Converting from Pica Postscript (pi) to Point Printer (pt) | Typography

What is Pica Postscript (pi)

Pica Postscript (pi) is a typographic unit of measurement equal to 12 points, commonly used in digital typesetting.

What is Point Printer (pt)

Point Printer (pt) is another unit of typographic measurement, equivalent to 0.0830092 pica postscript. Printers and designers frequently use this measurement for font sizes and spacing.

Conversion Formulas

The default conversion rates are as follows:

• 1 (pi) = 12.04686 (pt)
• 1 (pt) = 0.0830092 (pi)

For other conversions, here are some commonly used equivalences:

• 9 (pi) = 108.4217 (pt)
• 9 (pt) = 0.7470828 (pi)
• 3 (pi) = 36.14057 (pt)
• 3 (pt) = 0.2490276 (pi)
• 11 (pi) = 132.5154 (pt)
• 11 (pt) = 0.9131012 (pi)

To convert between pica postscript and point printer, simply multiply or divide by the conversion factor, depending on the direction of the conversion.

Examples

1. Convert 5 pi to pt:

5pi×12.04686pt=60.2343pt

2. Convert 15 pt to pi:

15pt×0.0830092pi=1.245138pi

3. For a font size of 12 pt, the equivalent in pi would be:

12pt×0.0830092pi=0.99611pi

By understanding these conversion rates, designers and typesetters can easily switch between pica postscript and point printer measurements in typography.