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Traditional point-size names

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[[File:Chambers 1908 Type Sizes.png|thumb|right|Example of type sizes used in the books and newspapers:
(1) Great Primer (18 pt, 6.35 mm),


(2) English (14 pt, ≈4.939 mm),


(3) Pica (12 pt, ≈4.233 mm),


(4) Small Pica (11 pt, ≈3.881 mm),


(5) Long Primer (10 pt, ≈3.528 mm),


(6) Bourgeois (9 pt, 3.175 mm),


(7) Brevier (8 pt, ≈2.822 mm),


(8) Minion (7 pt, ≈2.469 mm),


(9) Nonpareil (6 pt, ≈2.117 mm),


(10) Pearl (5 pt, ≈1.764 mm) and


(11) Diamond (4.5 pt, 1.5875 mm).]]

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.{{cite journal | url=https://d3eb7xfyht02et.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/APHA-newsletter-171-2009-summer.pdf | title=The History of the Typographic Point | author=Romano, Frank | journal=APHA Newsletter |date=Summer 2009 | issue=171 | pages=3–4}} 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.{{citation |contribution=Type |contribution-url=http://www.sizes.com/tools/type.htm |title=Sizes.com |url=http://www.sizes.com |date=2004 |location=Santa Monica |publisher=Sizes Inc.}}. Modern Chinese typography uses the following names in general preference to stating the number of points. In ambiguous contexts, the word hào (t {{lang|zh|{{linktext|號}}}}, s {{lang|zh|{{linktext|号}}}}, {{abbr|lit.|literally}} "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.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}

Comparison table

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
rowspan=2 | Point

!colspan=3 | American system

!colspan=4 | Continental system

!colspan=3 | Chinese system

Metric size

! American{{Citation |editor-last=Pasko |editor-first=Wesley Washington |title=American Dictionary of Printing and Bookmaking, Containing a History of These Arts in Europe and America, with Definitions of Technical Terms and Biographical Sketches |location=New York |publisher=Howard Lockwood & Co. |date=1894 |page=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000534.html 522] }}.

! British{{Citation |last=Southward |first=John |contribution=Typography |title=Encyclopædia Britannica |edition=9th |series=Vol. XXIII |date=1888 |location=New York |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons |page=[https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Page:Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica,_Ninth_Edition,_v._23.djvu/724&action=edit&redlink=1 698] }}.

! Metric size

! French{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000227.html 215]}}

! German{{Citation |last=Bauer |first=Friedrich |title=Die Normung der Buchdrucklettern: Schrifthöhe, Schriftkegel, und Schriftlinie in ihrer geschichtlichen Entwichlung |date=1929 |location=Leipzig |publisher=Deutscher Buchgewerbeverein |page=[https://www.flickr.com/photos/bogtrykkeren/8245914089/ 64] }}. {{in lang|de}}

! Dutch

! Character

! Pinyin

! Meaning

1

|≈ 0.353 mm

| American{{efn|The existence of such small bodies was only notional in the age of metal type.{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000028.html 18]}}}} ||

|≈ 0.376 mm

| || Achtelpetit || Achtste petit

| colspan=3 |

{{sfrac|1|1|2}}

|≈ 0.529 mm

|| German ||

|≈ 0.564 mm

| || Achtelcicero || Achtste cicero

| colspan=3 |

2

|≈ 0.706 mm

| Saxon ||

|≈ 0.752 mm

| || Non Plus Ultra{{sfnp|Bauer|1934}}
Viertelpetit || Non plus ultra
Vierde petit

| colspan=3 |

{{sfrac|2|1|2}}

|≈ 0.882 mm

| Norse ||

|≈ 0.940 mm

| Microscopique || Microscopique{{sfnp|Bauer|1934}} || Microscoop
Microscopie

| colspan=3 |

3

|≈ 1.058 mm

| Excelsior{{citation |contribution=minikin, n.¹ and adj.¹ |title=Oxford English Dictionary |edition=3rd |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=2002 }}.{{efn|name=excelsior|Note that the American name for 3-point type was initially "Brilliant" and the English name was initially "Excelsior". The American "Excelsior", meanwhile, was originally 4-point type.{{citation |contribution= excelsior, n."' |title=Oxford English Dictionary |edition=1st |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=1894 }}. The situation subsequently changed.}} || Minikin

|≈ 1.13 mm

| Diamant || Brillant{{sfnp|Bauer|1934}}
Viertelcicero || Kwart cicero

| colspan=3 |

{{sfrac|3|1|2}}

|≈ 1.235 mm

| Ruby
Brilliant{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000080.html 70]}} ||

| colspan=4 |

| colspan=3 |

4

|≈ 1.411 mm

! colspan=2 | Brilliant

| ≈ 1.5 mm

| Perle || Diamant
Halbpetit{{sfnp|Bauer|1934}} || Robijn
Diamant
Halve petit

| colspan=3 |

{{sfrac|4|1|4}}

|≈ 1.499 mm

| || Gem

| colspan=4 |

| colspan=3 |

{{sfrac|4|1|2}}

|≈ 1.588 mm

! colspan=2 | Diamond

| colspan=4 |

| colspan=3 |

5

|≈ 1.764 mm

! colspan=2 | Pearl

|≈ 1.88 mm

| Parisienne
Sédanoise || Perl || Parel
Parisienne

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|八}}}} || Bā || "Eight"

