Font Size Converter

Convert Font Sizes

Common Font Sizes Reference

Note: WCAG accessibility guidelines recommend a minimum of 16px for body text to ensure readability for all users.

What is a Font Size Converter?

A font size converter is a tool that translates font measurements between different units commonly used in web design and print. Whether you’re working with pixels (px), relative units (rem, em), points (pt), or viewport-based units (vw, vh), this converter makes it easy to find equivalent sizes across all formats.

Font size units serve different purposes: pixels (px) are absolute and device-dependent, rem and em are relative to font sizes and enable scalable designs, pt is used in print design, and vw/vh scale with viewport dimensions for responsive typography.

How to Use This Tool

1. Enter a value: Type the font size number you want to convert (e.g., 16).
2. Select the input unit: Choose the unit of your current measurement from the dropdown (px, rem, em, pt, vw, vh, %).
3. Set base font size: The default is 16px (standard web default). Adjust if your design uses a different base.
4. Click Convert: The tool generates a table with equivalent values in all supported units.
5. Preview the size: See a live preview of text rendered at that size.
6. Copy values: Click any result to copy it to your clipboard.

Common Use Cases

• Web Design: Convert between px and rem to maintain consistent, scalable typography across your site.
• Responsive Design: Use vw/vh units to create typography that scales with screen size.
• Accessibility: Check if your font sizes meet WCAG guidelines (16px minimum for body text).
• Design Systems: Build a type scale by converting between units to standardize font sizes across teams.
• Print to Web: Convert point-based print sizes (pt) to web-friendly pixels or relative units.
• Legacy Code Migration: Update old pixel-based designs to modern rem-based systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between px, rem, and em?

Pixels (px) are absolute units that don’t scale based on other factors. Rem (root em) are relative to the root font size (usually 16px) and are consistent across the page. Em are relative to their parent element’s font size, making them useful for component-scoped scaling.

Why should I use rem instead of px?

Using rem units allows your entire design to scale proportionally when users change their browser’s base font size or when you adjust the root font size. This is especially important for accessibility, as users with vision impairments often increase the base font size.

What does the base font size do?

The base font size is the reference point for calculating rem and em values. By default, it’s 16px (the browser standard). If you change the root font size in your CSS to 18px, you’d update this field to get accurate conversions.

What’s the WCAG minimum font size?

WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines recommend a minimum of 16px (or 1rem / 1em) for body text to ensure readability. This is the standard displayed in our reference chart as the accessibility baseline.

When should I use vw or vh units?

Viewport units (vw = 1% of viewport width, vh = 1% of viewport height) are useful for creating responsive typography that scales with the screen size. However, use them carefully—extremely large viewport units can result in text that’s unreadable on very large screens.

How do I convert points (pt) to pixels (px)?

Points are a print-based unit where 72 points = 1 inch. On screen, 1 point typically equals 1.333 pixels (or roughly 96 DPI). For example, 12pt ≈ 16px. This converter handles that calculation automatically.