double small pica

Double small pica is a typeface size used in metal type composition, measuring 21 points in UK standardization and 22 points in US standardization. In the point system, where 72 points equal one inch, this places it in the large display category, suitable for headlines, posters, and prominent announcements rather than body text. The term is now historical: it belongs to the era of hot metal typesetting, when fonts were cast in discrete sizes and printers maintained extensive type cabinets organized by size.

The naming convention reflects how printers traditionally classified type. The word pica itself refers to a unit of measurement (12 points), and small pica was 11 points. Double small pica therefore means twice that size, minus one point in the UK system, or exactly double in the US system. This logic governed the entire type size hierarchy, which included nonpareil (6 pt), minion (7 pt), brevier (8 pt), bourgeois (9 pt), and many others. Most of these names now survive only in specialized printing history.

Double small pica occupied a practical middle ground between smaller display faces and the truly massive sizes like great primer (18 pt) and paragon (20 pt). It was common in newspaper mastheads, job printing, and book chapters that required emphasis without overwhelming the page. Metal type shops would stock double small pica in multiple fonts and weights because demand was reliable. The size was robust enough to hold fine serifs and still print clearly on press.

In digital typography today, the 22-point measure survives as an option in font menus, but without the material reality that once made the distinction meaningful. A modern designer choosing 22-point type has access to unlimited fonts and weights with a keystroke. The historical printer, by contrast, was limited to whatever double small pica types were actually in the shop, and faced real questions about whether a particular font had been cast in that size at all.