vba - Contradiction between typeface scale and page scale -

according xerox, font "courier 10 point font print @ 12 characters per inch." given default page 5.5 width, 65 characters per row.

one can verify 12 pt courier, , many other 12 pt founts, fit 46 or 47 rows per default page 9 inch height.

consider character width column. monospaced 12 pt fonts, common have 60 characters per line. given 46 rows, ratio of columns rows, or height width in character spacing, 18:11.

yet ratio, or it, suggested total space monospace or glyph uses. because of "72 pts per inch" clause.

if there 72 pts per inch, there 648 pts in 9 inches, or 14 pts each of 46 rows.

similarly, there 396 pts in 5.5 width document page. if 60 12 pt characters fit, each ... 6.6 pts wide! further, ratio of 14 6.6 2.12. yikes!

variability between different fonts, etc., account difference. 6.6 12 beyond that.

can explained?

there 2 things understand font point sizes. first, specifies height of font, not width. should obvious when consider non-monospaced font vary in width each character. second point size specifies height of character cell, not row spacing - relation between 2 left entirely font designer, , can overridden in software. matter size of character within character cell left font designer , can vary between 2 fonts same point size.

for example, in copy of microsoft word default page 8.5x11 1 inch margins, leaving printable space of 6.5x9 inches or 468x648 points. i've set paragraph single line spacing no before/after padding. if use courier new 12 point font, each character should 7.2x12 points, implying 65x54 characters per page. actual capacity 64x47 characters. implies width closer 7.3 points, , row height more 12 points, approximately 13.7 points.

if set paragraph line spacing 12 points, 54 lines expected.

if switch consolas, monospaced font, capacity changes 70x46. designer of consolas decided narrower taller courier, identical point size.