Unit Converter / Inches to Centimeters
Inches to Centimeters Converter
1 inch = 2.54 centimeters at 96 DPI, the CSS reference resolution. To convert, multiplyinches by 2.54: in × 2.54 = cm. Change the DPI below for print and image work, where a pixel is whatever the output resolution says it is.
Inches to Centimeters table
Standard values at 96 DPI.
| Inches (in) | Centimeters (cm) |
|---|---|
| 0.25 | 0.635 |
| 0.5 | 1.27 |
| 1 | 2.54 |
| 2 | 5.08 |
| 3 | 7.62 |
| 4 | 10.16 |
| 6 | 15.24 |
| 8.5 | 21.59 |
| 11 | 27.94 |
| 12 | 30.48 |
| 24 | 60.96 |
How the conversion works
The US print unit: US Letter is 8.5 by 11 inches, and print layouts are still specced in inches across North America. The metric print unit outside the US: A4 paper is 21 by 29.7 centimeters. One centimeter is exactly 0.3937 inches. The CSS specification anchors the whole system to the inch: at the reference resolution of 96 DPI, one inch is exactly 96 pixels, one point is 96/72 pixels, and the metric units follow from the inch being exactly 25.4 millimeters. Converting inches to centimeters therefore goes through that anchor: inches to pixels, then pixels to centimeters. For example,4 in = 10.16 cm.
The DPI setting matters only when pixels meet the physical world. On screen, CSS pixels are defined by the 96 DPI reference and the conversion above is exact. In a 300 DPI print file or image, an inch holds 300 pixels instead, so the same measurement converts differently; set the resolution to match the file you are working with.