Convert Point to Twip
Convert points to twips instantly. 1 point = 20.0000012598 twip — use the live calculator, the exact formula, a conversion table and worked examples. Also check the Twip to Point converter for the reverse conversion.
Units explained
Point
A point is a typographic unit equal to 1/72 of an inch (about 0.353 mm) in the PostScript point system. It is the standard unit for font sizes and typographic measurements in modern digital publishing.
The PostScript/Adobe point of exactly 1/72 inch was adopted in 1984 with the release of PostScript. This replaced earlier, slightly different typographic points (Didot, Truchet, Pica points) that had varied across regional printing traditions.
Points are used throughout typesetting, word processing, and design software for font sizes (typical body text is 10–12 pt) and small typographic dimensions. The web's standard typography unit, even when expressed in CSS as 1pt = 1.333px.
PostScript point of 1/72 inch defined by Adobe in 1984; predecessors include the Didot point (France, ~0.376 mm) and the Truchet/Pica systems.
Twip
A twip is a typographic unit equal to 1/1440 of an inch (about 17.64 µm). It is used in legacy Microsoft Windows graphics APIs and PostScript typography.
The name twip is a contraction of 'twentieth of a point' (point being 1/72 inch). Adopted in Microsoft's GDI and OLE specifications for screen-resolution-independent measurement.
Twips appear in Visual Basic, legacy Windows API code, and some PostScript-derived typesetting systems. They allow whole-number arithmetic at sub-pixel precision for typographic layout.
Adopted by Microsoft in the 1980s for screen-typography APIs; remains in use in legacy Windows GDI and Visual Basic code.
Point to Twip conversion formula
The relationship between points and twips:
To convert points to twips, multiply the value in points by 20.0000012598. To reverse, multiply twips by 0.0499999969.
How to use this converter
Type a value into the calculator. The result in twips updates as you type. Tap a quick value, copy the result with one click, or use the swap arrow to jump straight to the Twip to Point converter for the reverse direction.
Step-by-step: convert points to twips
- Write down the value in points (pt).
- Multiply that value by the factor 20.0000012598.
- The product is the equivalent value in twips (twip).
- To reverse, multiply the twip value by 0.0499999969.
Worked examples
Example 1 — Convert 1 pt to twip:
1 × 20.0000012598 = 20.0000012598 twip
Example 2 — Convert 100 pt to twip:
100 × 20.0000012598 = 2000.0001259842 twip
Real-world example — Paper and film thicknesses
At the thickness of office paper (roughly 3 points), converting between sub-millimeter units is routine for packaging and printing buyers comparing quotes from metric and US suppliers.
3 pt × 20.0000012598 = 60.0000037795 twip
Real-world example — Plastic-film thickness alternates
A 150-point plastic film converts cleanly to twips — useful for packaging buyers reconciling supplier datasheets across metric and US measurement systems.
150 pt × 20.0000012598 = 3000.0001889764 twip
Real-world example — Hair-width scale measurements
A 70-point measurement (about the diameter of a human hair) is the kind of value materials engineers regularly express in adjacent micro-scale units like twips for direct comparison across supplier datasheets.
70 pt × 20.0000012598 = 1400.000088189 twip
Point to Twip conversion table
Standard reference values for converting points to twips:
| Point [pt] | Twip [twip] |
|---|---|
| 0.01 | 0.2000000126 |
| 0.1 | 2.000000126 |
| 1 | 20.0000012598 |
| 2 | 40.0000025197 |
| 3 | 60.0000037795 |
| 4 | 80.0000050394 |
| 5 | 100.0000062992 |
| 10 | 200.0000125984 |
| 20 | 400.0000251968 |
| 30 | 600.0000377953 |
| 40 | 800.0000503937 |
| 50 | 1000.0000629921 |
| 100 | 2000.0001259842 |
| 500 | 10000.0006299212 |
| 1000 | 20000.0012598424 |
Frequently asked questions
How many twips is 1 point?
How do I convert points to twips?
How do I convert twips back to points?
How many twips is 100 points?
Popular length unit conversions
Convert Point to other length units
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Metric / SI (4 units)
Imperial / US Customary (4 units)
Typographic (2 units)
Sources & references
Conversion factor (1 pt = 20.0000012598 twip) verified against the following authoritative sources:
- BIPM — The International System of Units (SI Brochure 9th ed.)
Official BIPM publication defining the seven SI base units (including the meter) and the rules for their use. The global authority on units of measurement.
- NIST — Guide to the SI
US National Institute of Standards and Technology reference covering the SI base and derived units with definitions and usage rules for US technical practice.
- NIST Special Publication 811 — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units
Detailed NIST guide covering exact conversion factors between SI and US customary units along with formatting and rounding conventions.
- NIST — Refinement of values for the yard and pound (Federal Register 1959)
The treaty (signed by US
- International Astronomical Union — System of Astronomical Constants
The IAU defines astronomical units including the AU (149597870700 m exactly) light-year and parsec used in astronomy and astrophysics.