Unit Converter / Points to Centimeters
Points to Centimeters Converter
1 point = 0.0353 centimeters at 96 DPI, the CSS reference resolution. To convert, multiplypoints by 0.0353: pt × 0.0353 = cm. Change the DPI below for print and image work, where a pixel is whatever the output resolution says it is.
Points to Centimeters table
Standard values at 96 DPI.
| Points (pt) | Centimeters (cm) |
|---|---|
| 6 | 0.2117 |
| 8 | 0.2822 |
| 9 | 0.3175 |
| 10 | 0.3528 |
| 11 | 0.3881 |
| 12 | 0.4233 |
| 14 | 0.4939 |
| 16 | 0.5644 |
| 18 | 0.635 |
| 24 | 0.8467 |
| 36 | 1.27 |
| 72 | 2.54 |
How the conversion works
The type unit: font sizes are measured in points, exactly 72 to the inch since the PostScript definition (the older metal-type point was slightly smaller). 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 points to centimeters therefore goes through that anchor: points to pixels, then pixels to centimeters. For example,12 pt = 0.4233 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.