This article explores everything you need to know about using Times New Roman at a 20-point scale: from its historical roots and technical specifications to practical applications in accessibility, screen reading, and print design. Whether you are a student formatting a heading, a designer creating large-print materials for the visually impaired, or a curious typographer, understanding this specific font-size combination will elevate your work. Before diving into the specifics of size 20, we must understand the font itself. Times New Roman was commissioned by the Times of London newspaper in 1931. Designed by Stanley Morison and Victor Lardent, the goal was simple: create a typeface that was highly legible, economical with space, yet had a robust, authoritative character. It was engineered for the high-speed printing presses of the era.
Master this combination, and you will master the art of being heard—loudly, clearly, and with timeless class. Further reading: Bringhurst’s "The Elements of Typographic Style", or the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) on text resizing. times 20new 20roman font
body font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20pt; /* points, not pixels */ line-height: 1.4; /* about 28pt leading */ This article explores everything you need to know
| Font | Difference at 20 pt | Best use case | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Larger x-height, softer serifs. | Screen reading (web/apps). | | Cambria | Slightly thinner stroke, more upright. | Technical documents, math. | | Baskerville | Higher contrast, elegant. | Wedding programs, invitations. | | Courier New | Monospaced, typewriter feel. | Screenplays, legal transcripts. | | Garamond | Smaller apparent size (even at 20 pt), refined. | Luxury branding, poetry. | Times New Roman was commissioned by the Times
For most of the 20th century, Times New Roman was a print-first font. Its default body text size was typically 9, 10, or 11 points. The idea of setting it at was reserved for headlines, titles, or large-print editions for elderly readers. With the advent of digital word processors (Microsoft Word made it the default font from 1992 to 2007), Times New Roman became ubiquitous. But its default digital size was 12 points. Moving the slider up to 20 points changes the font’s personality entirely—from a dense, serious column of text to a bold, breathing, declarative statement. Chapter 2: What Does "20-Point" Really Mean? In typography, point size measures the height of the typeface’s bounding box—not the height of the letters themselves. One point equals 1/72 of an inch. Therefore, 20-point Times New Roman is designed for a vertical space of approximately 0.278 inches (7.06 mm) from the top of the tallest ascender (like the letter ‘b’) to the bottom of the deepest descender (like the letter ‘g’).