From the course: Graphic Design Foundations: Typography
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Size and measurements of type
From the course: Graphic Design Foundations: Typography
Size and measurements of type
- The size of type is always measured in points. If you're a designer, you're probably already familiar with points. Points are a part of the basic and essential language designers use to discuss typographic elements. What is a point? Let's look at the relationship between points and inches and how many points add up to one inch. In every inch there are six units called picas. In every pica, there are 12 points. If you do the math, that means there are 72 points in an inch. So points are tiny measurements that are about the width of a thin line. A point may be tiny, but vital. Differences in points can define the characteristics of a typeface. They can create subtle differences between the height, width and other proportions of a typeface. So they play a vital role in creating its unique appearance. So we measure type in points but it's a bit more complicated. The point system is based on the traditions of…
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