Where does the 72 come from? The Answer

[Erik Heyninck]

When printers started to be interested in computers, they still worked with their own units like pica etc.
Now the computer designers changed the value of one pica a little so that it became exactly 1/6th of an inch.
And as one pica is divided into 12 points, there are 6x12=72 points in one inch. So they made their monitors in such a way that one picture unit (pixel) represented one point, and from there the mixing up of points per inch, pixels per inch etc etc: in the beginning there was no visual difference.

In fact this should be somewhere on an thread of a few weeks ago, but as far as I remember it was quite long, so I posted this as a new topic.

If you don't work against time, time often works for you.

[Erik Heyninck]

When printers started to be interested in computers, they still worked with their own units like pica etc.
Now the computer designers changed the value of one pica a little so that it became exactly 1/6th of an inch.
And as one pica is divided into 12 points, there are 6x12=72 points in one inch. So they made their monitors in such a way that one picture unit (pixel) represented one point, and from there the mixing up of points per inch, pixels per inch etc etc: in the beginning there was no visual difference.

In fact this should be somewhere on an thread of a few weeks ago, but as far as I remember it was quite long, so I posted this as a new topic.

If you don't work against time, time often works for you.

[Klaus Nordby]

Eric, I made this 72 point point in that DPI thread, though you've elaborated it a bit!

K
www.xaraxone.com/FeaturedArt/kn/
www.klausnordby.com/xara

[Erik Heyninck]

Can't keep my attention fixed for threads that go on for pages and pages.
But I don't mind you being the first and the best. Why should I? I consider myself the eternal beginner and have often thought that you would be a perfect match for Oscar Wilde in your outspokenness and vocabulary.

So: all the honour is yours. Have fun with it.

[Klaus Nordby]

Thanks - Eric, LOL! I LOVE Oscar Wilde! (But please don't interpret that the wrong way. It just isn't done.)

K
www.xaraxone.com/FeaturedArt/kn/
www.klausnordby.com/xara