Traditional point-size names

Fonts originally consisted of a set of moveable type letterpunches purchased from a type foundry. As early as 1600, the sizes of these types—their "bodies"—acquired traditional names in English, French, German, and Dutch, usually from their principal early uses. These names were used relative to the others and their exact length would vary over time, from country to country, and from foundry to foundry. For example, "agate" and "ruby" used to be a single size "agate ruby" of about 5 points; metal type known as "agate" later ranged from 5 to 5.8 points. The sizes were gradually standardized as described above.. Modern Chinese typography uses the following names in general preference to stating the number of points. In ambiguous contexts, the word hào (t , s ,  "number") is added to the end of the size name to clarify the meaning.

Note that the Chinese font sizes use American points; the Continental systems traditionally used the Fournier or Didot points. The Fournier points, being smaller than Didot's, were associated with the names of the Didot type closest in size rather than identical in number of points.

Comparison table Point American system Continental system Chinese system Metric size American. British. Metric size French German. Dutch Character Pinyin Meaning 1≈ 0.353 mm American ≈ 0.376 mm Achtelpetit Achtste petit ≈ 0.529 mm German ≈ 0.564 mm Achtelcicero Achtste cicero 2≈ 0.706 mm Saxon ≈ 0.752 mm Non Plus UltraViertelpetit Non plus ultraVierde petit ≈ 0.882 mm Norse ≈ 0.940 mm Microscopique Microscopique MicroscoopMicroscopie 3≈ 1.058 mm Excelsior. Minikin≈ 1.13 mm Diamant BrillantViertelcicero Kwart cicero ≈ 1.235 mm RubyBrilliant 4≈ 1.411 mm Brilliant ≈ 1.5 mm Perle DiamantHalbpetit RobijnDiamantHalve petit ≈ 1.499 mm Gem ≈ 1.588 mm Diamond 5≈ 1.764 mm Pearl≈ 1.88 mm ParisienneSédanoise Perl ParelParisienne Bā "Eight" ≈ 1.940 mm Agate Ruby≈ 2.068 mm Qī "Seven" 6≈ 2.117 mm ≈ 2.25 mm Nonpareille NonparelNonpareil ≈ 2.293 mm Minionette. Emerald≈ 2.44 mm Insertio Insertio Xiǎoliù "Little Six" 7≈ 2.469 mm Minion≈ 2.65 mm Mignonne Kolonel KolonelMignon ≈ 2.646 mm≈ 2.8 mm Petit-texte Liù "Six" 8≈ 2.822 mm Brevier≈ 3.0 mm GaillardePetit-texte PetitJungfer PetitBrevier 9≈ 3.175 mm Bourgeois≈ 3.38 mm Petit-romainGaillarde BourgeoisBorgis BorgisBurgeois Xiǎowǔ "Little Five" 10≈ 3.528 mm Long Primer≈ 3.75 mm Philosophie KorpusGarmond CorpusGarmond ≈ 3.704 mm Wǔ "Five" 11≈ 3.881 mm Small Pica≈ 4.15 mm Cicéro RheinländerDiscendian MediaanRheinländer 12≈ 4.233 mm Pica ≈ 4.5 mm St.-Augustin Cicero CiceroAugustijn Xiǎosì "Little Four" 14≈ 4.939 mm English≈ 5.25 mm Gros-texte Mittel Grote ciceroGrote augustijnMediaan Sì "Four" 15≈ 5.292 mm≈ 5.64 mm Gros-texte Xiǎosān "Little Three" 16≈ 5.644 mm Columbian Exchange ≈ 6.0 mm Gros-texte Tertia Tertia Sān "Three" 18≈ 6.350 mm Great Primer≈ 6.75 mm Gros-romain Cicero ParagonTekst Xiǎoèr "Little Two" 20≈ 7.056 mm Paragon≈ 7.5 mm Petit-parangon TextSecunda 22≈ 7.761 mm Double Small Pica≈ 8.27 mm Gros-parangon Èr "Two" 24≈ 8.467 mm Double Pica≈ 9.0 mm Palestine Doppelcicero Dubbele ciceroPalestine Xiǎoyī "Little One" 26≈ 9.172 mm Yī "One" 28≈ 9.878 mm Double English≈ 10.5 mm Petit-canon Doppelmittel Dubbele mediaan 30≈ 10.583 mm Five-line Nonpareil ≈ 11.3 mm 32≈ 11.289 mm Double Columbian ≈ 12.0 mm Kleine KanonDoppeltertia. Dubbele tertia 3612.7 mm Double Great Primer≈ 13.5 mm Trismégiste KanonCanon Kanon Xiǎochū "Little Initial" 40≈ 14.111 mm Double Paragon ≈ 15.0 mm DoppeltextGroße Kanon 42≈ 14.817 mm Seven-line Nonpareil ≈ 15.8 mm Große Kanon Grote Kanon Chū "Initial" 44≈ 15.522 mm Canon ≈ 16.5 mm Gros-canon Missal Parijs Romein 48≈ 16.933 mm Four-line PicaFrench canon Canon≈ 18.0 mm Gros-canon Kleine Missal KonkordanzKleine missaal 54≈ 19.050 mm≈ 20.3 mm Missal Missaal 56≈ 19.756 mm≈ 21.1 mm Double-canon 60≈ 21.167 mm Five-line pica ≈ 22.5 mm Große Missal Sabon 66≈ 23.283 mm≈ 24.8 mm Große Sabon Grote sabon 7225.4 mm Six-line picaInch ≈ 27.1 mm Double-trismégiste SabonSechsciceroKleine Sabon 6 cicero 84≈ 29.633 mm Seven-line pica ≈ 31.5 mm SiebenciceroGroße Sabon 7 cicero 88≈ 31.044 mm≈ 33 mm Triple-canon 96≈ 33.867 mm Eight-line pica ≈ 36 mm Grosse-nonpareille AchtciceroReal 8 cicero 100≈ 35.278 mm≈ 37.5 mm Moyenne de fonte 10838.1 mm Nine-line pica ≈ 40.5 mm Imperial 9 cicero

See also Typographic unit Typometer Pitch (typewriter) Courier (typeface) List of typefaces

Notes

References