Em to Points Converter
Instantly convert em units to points (and back) for CSS typography, print stylesheets, and design handoffs, using a customisable base font size.
Convert Your Font Size Unit
Enter a value, set your base font size, and choose the conversion direction below to get an instant, accurate conversion between em and points.
Unit Converter
Enter your value to see the converted result
Enter the em or point value you want to convert
Em is relative to this size; assumes standard 96 DPI screen
Converted Value
Calculated at 96 DPI using your base font size
Em to Points Reference Chart
Common em values and their point equivalents, based on a standard 16px base font size. Use this to verify your manual calculations or adjust the converter above.
| Em | Pixels (16px base) | Points | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.75em | 12px | 9pt | Small print, captions |
| 1em | 16px | 12pt | Body text (default) |
| 1.25em | 20px | 15pt | Lead paragraphs |
| 1.5em | 24px | 18pt | Subheadings |
| 2em | 32px | 24pt | Headings |
| 3em | 48px | 36pt | Display / hero text |
Em to Points FAQ
Everything you need to know about converting between em units and points for typography and design work.
To convert em to points, multiply the em value by the base font size in pixels, then multiply by 0.75. For example, with a 16px base font size, 1em equals 16px, which equals 12 points.
This is based on the standard browser default font size of 16px and the standard screen resolution of 96 DPI. At 96 DPI, 1 point equals 1.333 pixels, so 16px divides into 12 points exactly.
Em is a relative unit based on the current font size, commonly used in CSS for scalable, responsive typography. Points are an absolute unit traditionally used in print design, where 1 point equals 1/72 of an inch.
For web design, em (or rem) is generally preferred because it scales with user font size settings and improves accessibility. Points are more common in print stylesheets and desktop publishing software, where physical page dimensions matter more than screen scaling.