Leading Baseline Relation
Computes vertical leading and relation with baseline grid by body font size.
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Vertical Leading (Line-Height)
Leading (it rhymes with “heading”, and the name comes from the lead strips printers once slid between rows of metal type) is the vertical space between the baselines of consecutive lines. CSS expresses it as line-height, best written as a unitless multiplier of the font size. The math is leading = font-size × line-height, so a 16px body with line-height: 1.5 gives you 24px of leading.
A few ratios show up again and again: 1.5× the font size for default web body text, 1.2× for compact headings, and 1.7× or more when you want comfortable long-form reading. In Elements of Typographic Style, Robert Bringhurst suggests starting at roughly 30% above the body size. Matthew Carter and other type designers make a related point: line-height should grow as the line gets longer, since wider columns need more leading to help the eye find its way back to the next line.
Applications
Think web typography (line-height), editorial print, e-book layout, technical documentation, and the baseline grids in Adobe InDesign that line text up across columns. Design systems like Tailwind hand you ready-made steps: leading-tight (1.25), leading-normal (1.5), leading-relaxed (1.625), leading-loose (2).
FAQ
Unitless or px line-height? Go unitless. line-height: 1.5 inherits in proportion, while line-height: 24px stays locked at one value and breaks child elements that use a different font size.
Why tighter for headings? Big display text already carries plenty of visual weight, so 1.5 leading just leaves gaps of empty vertical space. Somewhere around 1.1–1.25 keeps a heading feeling like one block.
What is a baseline grid? It is a horizontal grid where every line of text snaps to the same vertical rhythm, usually a multiple of the body leading such as 8px increments. Editorial design relies on it constantly.
Related Tools
Baseline and Leading Body
Computes recommended baseline and leading for body text by typographic golden ratio.
Elevator Traffic Interval
Calculate the traffic interval (average waiting time) of an elevator group, INT = RTT ÷ N, dividing the round trip time RTT (s) by the number of elevators N in the group. The result, in seconds, is the average time between elevator arrivals at the main floor — the main service-quality indicator perceived by users (waiting time). Intervals up to 30 s are excellent; above 50-60 s, poor. More elevators in the group reduce the interval. It is the key criterion in sizing the number of elevators. Enter the RTT and the number of elevators.
Handling Capacity (5 min)
Calculate an elevator's handling capacity over 5 minutes, HC = (300 × Q) ÷ RTT, from the car capacity Q (people) and the round trip time RTT (s). The result, in people carried per 5 minutes, is the standard vertical-traffic performance metric (building peak demand is usually measured over 5 min). The factor 300 is the seconds in 5 minutes. Multiplied by the number of elevators and compared with the building population, it tells whether the system meets demand (typically 12-15% of the population in 5 min in offices). Enter the car capacity and the RTT.
Elevator Motor Power
Calculate the motor power of an elevator, P = m·g·v ÷ η, from the payload m (kg), gravity g (9.81 m/s²), nominal speed v (m/s) and the system efficiency η (motor, gearbox, sheaves). The result, in watts, is the mechanical power needed to hoist the load at nominal speed. In practice, the counterweight (balancing the car plus ~45% of the load) reduces the effective power, and regenerative braking on descent can return some to the system. It is the base calculation for sizing the traction machine. Enter the load, the speed and the efficiency.
Round Trip Time (RTT)
Estimate an elevator's round trip time (RTT), RTT = 2·(H ÷ v) + stops × t_stop, from the travel height H (m), the speed v (m/s), the number of probable stops and the average time per stop (s, including deceleration, door opening/closing and boarding). The result, in seconds, is the time of a complete up-and-down cycle with stops — a central parameter of vertical traffic analysis. The higher the RTT, the lower the handling capacity and the longer the interval between cars. Enter the height, the speed, the number of stops and the time per stop.
Tunnel Support Pressure
Calculate the support pressure a tunnel lining must resist, pv = γ·Hp, from the rock mass unit weight γ (kN/m³) and the rock load height Hp (m) — typically from Terzaghi's method or geomechanical classifications (RMR, Q-system). Support pressure is the vertical stress the loosened rock zone exerts on the support (shotcrete, steel sets, final lining), and it drives the structural design of the lining. In shallow tunnels the load may be the full overburden; in deep tunnels, arching reduces it to a fraction. Estimating it correctly is decisive: underestimating leads to collapse, overestimating raises cost. Enter the unit weight and the rock load height.
The results provided by this tool are for general informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute professional, financial, medical, legal, tax or accounting advice. Always confirm important decisions with a qualified professional and official sources.