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w:sz (Font Size)

Specifies the font size in half-points (e.g., w:val='24' equals 12pt).

Parent elements

Description

w:sz sets the font size for the run. It is defined in ECMA-376 Part 1 §17.3.2.38.

The value is expressed in half-points (twips-of-a-point): a value of 24 equals 12 pt, 28 equals 14 pt, and so on. The complex-script equivalent is w:szCs.

Attributes

Attribute Type Possible Values Description
w:val ST_HpsMeasure Positive integer in half-points (e.g. 20 = 10 pt, 24 = 12 pt, 28 = 14 pt, 32 = 16 pt, 72 = 36 pt). Font size in half-points.

Examples

<!-- 14pt font -->
<w:rPr>
  <w:sz w:val="28"/>
</w:rPr>
<!-- 10pt font with complex script size -->
<w:rPr>
  <w:sz w:val="20"/>
  <w:szCs w:val="20"/>  <!-- Same size for complex script text -->
</w:rPr>

Common Font Sizes

Point Size Half-Points Use Case
8 pt 16 Small text, footnotes
9 pt 18 Small body text
10 pt 20 Standard body text
11 pt 22 Body text (default)
12 pt 24 Body text, standard
14 pt 28 Subheading
16 pt 32 Heading
18 pt 36 Large heading
24 pt 48 Title
28 pt 56 Large title
36 pt 72 Display

Font Size Conversion Reference

Half-Points Points Common Use Typical Rendering
16 8 Small footnotes, annotations Tiny, hard to read
18 9 Footnotes, captions Very small
20 10 Standard body text (compact) Small but readable
22 11 Body text (default in many apps) Readable
24 12 Standard body text (most common) Comfortable reading
28 14 Subheading, emphasis Larger emphasis
32 16 Section heading Prominent
36 18 Major heading Very prominent
40 20 Large heading Significant
48 24 Title, display Very large
56 28 Large title Extra large
72 36 Display heading Dominant
96 48 Large display Poster-like
144 72 Extra large display Billboard-like

Best Practices for Font Sizing

Hierarchy Example

  • Title: 28-36 pt (56-72 half-points)
  • Heading 1: 18-20 pt (36-40 half-points)
  • Heading 2: 14-16 pt (28-32 half-points)
  • Heading 3: 12-13 pt (24-26 half-points)
  • Body Text: 10-12 pt (20-24 half-points)
  • Footnotes/Captions: 8-9 pt (16-18 half-points)

Size Ratios

Maintain readable proportions:

  • Body to heading: 1.2× to 1.5× (e.g., 12 pt body + 16-18 pt heading)
  • Major heading to minor heading: 1.25× (e.g., 16 pt vs 12-13 pt)
  • Title to body: 2× to 3× (e.g., 24 pt title + 12 pt body)

Complex Script Font Size (w:szCs)

When using complex-script text (Arabic, Hebrew, Devanagari), apply w:szCs for matching height:

<w:rPr>
  <w:sz w:val="24"/>       <!-- ASCII/Western: 12 pt -->
  <w:szCs w:val="24"/>     <!-- Complex script: same visual height -->
</w:rPr>

Note: Complex scripts often require slightly larger sizes for equal legibility; some developers set w:szCs = 1.1 to 1.2× w:sz.

Notes

  • Half-Points: Divide w:val by 2 to get points; e.g., 24 → 12 pt.
  • Complex Script: Use w:szCs for Arabic, Hebrew, and other complex-script text.
  • Consistency: Ensure complex-script size is proportional to ASCII size for proper rendering.
  • Minimum Size: Most applications support minimum font sizes down to 1 pt (2 half-points).
  • Maximum Size: Extremely large font sizes (>1000 pt) may cause rendering issues.
  • Visual Impact: Size affects document layout; larger fonts increase line height and page count.
  • Accessibility: Very small fonts (<8 pt) reduce readability; follow accessibility guidelines.
  • Inheritance: If not specified, size is inherited from applied style or document defaults.
  • Scaling: Font size is independent of printer resolution; specified size renders consistently.
  • Compatibility: Font sizes render consistently across all Office versions.
  • Printer Limitations: Some printers may have maximum or minimum font sizes; test output.
  • Screen vs Print: Font sizes render similarly on screen and in print, but may appear different due to DPI.