The large type shown below is in a 72-point Arial font. Use a rule to verify that the distance between the two horizontal lines is one inch on the printed page.

Create a Web page that contains the same text in specify 72-point Arial. Display the result on a computer monitor. How much vertical space does the font take up on the screen? Use a ruler on the screen surface to check. Answer this question again after changing your monitor resolution to the largest and smallest available. What are your conclusions?

Commercially available Web browsers do not compensate for changes in monitor resolution. Here is are some sample measurements from a ViewSonic 17GS monitor, which has a display area with a height of 8.5 inches:

Monitor Resolution Vertical height of 72-point Arial font
640x480 1.75 inches (126 points) 800x600 1.375
inches (99 points) 1024x768 1.125 inches (81
points) 1280x1024 .8125 inches (58.5 points)

At present, there is no control over absolute size of a font as it appears on a screen. All that’s possible is controlling the relationship between font sizes.