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Article #5316Re: Definition of Point
From: Bernie Cosell
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 1988 20:59
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 1988 20:59
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1382 bytes
In article <2610015@hpsal2.HP.COM> morrell@hpsal2.HP.COM (Michael Morrell) writes:
}Does anyone know the exact definition of "point" (as in a 12-point font)?
POINT SYSTEM: The system by which all typographic manterial is manufactured
to sizes which are exact multiples of a point. The English and American
point is 0.0138 in. or more accurately 72 points = 0.9966 inch. The Didot
point used on the Continent is slightly larger, it is 0.376 mm, English
point 0.351 mm.
-from {\it Basic Typography} by John R. Biggs
Note that this is a *design*size* when you're using it to refer to a font.
There may well be *nothing* in the font itself that you can measure that is
actually "12 points" long or high or anything else.
__
/ ) Bernie Cosell
/--< _ __ __ o _ BBN Sys & Tech, Cambridge, MA 02238
/___/_(<_/ (_/) )_(_(<_ cosell@bbn.com
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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!yunexus!geac!syntron!jtsv16!uunet!ncrlnk!ncrcae!hubcap!gatech!bbn!bbn.com!cosell From: cosell@bbn.com (Bernie Cosell) Newsgroups: comp.text Subject: Re: Definition of Point Message-ID: <30767@bbn.COM> Date: 12 Oct 88 20:59:26 GMT Article-I.D.: bbn.30767 References: <2610015@hpsal2.HP.COM> Sender: news@bbn.COM Reply-To: cosell@BBN.COM (Bernie Cosell) Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambridge MA Lines: 18