A measurement system originally developed by the Parisian typecaster Pierre Simon Fournier in 1737.
The basic unit is the typographical point (abbreviated p), where 1 meter = 2660 points or 1 point = 0.3759 millimeters.
Other units are the nonpareil (6 points), brevier (8 points), cicero © (12 points) and canon (48 points).
These designations stem from type sizes which originally had their own names.
The restructuring of the measurement system in Germany in 1977 brought an end to this system, though it continues to be used in a modified form.
The units have been rounded to 5/100 millimeters.