X-Height
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Definition
X-height is the typographic height of a typeface's lowercase letters, specifically the height of a flat lowercase 'x' measured from the baseline, typically expressed as a fraction of the em size.
Explanation
A high x-height (relative to cap height) makes text appear larger and more legible at small sizes, which is why typefaces designed for screens — such as Georgia and Verdana — have notably tall x-heights. X-height typically ranges from 40% to 75% of the cap height. In CSS, the 'ex' unit is defined as the x-height of the current font, though in practice most browsers approximate it as 0.5 em.
RELATED ARTICLES
RELATED TERMS
Em
The em is a relative typographic unit equal to the current element's font size; in a 16 px context, 1 em equals 16 px.
Pica
The pica is a typographic unit equal to 12 points or exactly 1/6 of an inch (approximately 4.233 mm), used primarily to measure column widths and other layout dimensions.
Twip
A twip (twentieth of a point) is a typographic unit equal to 1/20 of a printer's point, or 1/1440 of an inch (approximately 17.64 micrometers).
Cap Height
Cap height is the typographic measurement of the height of a flat uppercase letter (such as 'H' or 'I') from the baseline to the top of the letter, expressed as a fraction of the font's em square.