em?
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- MichaelW
What does em stand for
i.e.:font-size: 1.5em
- rasko40
eency mincy
- MichaelW0
what?
- -leah-0
extra miniscule?
- MichaelW0
prob thanks
- welded0
Em space is just like it sounds - the space an "m" would take up along baseline. So if 1em is normal, than 1.5em is 50% larger.
Or something like that, I may be wrong.
- tparsons0
welded is right.... here's a more detail explanation.
An em space is the square of the body of the printed type being used. In twelve-point type an em would be 12 x 12 points, in ten-point type an em would be 10 x 10 points, and so on. The expression is derived from the letter "m" which is the widest letter in the lower-case alphabet.
- brandelec0
why can't it be called 'ew'?
- rasko40
actually thats wrong, it comes from the name for a metal block used in metal press called an 'em-quad', half an em is called an 'en' which assisted in the confusion but an 'em' is basically the constant body size of a font, so if you design a 12pt typeface, 1em is therefore 12pt.
- blackspade0
interesting wondered bout that
- brandelec0
ooo-ooh, rasko put ya'll in check
burn!!
- abizzyman0
finally!! I've learned something from a thread!
* kidding.
- 7504130
FYI
In Sweden we call it a "fyrkant".
- tparsons0
Hey Rasko, you still setting lead type? I'd love to see your setup.
Both are correct you just went further back in history.
- rasko40
haha oh yeah, I even post on NT with ye olde metal!
its true that the name 'em' comes from 'M' but only because 'M' was usually set in a square piece of metal and 'em' is the sq measurement of body size, but measuring an 'm' wont get you an 'em'.. if that makes sense :)