Point To Quadrant (pt to quad) Converter

The Point To Quadrant (pt to quad) Converter is a handy tool for converting between two units of length commonly used in typography and printing: points and quadrants.

A point (pt) is a unit of length used in typography, traditionally defined as 1/72 of an inch. It’s a fundamental unit for measuring font sizes, leading (the space between lines of text), and other typographic elements. The point system has a long history, with various definitions evolving over time. The most common definition today is the desktop publishing point, which is exactly 1/72 of an international inch.

A quadrant (quad) is another unit of length used in typography, particularly in metal typesetting. It represents a square piece of metal used to fill space in a line of type. Quadrants come in various sizes, but a common definition is that a quad is equal to the width of the current font’s em square. The em square is a unit of measurement equal to the point size of the font. Therefore, a quad is typically equal to the point size of the font being used.

To convert points to quadrants, you need to know the point size of the font you are working with. Since a quad is typically equal to the point size, the conversion is straightforward: the number of quadrants is equal to the number of points divided by the point size of the font. For example, if you have 12 points and the font size is 12 points, then 12 pt is equal to 1 quad. If the font size is 6 points, then 12 pt is equal to 2 quads. Conversely, to convert quadrants to points, you multiply the number of quadrants by the point size of the font.