To convert points to hands, multiply by 0.003472222222. That factor is the whole relationship: both units measure length, so the conversion is a proportion with no offset and no substance-specific constant.
Exactly four inches, and still the only accepted way to state the height of a horse. The DTP point: exactly 1/72 inch, the unit type size is set in.
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". Two tables follow: rounded steps for quick lookup, and a set of real reference quantities converted into hands, which is usually more useful than the bare number.
The formula
points- The amount you are converting, in points
0.00347222222222- The exact number of hands in one point
hands- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in points.
- It is multiplied by 0.00347222222222, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in hands, 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 hands
At 243 pt (a credit card’s long edge), the same quantity in hands is 243 × 0.00347222 = 0.84375 hh. One point is 0.00347222 hands, so the numbers shrink as expected.
An Olympic pool: 1.42e+05 pt in hands
Take an olympic pool, roughly 1.42e+05 pt. The conversion is a single multiplication — 1.42e+05 × 0.00347222 — giving 493.056 hh. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 986.111 hh.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many hands are in one point?
Exactly 0.00347222222222. 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 hands?
hands = points × 0.00347222222222. Reversed, points = hands ÷ 0.00347222222222, which is the same as multiplying by 288.
Which is the bigger unit, the point or the hand?
The hand. One point is only 0.00347222 of a hand, so it takes 288 points to make one hand.
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 hand?
Exactly four inches, and still the only accepted way to state the height of a horse.
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 hh in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: divide by 290 instead of using the exact factor 0.003472222222. At 100 that shortcut gives 0.34482759 hands, off by 0.002395 hands or about 0.69%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Points to hands reference tables
| Points | Hands |
|---|---|
| 0.5 pt | 0.00173611 hh |
| 1 pt | 0.00347222 hh |
| 2 pt | 0.00694444 hh |
| 3 pt | 0.0104167 hh |
| 5 pt | 0.0173611 hh |
| 10 pt | 0.0347222 hh |
| 20 pt | 0.0694444 hh |
| 25 pt | 0.0868056 hh |
| 50 pt | 0.173611 hh |
| 75 pt | 0.260417 hh |
| 100 pt | 0.347222 hh |
| 250 pt | 0.868056 hh |
| 500 pt | 1.73611 hh |
| 1000 pt | 3.47222 hh |
| 5000 pt | 17.3611 hh |
Exact factor: 1 point = 0.00347222222222 hands.
| Quantity | pt | hh |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 242.6 pt | 0.8425 hh |
| A door height | 5760 pt | 20 hh |
| An Olympic pool | 1.417e+05 pt | 492.1 hh |
| The Eiffel Tower | 9.354e+05 pt | 3248 hh |
| A marathon | 1.196e+08 pt | 4.153e+05 hh |
| Earth’s diameter | 3.612e+10 pt | 1.254e+08 hh |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.