#MICROSOFT WORD INCHES TO POINTS PROFESSIONAL#

This may not sound like much of a difference, but if you are dealing with a large number of points the 'error' can accumulate and make Word unsuitable for some purposes, especially exacting typesetting work.

#MICROSOFT WORD INCHES TO POINTS PROFESSIONAL#

Whereas Word considers a point equal to 1/72 of an inch, in professional typography a point is equal to 1/72.27 of an inch. Remember that points, in Word, are approximate values. Alternately, you can set your default measurement to points by choosing Options from the Tools menu, then clicking on the General tab and changing the Measurement Units selection to Points. When entering a measurement in points, simply use the characters pt at the end of the measurement. If you are familiar with points, you can use them as a standard measurement in Word. It is not uncommon to specify type in the format 10/12, meaning 10-point type on 12-point line leading. Microsoft has provided two useful VBA function to make this conversion. Converting from inches or centimeters into points is reasonably straightforward, as there are 72 points to an inch or 28.35 points to a centimeter (rounded to 2 decimal places). You can change measurement units to centimeters, picas, points, or millimeters. Converting from Inches or Centimeters to Points. In typesetting, points are also the measurement of choice when specifying line leading (as discussed in the next tip). By default, Microsoft Word uses inches as its unit of measurement in dialog boxes and on the ruler. Likewise, 72-point type uses a character box that is about one inch tall. Thus, when you use a 12-point type, you are using one that occupies a character box approximately 12/72 (or 1/6) of an inch high. Word uses point sizes to specify the height of all the fonts it uses. They are most commonly used with type specifications. Points are understood and used extensively by everyone in the publishing trade, particularly in design, typesetting, and printing. It is roughly equivalent to 1/72 of an inch. A point is a typographical term for a unit of measure.

Microsoft word inches to points