Picas to points
Type a value in picas to see it in points straight away, or type in the second box to convert back.
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Processing and privacy: The result is calculated inside your browser and your data is not sent to any server.
How to use it
- Type the value in the picas box.
- Read the result in points as you type, and pick the precision you need.
- Swap the direction to convert back, or copy the result.
How it is calculated
pt = pc × 12
Multiply the value in picas by 12 to get points.
Example
To convert 25 pc to points: 25 × 12 = 300 pt.
Conversion table
| Picas (pc) | Points (pt) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 12 |
| 2 | 24 |
| 3 | 36 |
| 5 | 60 |
| 10 | 120 |
| 20 | 240 |
| 25 | 300 |
| 50 | 600 |
| 100 | 1,200 |
| 250 | 3,000 |
| 500 | 6,000 |
| 1,000 | 12,000 |
About the units
- Pica
- A pica is 12 points, exactly 1/6 inch, used to measure column widths and spacing in page layout.
- Point
- The desktop publishing point is exactly 1/72 inch, about 0.3528 mm, and it sizes fonts in Word, PDF and CSS.
Limits and caveats
- Results are rounded for display and computed with the browser's floating point precision (about 15 significant digits).
- Both unit factors are exact by their official definitions.
Questions about this tool
How many points are in one pica?
1 pc = 12 pt exactly.
How do I convert picas to points?
Use pt = pc × 12. For example, 25 pc = 300 pt.
How many picas are in one point?
1 pt = 0.0833333 pc.
Why is 12 pt text 16 px on screen?
CSS defines one inch as 96 px and 72 pt, so a point is 4/3 px and 12 pt is 16 px. The physical size still depends on screen density and zoom.
Is this point the same as the traditional printer's point?
No, it is the desktop publishing point of 1/72 inch used by CSS, PDF and Word. The old American printer's point is close to 1/72.27 inch, about 0.4% smaller.