EM to CM Converter
Use this free online em to cm converter tool to convert parent-relative em units to centimeters. Centimeters are an absolute unit used in international print design. This tool converts web typography to metric print measurements.
To convert em to centimeters, multiply the em value by the parent font-size to get pixels, then multiply by 2.54 and divide by 96. The default parent font-size is 16px. This conversion is valuable for international print projects.
Conversion Formula
cm = (em × parent font-size × 2.54) ÷ 96
For example, to convert 6em to cm with 16px parent font-size, calculate (6 × 16 × 2.54) ÷ 96 = 2.54cm. Similarly, 3em approximately equals 1.27cm because (3 × 16 × 2.54) ÷ 96 ≈ 1.27.
EM to CM Converter Conversion Table (Parent: 16px)
| EM | CM |
|---|---|
| 0.0625em | 0.0265cm |
| 0.25em | 0.1058cm |
| 0.5em | 0.2117cm |
| 0.75em | 0.3175cm |
| 1em | 0.4233cm |
| 1.25em | 0.5292cm |
| 1.5em | 0.635cm |
| 2em | 0.8467cm |
| 2.5em | 1.058cm |
| 3em | 1.27cm |
| 4em | 1.693cm |
| 6em | 2.54cm |
| 8em | 3.387cm |
| 10em | 4.233cm |
| 11em | 4.657cm |
| 12em | 5.08cm |
| 13em | 5.503cm |
| 14em | 5.927cm |
| 16em | 6.773cm |
| 20em | 8.467cm |
| 30em | 12.7cm |
| 36em | 15.24cm |
| 48em | 20.32cm |
| 50em | 21.17cm |
| 60em | 25.4cm |
| 62em | 26.25cm |
| 64em | 27.09cm |
| 70em | 29.63cm |
| 75em | 31.75cm |
| 80em | 33.87cm |
| 90em | 38.1cm |
| 100em | 42.33cm |
| 120em | 50.8cm |
What is EM?
EM is a relative CSS unit that scales based on the parent element's font size, making it highly context-dependent. By default, 1em equals the parent element's font-size value, creating a cascading effect through nested elements. While EM offers flexibility for component-level scaling, its cascading nature can make it unpredictable compared to REM in complex layouts.
What is CM?
Centimeters (cm) are an absolute CSS unit representing physical centimeters, commonly used in print design and international contexts. In web contexts, 1cm equals approximately 37.8 pixels. While uncommon for screen design, centimeters are valuable for print stylesheets where physical dimensions matter.