Different Font Sizes in Apple Pages and Microsoft Word

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Level 1

16 points

Different Font Sizes in Apple Pages and Microsoft Word

When making a print test with Apple Pages and Microsoft Word I made an interesting discovery:
I used the same font (Futura BT Lt), the same size (11 pt) and the same line spacing (1 line) in both applications for the same text - but the print in Pages came out slightly larger than in Word.
How can this be? Do applications calculate their font sizes differently? I always thought 11 pt. is 11 pt., no matter what program I use (at least for the same font on one and the same computer)...
Any idea how I can match the sizes in both applications? I tried fractional font sizes in Pages (10,8 pt.) - this comes close but is not perfect...

Power Macintosh G4, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on May 17, 2008 9:49 PM

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Answer 1

Klose Author

Level 1

16 points

May 18, 2008 3:02 AM in response to SermoDaturCunctis

I have read the article you pointed me to and if i understand it correctly, than the letters themselves are identical in both application: An "h", for example, has the same width and height in Pages than it has in Word.
What is different though, is the line spacing.
Comparing both prints one over another over a light source seems to prove this – the letters matched exactly, but the free space between lines was different.

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Answer 2

KOENIG Yvan

Level 8

41,819 points

May 18, 2008 1:30 AM in response to Klose

Hello

I guess that µSoft uses an algorithm building a custom font size so a document would display the same from a PC or from Mac.

I just may guess because µSoft products are not allowed to enter my machines.

Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE dimanche 18 mai 2008 10:29:18)

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Answer 3

May 18, 2008 1:34 AM in response to Klose

Well spotted! They are indeed different. The font width is the same but not the font height, which means that you cannot get a 100% match between the two.

http://pagesfaq.blogspot.com/2007/09/why-does-layout-change-when-i-import.html

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Answer 4

May 18, 2008 3:12 AM in response to Klose

Exactly! It would be interesting if anyone has made extensive tests on a large number of fonts and line spacings.

It might be possible that some fonts and font sizes have exactly the same line spacing in both programs.

It is also possible that one might force the same line spacing using Inspector > Text > Line > Exactly.

However, I think a lot of experiments would be needed to find cases where it works.

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Answer 5

Klose Author

Level 1

16 points

May 18, 2008 3:19 AM in response to SermoDaturCunctis

Well, maybe I have just come up with a solution:
I redefined line space in both applications: It's not the usual "1 line" anymore but "exactly 16 pt" (or any other pt size) in both Pages and Word. – Now both prints match, even when compared one over another!

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Answer 6

May 18, 2008 3:23 AM in response to Klose

Clever! I was not even aware that the setting was available in MS Word.

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