CSS units·57px
57px =
3.5625rem
42.75pt

57 px in rem — 3.5625 rem, 42.75 pt

57 px is 3.5625 rem and 42.75 pt — 0.59375 inches, 15.081 mm, and 356.25% of the root font size.

rem (root 16 px)
3.5625rem
pt (points)
42.75pt
pc (picas)
3.5625pc
percent of root
356.25%
inches
0.59375in
millimetres
15.081mm
centimetres
1.5081cm

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)
54px3.375rem40.5pt
55px3.4375rem41.25pt
56px3.5rem42pt
57px3.5625rem42.75pt
58px3.625rem43.5pt
59px3.6875rem44.25pt
60px3.75rem45pt

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 57 px?

3.5625 rem — that is 57 divided by 16.

Q. How many points is 57 px?

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

Q. What length is that?

0.59375 inches, or 15.081 mm — though a ruler on the screen will not agree.

Q. And as a percentage?

356.25% of the root font size.