The Didot System was named after its inventor, the french type founder Firmin Didot (1761 - 1836). It was invented at the end of the 18th century.

In the Didot System, the smallest unit corresponds to the French Foot. This system was set up as a 12-point-system.

There were individual names for the different type sizes, some of them are still used today.

For example, the 12 point type size is called CICERO.

 

More names in the Didot System:

<strong>Didot </strong> <strong>Traditional </strong> <strong>Measure, rounded </strong> <strong>Measure </strong>
<strong>point</strong> <strong>name</strong> <strong>to 3 decimals</strong> <strong>(1p = 0.375mm)</strong>
1 point Eighth petit 0.376 mm 0.375 mm
2 points Quarter petit, Non plus ultra 0.752 mm 0.75 mm
3 points Quarter cicero, Brilliant 1.128 mm 1.13 mm
4 points Half petit, Diamond 1.504 mm 1.50 mm
5 points Perl 1.880 mm 1.88 mm
6 points Nonpareille 2.256 mm 2.25 mm
7 points Kolonel. Mignon 2.632 mm 2.63 mm
8 points Petit 3.009 mm 3.00 mm
9 points Borgis 3.385 mm 3.38 mm
10 points Corpus. Garamond 3.761 mm 3.75 mm
12 points Cicero 4.513 mm 4.50 mm
14 points Medium 5.265 mm 5.25 mm
16 points Tertia 6.017 mm 6.00 mm
18 points 1.5 Cicero 6.769 mm 6.75 mm
20 points Text 7.521 mm 7.50 mm
24 points Double cicero 9.026 mm 9.00 mm
28 points Double medium 10.530 mm 10.50 mm
36 points 3 Cicero 13.539 mm 13.50 mm
48 points Concordance 18.052 mm 21 mm