most print documents, which is why 16px is the default browser font size, they were deliberately aligned.
Use PT for print-specific stylesheets (via @media print) or when importing print typography specs into a web project. For screen display, stick with PX, REM, or EM, PT metadata gets rasterized to pixels by the browser anyway.
Because 1 inch = 72 points (a historical typography standard) and modern browsers assume 96 CSS pixels per inch. So 1 inch = 72pt = 96px, which means 1pt = 96/72 = 1.333px. This ratio is locked for web rendering regardless of actual physical display density.
No, PT resolves to CSS pixels first, then the browser applies DPR scaling to physical pixels at render time. 12pt on a 1x display and a 2x Retina display both compute to 16 CSS pixels, rendered with 16 or 32 physical pixels respectively.