One point is exactly 0.0001929012346 fathoms, so converting points to fathoms is a single multiplication. Enter any figure and the result appears as you type — the arithmetic runs in your browser, so nothing is sent anywhere.
The DTP point: exactly 1/72 inch, the unit type size is set in. Six feet, the traditional depth unit on marine charts.
The mil and the millimetre are not the same thing and are out by a factor of about forty. A mil is one thousandth of an inch — 0.0254 mm — and a spec sheet that quotes film thickness in mils means the small unit. British drawings write the same size as "thou". The tables underneath give both a plain step-by-step lookup and a list of real quantities expressed in fathoms, so you can sanity-check whether your answer is a plausible size.
The formula
points- The amount you are converting, in points
0.000192901234568- The exact number of fathoms in one point
fathoms- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in points.
- It is multiplied by 0.000192901234568, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in fathoms, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A credit card’s long edge: 243 pt in fathoms
Take a credit card’s long edge, roughly 243 pt. The conversion is a single multiplication — 243 × 0.000192901 — giving 0.046875 ftm. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 0.09375 ftm.
A door height: 5760 pt in fathoms
A door height comes to about 5760 pt. Multiplying by the factor: 5760 × 0.000192901 = 1.11111 ftm. Dividing the answer back by 0.000192901 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many fathoms are in one point?
Exactly 0.000192901234568. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert points to fathoms?
fathoms = points × 0.000192901234568. Reversed, points = fathoms ÷ 0.000192901234568, which is the same as multiplying by 5184.
Which is the bigger unit, the point or the fathom?
The fathom. One point is only 0.000192901 of a fathom, so it takes 5184 points to make one fathom.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure length. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a point?
The DTP point: exactly 1/72 inch, the unit type size is set in.
What is a fathom?
Six feet, the traditional depth unit on marine charts.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Is there a quick way to do pt to ftm in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: divide by 5000 instead of using the exact factor 0.0001929012346. At 100 that shortcut gives 0.02 fathoms, off by 0.0007099 fathoms or about 3.68%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Points to fathoms reference tables
| Points | Fathoms |
|---|---|
| 0.5 pt | 9.64506e-05 ftm |
| 1 pt | 0.000192901 ftm |
| 2 pt | 0.000385802 ftm |
| 3 pt | 0.000578704 ftm |
| 5 pt | 0.000964506 ftm |
| 10 pt | 0.00192901 ftm |
| 20 pt | 0.00385802 ftm |
| 25 pt | 0.00482253 ftm |
| 50 pt | 0.00964506 ftm |
| 75 pt | 0.0144676 ftm |
| 100 pt | 0.0192901 ftm |
| 250 pt | 0.0482253 ftm |
| 500 pt | 0.0964506 ftm |
| 1000 pt | 0.192901 ftm |
| 5000 pt | 0.964506 ftm |
Exact factor: 1 point = 0.000192901234568 fathoms.
| Quantity | pt | ftm |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 242.6 pt | 0.04681 ftm |
| A door height | 5760 pt | 1.111 ftm |
| An Olympic pool | 1.417e+05 pt | 27.34 ftm |
| The Eiffel Tower | 9.354e+05 pt | 180.4 ftm |
| A marathon | 1.196e+08 pt | 2.307e+04 ftm |
| Earth’s diameter | 3.612e+10 pt | 6.967e+06 ftm |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.