{{sfrac|5|1|2}}

|≈ 1.940 mm

! Agate

Ruby{{citation |contribution=ruby, n.¹ |title=Oxford English Dictionary |edition=3rd |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=2011 }}{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000021.html 11]}}

|≈ 2.068 mm

| colspan=3 |

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|七}}}} || Qī || "Seven"

6

|≈ 2.117 mm

! colspan=2 | Nonpareil

|≈ 2.25 mm

| Nonpareille || Nonpareille || Nonparel
Nonpareil

| colspan=3 |

{{sfrac|6|1|2}}

|≈ 2.293 mm

! Minionette{{citation |contribution=minionette, n. |title=Oxford English Dictionary |edition=3rd |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |date=2002 }}.

Emerald

|≈ 2.44 mm

| || Insertio || Insertio

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|小六}}}} || Xiǎoliù || "Little Six"

7

|≈ 2.469 mm

! colspan=2 | Minion

|≈ 2.65 mm

| Mignonne || Kolonel || Kolonel
Mignon

| colspan=3 |

{{sfrac|7|1|2}}

|≈ 2.646 mm

| colspan=2 |

|≈ 2.8 mm

| Petit-texte {{anchor|Petit-texte}}

| colspan=2 |

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|六}}}} || Liù || "Six"

8

|≈ 2.822 mm

! colspan=2 | Brevier

|≈ 3.0 mm

| Gaillarde
Petit-texte{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000080.html 70]}} || Petit
Jungfer{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000080.html 70]}} || Petit
Brevier{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000080.html 70]}}

| colspan=3 |

9

|≈ 3.175 mm

! colspan=2 | Bourgeois{{efn|Pronounced "burjoyce".{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000075.html 65]}}}}

|≈ 3.38 mm

| Petit-romain
Gaillarde{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000075.html 65]}} || Bourgeois
Borgis{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000241.html 229]}} || Borgis
Burgeois{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000075.html 65]}}

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|小五}}}} || Xiǎowǔ || "Little Five"

10

|≈ 3.528 mm

! colspan=2 | Long Primer

|≈ 3.75 mm

| Philosophie || Korpus
Garmond{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000241.html 229]}} || Corpus
Garmond

| colspan=3 |

{{sfrac|10|1|2}}

|≈ 3.704 mm

| colspan=2 |

| colspan=4 |

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|五}}}} || Wǔ || "Five"

11

|≈ 3.881 mm

! colspan=2 | Small Pica

|≈ 4.15 mm

| Cicéro || Rheinländer
Discendian{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000241.html 229]}} || Mediaan
Rheinländer

| colspan=3 |

12

|≈ 4.233 mm

! colspan=2 | Pica

|≈ 4.5 mm

| St.-Augustin || Cicero || Cicero
Augustijn

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|小四}}}} || Xiǎosì || "Little Four"

14

|≈ 4.939 mm

! colspan=2 | English

|≈ 5.25 mm

| Gros-texte{{efn|name=gt|The French {{lang|fr|gros-texte}} referred indifferently to type sizes between 14 and 16 points.{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000227.html 215]}}}} || Mittel || Grote cicero
Grote augustijn
Mediaan{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000184.html 172]}}

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|四}}}} || Sì || "Four"

15

|≈ 5.292 mm

| colspan=2 |

|≈ 5.64 mm

| Gros-texte{{efn|name=gt}}

| colspan=2 |

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|小三}}}} || Xiǎosān || "Little Three"

16

|≈ 5.644 mm

| Columbian Exchange ||

|≈ 6.0 mm

| Gros-texte{{efn|name=gt}} || Tertia || Tertia

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|三}}}} || Sān || "Three"

18

|≈ 6.350 mm

! colspan=2 | Great Primer

|≈ 6.75 mm

| Gros-romain || {{sfrac|1|1|2}} Cicero || Paragon
Tekst{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000250.html 238]}}

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|小二}}}} || Xiǎoèr || "Little Two"

20

|≈ 7.056 mm

! colspan=2 | Paragon

|≈ 7.5 mm

| Petit-parangon || Text
Secunda{{sfnp|Bauer|1934}} ||

| colspan="3" |

22

|≈ 7.761 mm

| colspan=2 | Double Small Pica

|≈ 8.27 mm

| Gros-parangon

| colspan="2" |

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|二}}}} || Èr || "Two"

24

|≈ 8.467 mm

! colspan=2 | Double Pica

|≈ 9.0 mm

| Palestine || Doppelcicero || Dubbele cicero
Palestine

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|小一}}}} || Xiǎoyī || "Little One"

26

|≈ 9.172 mm

| colspan=2 |

| colspan=4 |

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|一}}}} || Yī || "One"

