1529: Why 12-Point Font Feb 19, 2019

On many word processors, the default font-size is 12 points, nowadays, for whatever the font. This number may seem random, but—within the imperial system—it makes a lot of sense. Using standard measurements, a point is one-twelfth of a pica, which is just about one-sixth of an inch. Traditionally, all fonts would need to be measured not only to fit the page, but also measured against each other, so these numbers were important and 12 became standard. With digital printing however, many fonts will be larger or smaller than stated, no longer actually using points as a form of standard measurement.
More on fonts here.
Support Word Facts on patreon.com/wordfacts