Type Scale Generator

Overview

Generate harmonious typography scales using musical interval ratios. Automatically calculates appropriate line heights based on font size for optimal readability.

When to Use

• Setting up typography for a new project
• Creating heading hierarchy (h1-h6)
• Standardizing font sizes across components
• Building a responsive type system

Quick Reference: Musical Ratios

Name	Ratio	Character
Minor Second	1.067	Subtle, tight
Major Second	1.125	Conservative
Minor Third	1.2	Versatile (recommended)
Major Third	1.25	Balanced
Perfect Fourth	1.333	Bold contrast
Augmented Fourth	1.414	Dramatic
Perfect Fifth	1.5	High contrast
Golden Ratio	1.618	Classical, striking

The Process

1. Get base size: Default 16px (browser default, good baseline)
2. Choose ratio: Recommend Minor Third (1.2) for most projects
3. Steps up: How many sizes above base (6-8 typical for headings)
4. Steps down: How many sizes below base (2-3 for small/caption text)
5. Ask unit: px, rem, or em?
6. Ask format: CSS, Tailwind, or JSON?
7. Generate: Create scale with auto line heights

Auto Line Height

Larger fonts need tighter line height for readability:

Font Size	Line Height	Reasoning
14px or less	1.7	Small text needs room
15-18px	1.6	Body text range
19-24px	1.5	Large body/small headings
25-32px	1.4	Subheadings
33-48px	1.3	Headings
49px+	1.2	Display text

Output Formats

CSS Custom Properties:

:root {
  /* Font Sizes */
  --text-xs: 13.33px;
  --text-sm: 14.22px;
  --text-base: 16px;
  --text-lg: 19.2px;
  --text-xl: 23.04px;
  --text-2xl: 27.65px;

  /* Line Heights */
  --leading-xs: 1.70;
  --leading-sm: 1.70;
  --leading-base: 1.60;
  --leading-lg: 1.50;
  --leading-xl: 1.50;
  --leading-2xl: 1.40;
}

Tailwind Config:

module.exports = {
  theme: {
    fontSize: {
      'xs': ['13.33px', { lineHeight: '1.70' }],
      'sm': ['14.22px', { lineHeight: '1.70' }],
      'base': ['16px', { lineHeight: '1.60' }],
      'lg': ['19.2px', { lineHeight: '1.50' }],
      'xl': ['23.04px', { lineHeight: '1.50' }],
      '2xl': ['27.65px', { lineHeight: '1.40' }],
    }
  }
}

JSON Tokens:

{
  "typography": {
    "xs": { "fontSize": "13.33px", "lineHeight": "1.70" },
    "sm": { "fontSize": "14.22px", "lineHeight": "1.70" },
    "base": { "fontSize": "16px", "lineHeight": "1.60" },
    "lg": { "fontSize": "19.2px", "lineHeight": "1.50" }
  }
}

Naming Convention

Position	Name
3 below base	xxs
2 below base	xs
1 below base	sm
Base	base
1 above base	lg
2 above base	xl
3+ above base	2xl, 3xl, 4xl...

Common Configurations

Compact UI (dashboards, data-dense):

• Ratio: 1.125 (Major Second)
• Base: 14px
• Steps: 2 down, 5 up

Content Site (blogs, marketing):

• Ratio: 1.25 (Major Third)
• Base: 18px
• Steps: 2 down, 6 up

Editorial (magazines, long-form):

• Ratio: 1.333 (Perfect Fourth)
• Base: 20px
• Steps: 2 down, 8 up