28

|≈ 9.878 mm

! colspan=2 | Double English

|≈ 10.5 mm

| Petit-canon || Doppelmittel || Dubbele mediaan

| colspan=3 |

30

|≈ 10.583 mm

| Five-line Nonpareil ||

|≈ 11.3 mm

| colspan=3 |

| colspan=3 |

32

|≈ 11.289 mm

| Double Columbian ||

|≈ 12.0 mm

| || Kleine Kanon
Doppeltertia{{Citation |last=von Bauer |first=Friedrich |ref={{harvid|Bauer|1934}} |title=Handbuch für Schriftsetzer |date=1934 |location=Frankfurt |publisher=Verlag von Klimsch & Co. }}. {{in lang|de}} || Dubbele tertia

| colspan=3 |

36

|12.7 mm

! colspan=2 | Double Great Primer

|≈ 13.5 mm

| Trismégiste || Kanon
Canon{{sfnp|Bauer|1934}} || Kanon

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|小初}}}} || Xiǎochū || "Little Initial"

40

|≈ 14.111 mm

| Double Paragon ||

|≈ 15.0 mm

| || Doppeltext
Große Kanon{{efn|name=bigguns}} ||

| colspan=3 |

42

|≈ 14.817 mm

| Seven-line Nonpareil ||

|≈ 15.8 mm

| || Große Kanon{{efn|name=bigguns|The German {{lang|de|Große Kanon}} referred indifferently to 40- or 42-point type.}} || Grote Kanon

| {{lang|zh|{{linktext|初}}}} || Chū || "Initial"

44

|≈ 15.522 mm

| Canon ||

|≈ 16.5 mm

| Gros-canon{{efn|name=gc|The French {{lang|fr|gros-canon}} referred indifferently to type sizes of 44 or 48 points.{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000227.html 215]}}}} || Missal{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000089.html 79]}} || Parijs Romein{{sfnp|Pasko|1894|p=[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_6062819_000/pages/ldpd_6062819_000_00000225.html 213]}}

| colspan=3 |

48

|≈ 16.933 mm

| Four-line Pica
French canon

! Canon

|≈ 18.0 mm

| Gros-canon{{efn|name=gc}} || Kleine Missal || Konkordanz
Kleine missaal

| colspan=3 |

54

|≈ 19.050 mm

| colspan=2 |

|≈ 20.3 mm

| || Missal || Missaal

| colspan=3 |

56

|≈ 19.756 mm

| colspan=2 |

|≈ 21.1 mm

| Double-canon

| colspan=2 |

| colspan=3 |

60

|≈ 21.167 mm

| Five-line pica ||

|≈ 22.5 mm

| || Große Missal || Sabon

| colspan=3 |

66

|≈ 23.283 mm

| colspan=2 |

|≈ 24.8 mm

| || Große Sabon{{sfnp|Bauer|1934}} || Grote sabon

| colspan=3 |

72

|25.4 mm

| Six-line pica
Inch ||

|≈ 27.1 mm

| Double-trismégiste || Sabon
Sechscicero{{sfnp|Bauer|1934}}
Kleine Sabon || 6 cicero

| colspan=3 |

84

|≈ 29.633 mm

| Seven-line pica ||

|≈ 31.5 mm

| || Siebencicero{{sfnp|Bauer|1934}}
Große Sabon || 7 cicero

| colspan=3 |

88

|≈ 31.044 mm

| colspan=2 |

|≈ 33 mm

| Triple-canon

| colspan=2 |

| colspan=3 |

96

|≈ 33.867 mm

| Eight-line pica ||

|≈ 36 mm

| Grosse-nonpareille || Achtcicero{{sfnp|Bauer|1934}}
Real || 8 cicero

| colspan=3 |

100

|≈ 35.278 mm

| colspan=2 |

|≈ 37.5 mm

| Moyenne de fonte

| colspan=2 |

| colspan=3 |

108

|38.1 mm

| Nine-line pica ||

|≈ 40.5 mm

| || Imperial || 9 cicero

| colspan=3 |

See also

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{reflist|30em|refs=

{{Citation |last=De Vinne |first=Theodore Low |title=The Practice of Typography: A Treatise on the Processes of Type-Making, the Point System, the Names, Sizes, Styles, and Prices of Plain Printing Types |date=1900 |location=New York |publisher=The Century Co. |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=R4-DjphIpLMC&pg=PA68 68] }}.

{{cite book |last=Reed |year=1887 |first=Talbot Baines |author-link=Talbot Baines Reed |title=A History of the Old English Letter-Foundries |location=London |pages=38–39}}

{{cite book |last=Fromm |first=Helmut |title=Rechenbuch für die Druckindustrie |date=1980 |location=Itzehoe |publisher=Verlag Beruf und Schule |isbn=3-88013-155-4 |edition=14th |language=de}} Mentioned in {{cite web |title=Type size names (German style) |website=briarpress.org |url=http://www.briarpress.org/32337}}

}}

{{Typography terms}}

Category:Typography

Category:Units of length