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Golden Ratio Typography Calculator

Work out golden ratio typography instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Golden Ratio Typography Calculator

Each heading level multiplies the previous size by the golden ratio of 1.618, and the same ratio applied to the body size gives a natural line height. A single consistent ratio is what makes a type scale feel deliberate; the golden ratio is one common choice but 1.25 or 1.333 give tighter, more usable scales.

Formula

Type scale

size at level k = body size x 1.618 ^ k

Worked example

With the default values below, Golden Ratio Typography Calculator returns Largest heading size of 109.67. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Body font sizeminimum 1 px
16 px
Heading levelsaccepts 1–8
4

Results

Largest heading size
109.67 px
Full type scale
109.67 / 67.78 / 41.89 / 25.89 / 16
Body line height at the golden ratio
25.89 px
Small text one step down
9.89 px

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Type scale
  3. 3Largest heading size= 109.67 px
  4. 4Full type scale= 109.67 / 67.78 / 41.89 / 25.89 / 16
  5. 5Body line height at the golden ratio= 25.89 px
  6. 6Small text one step down= 9.89 px

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 2 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Golden Ratio Typography figure worked out?

size at level k = body size x 1.618 ^ k. Each heading level multiplies the previous size by the golden ratio of 1.618, and the same ratio applied to the body size gives a natural line height.

Why does this matter?

A single consistent ratio is what makes a type scale feel deliberate; the golden ratio is one common choice but 1.25 or 1.333 give tighter, more usable scales.

What do I need to enter?

Enter body font size, heading levels. The defaults shown are a realistic worked example — swap in your own figures to get a result you can use.

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