chapter 2 Units of Typographic Measurement
Typesetting is a game of controlling spaces, so its tools are all keyed to
precise measuring. Because of the intimate scale in which typographic adjust-
ments are made, type’s measurements have evolved independently of the
coarser units used for other forms of craft or commerce. Although the metric
system has made some inroads into popular typographic practice—especially
in Europe—type’s own unique measuring sticks are still the standard.
Absolute Measurements
The measurements you use every day—whether they’re inches and feet or
centimeters and meters—are fixed, or absolute, measurements. That is, an inc ...
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