Point to EM Converter

Q: How do I convert points (pt) to em?

Convert points to pixels, then divide by the parent font size: 12pt = 16px ÷ 16px = 1em. The tool does this for you and lets you change the reference size, because that reference is what makes the answer different from one project to the next.

Q: What root font size should I use?

Browsers default to 16px, so 16 is the right starting point unless your stylesheet sets a different size on the html element. If your CSS sets `html { font-size: 62.5% }` — a common trick to make 1rem equal 10px — set the root size to 10 here instead.

Q: Should I use px or a relative unit?

Use relative units (rem, em) for anything that should scale with the reader's font-size preference: type, spacing, and container widths. Pixels are fine for things that genuinely should not scale, such as hairline borders and some shadow offsets. The accessibility rule of thumb is that a user who sets a larger default font size in their browser should see your layout grow with it.

Q: Is my data sent anywhere?

No. The conversion is arithmetic done in your browser — nothing is uploaded, and the page works offline once loaded.

Q: Is em the right target, or should I use rem?

If the size should track the element it sits inside — a caption under a heading, say — em is right. If it should be stable wherever the component appears, use rem: convert the point value to pixels here, then divide by your root size instead of the parent size. rem is the safer default for most component work.

Q: Do I lose precision converting print sizes to em?

Not in any way that matters. The point-to-pixel step is exact, and the divide gives a fraction like 0.8125em that browsers render precisely. Resist rounding it to 0.8 — over a full type scale those roundings accumulate into a visibly different rhythm from the print original.

Convert points to em, turning a print or document size into a relative web value.

Value to convert (pt)

Result (em)

Root / parent font size

Browsers default to 16px. Use 10 if your CSS sets html { font-size: 62.5% }.

About this conversion

The same value at other root sizes

Root size	Result

Common conversions at 16 px

pt	em

What It Does

Going from points to em turns a fixed, paper-shaped number into a relative one that will follow the reader. The tool converts the point size to pixels using the fixed CSS ratio, then divides by the font size you supply to give the em value. This is the direction you work in when a brand guideline or a print layout is the source of truth and the website has to match it while remaining accessible — and the resulting em, unlike the point value you started from, will grow if someone enlarges their default text size.

When to Use It

You are converting a design handed over in points (pt) into a stylesheet that uses em for accessibility.
You inherited a codebase that mixes units and you need the em equivalent of an existing pt value.
You want to check what a pt value becomes when the user changes their browser's default font size.
You are writing a design-token scale and need the same step expressed in both units.

Worked Examples

12

12pt is 1em against a 16px parent — the printed body size and the browser default line up exactly.

18

18pt is 1.5em at a 16px parent, a heading in both systems.

9

9pt is 0.75em. Fine for a printed caption; on screen it is smaller than most body text should go.

Features

Instant two-way conversion

Configurable root/parent font size

Full conversion table for common root sizes

Fractional-pixel rounding warning

Copy the value or the whole table

Works offline in your browser

No uploads or tracking

How to Use

1. Enter the points (pt) value you want to convert. 2. Set the root (or parent) font size the value should be measured against — 16px is the browser default. 3. Read the em result, or copy the whole conversion table for the sizes you use.

Common Mistakes

Assuming the conversion is fixed. 1em equals the parent element's font size, so the same point value maps to different em values — the same pt value converts differently depending on that size.
Confusing em with rem. `em` is relative to the *parent* element's font size and therefore compounds when nested; `rem` is always relative to the root element and does not.
Setting a px font size on the root element. That overrides the user's browser font-size preference, which defeats the accessibility reason for using relative units at all.
Rounding too early. Keep the fraction (1.375rem, not 1.4rem) — the browser resolves sub-pixel values fine and the rounding error compounds across a scale.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert points (pt) to em?

What root font size should I use?

Should I use px or a relative unit?

Is my data sent anywhere?

Is em the right target, or should I use rem?

Do I lose precision converting print sizes to em?

The conversion runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is stored.