CSS units·52px
52px =
3.25rem
39pt

52 px in rem — 3.25 rem, 39 pt

52 px is 3.25 rem and 39 pt — 0.54167 inches, 13.758 mm, and 325% of the root font size.

rem (root 16 px)
3.25rem
pt (points)
39pt · exact
pc (picas)
3.25pc
percent of root
325%
inches
0.54167in
millimetres
13.758mm
centimetres
1.3758cm

Why rem divides by 16

Because browsers default the root font size to 16 px, and rem is a multiple of it. When a reader enlarges text in their browser settings, only the parts written in rem grow — anything pinned in px stays put.

Nearby sizes

pxrem (root 16 px)pt (points)
49px3.0625rem36.75pt
50px3.125rem37.5pt
51px3.1875rem38.25pt
52px3.25rem39pt
53px3.3125rem39.75pt
54px3.375rem40.5pt
55px3.4375rem41.25pt

On screen, pt and inches are still pixels

CSS fixes one inch at 96 px and one point at 1/72 inch. So 16 px is exactly 12 pt — but hold a ruler to the screen and that "inch" will not measure an inch.

Sizes you meet most

Body text at 16, small text at 14, spacing at 8, 24 and 32 — the values that keep coming back.

How to read this

  • rem = px ÷ 16, because browsers default the root font size to 16 px.
  • pt = px × 0.75, since CSS fixes an inch at 96 px and a point at 1/72 inch.
  • One pc is 12 pt, and one inch is both 96 px and 72 pt.
  • Use rem for text and spacing; keep px for hairlines such as borders.

Frequently asked questions

Q. How many rem is 52 px?

3.25 rem — that is 52 divided by 16.

Q. How many points is 52 px?

39 pt. A point is 1/72 inch and an inch is 96 px, so you multiply by 0.75.

Q. What length is that?

0.54167 inches, or 13.758 mm — though a ruler on the screen will not agree.

Q. And as a percentage?

325% of the root font size.