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The CSS Chamber of Measures

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CSS-009 · Absolute

cm

The certified centimeter: 96px divided by 2.54, not always a centimeter.

One cm is worth, by definition of the standard, 96px/2.54 — about 37.8 CSS pixels. The system's anchor is not the meter at the Sèvres bureau, it is the 96-pixel inch: the CSS centimeter is an imperial unit disguised as metric.

Like every physical absolute, its calling is paper: a business card of 8.5cm by 5.4cm leaves the printer at the agreed size. On screen, use it knowing it is an exchange rate, not a measurement.

5cm
.cartao {
  width: 8.5cm;
  height: 5.4cm;
}
Live demonstration: 5cm of screen — which only coincide with 5cm of world on printed paper.