Is a 28 mm miniature actually 28 mm tall?

Usually not. 28 mm is a trade label rather than a measurement, and a figure sold as 28 mm commonly stands 30-32 mm from the top of the base to the top of the head, because the label describes a nominal eye-level height and heroic sculpting adds a little more above it. This converter works from the scale ratio instead of the label, so a 1.8 m subject at 1:56 comes out at 32.1 mm whatever the range calls itself.

What scale is a 32 mm heroic figure?

This converter pairs 32 mm heroic with a nominal 1:50. Heroic proportions carry a larger head and hands than a true 1:50 human would, so two ranges can share the ratio and still look different next to each other. Use the ratio for terrain and the label for comparing figure ranges.

How do I convert a real height to a model size by hand?

Divide the real-world height in millimetres by the ratio denominator. A 1.8 m subject is 1800 mm, so at 1:56 it becomes 1800 divided by 56, which is 32.1 mm. To go the other way, multiply the measured model height by the denominator: a 28 mm figure at 1:56 stands for a 1568 mm subject.

What base size goes with a 28 mm figure?

Classic ranges put 28 mm figures on 25 mm round bases and 32 mm heroic figures on 32 mm round bases, and the converter suggests the closest of those conventions. Your ruleset has the final say, though. The page's illustrative stance width (30% of model height) is only about 10 mm across at 1:56 - that is a planning assumption, not an anatomical measurement or a base requirement.

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Miniature Scale Converter

Type a real-world height — a person, a door, a wall — and see how tall it is as a 28 mm, 32 mm heroic, 54 mm or ratio-scale figure. Or measure a model you already own and read back the real-world height it represents, along with the sizes to cut terrain and basing material to.

Your conversion

A 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) subject is a 32.1 mm figure at 1:56 — 1.26 in tall.

Scale: 1:56
Model height: 32.1 mm1.26 in
Real-world height: 1.8 m5 ft 11 in
Typical round base: 25 mm round28 mm scale class
Illustrative stance width: 9.6 mm0.38 in

Every scale at a glance

The same subject at each scale class, with the real-world height the nominal figure height implies.

Scale class	Ratio	Model height	Model height (in)	Implied real height
6 mm	1:285	6.3 mm	0.25 in	1710 mm
10 mm	1:160	11.3 mm	0.44 in	1600 mm
15 mm	1:100	18 mm	0.71 in	1500 mm
20 mm	1:76	23.7 mm	0.93 in	1520 mm
25 mm	1:64	28.1 mm	1.11 in	1600 mm
28 mm (your scale)	1:56	32.1 mm	1.26 in	1568 mm
32 mm heroic	1:50	36 mm	1.42 in	1600 mm
54 mm	1:32	56.3 mm	2.22 in	1728 mm
75 mm	1:24	75 mm	2.95 in	1800 mm
90 mm	1:20	90 mm	3.54 in	1800 mm
120 mm	1:16	112.5 mm	4.43 in	1920 mm

Terrain and diorama sizes at this scale

Real-world dimensions a table or diorama has to reproduce, converted with the scale you selected.

Real-world item	Real size	At this scale	At this scale (in)
Standard brick, length	215 mm	3.8 mm	0.15 in
Brick course, height	65 mm	1.2 mm	0.05 in
Door opening, height	2030 mm	36.3 mm	1.43 in
Interior wall, height	2400 mm	42.9 mm	1.69 in
Storey height, floor to floor	3000 mm	53.6 mm	2.11 in
Euro pallet, length	1200 mm	21.4 mm	0.84 in

Conversion summary

Miniature scale conversion
Scale: 1:56
Real-world height: 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)
Model height: 32.1 mm (1.26 in)
Typical base for 28 mm: 25 mm round
Illustrative stance width (assumes 30% of model height): 9.6 mm (0.38 in)

How the miniature scale converter works

Say what you know. Pick a real-world height to get a model size, or a measured model height to get the real-world size it stands for.
Enter the height. Real-world heights accept millimetres through to feet. Model heights are always in millimetres, which is how figure ranges are sold.
Choose the scale. The list carries the common classes from 6 mm to 120 mm with the ratio each one is sold under. Pick Custom ratio for anything else, such as 1:48 or 1:35.
Read the table and the terrain sizes. The first table repeats your subject at every scale class; the second converts everyday real dimensions — brick, door, wall, storey, pallet — with the scale you picked.

Reading the results

Model height is the real height divided by the ratio denominator. A 1.8 m subject at 1:56 is 1800 ÷ 56 = 32.1 mm, which is about 1.26 inches. The real-world row works the other way: a measured model height multiplied by the ratio gives the height the figure stands for.

The implied real height column multiplies each scale class's nominal figure height by its ratio. It shows what real-world height that class assumes, and the spread across the column is the honest part: 6 mm at 1:285 assumes 1710 mm, 28 mm at 1:56 assumes 1568 mm, and 75 mm at 1:24 assumes 1800 mm. These are trade conventions, not measurements, which is why two ranges sold as the same size can differ by a millimetre or two.

The typical round base is the closest scale class's common base size: 25 mm round for 28 mm figures, 32 mm round for 32 mm heroic, 40 mm round for 54 mm. Your ruleset decides the base you actually use — this is a starting size, not a ruling. The illustrative stance width is a planning assumption, not an anatomical measurement: it treats a foot-to-foot stance as 30% of the model height. It is usually much narrower than the base, which is one reason based miniatures look generous. It is not a base-size or rules requirement, and a real figure's stance varies with the sculpt.

Why 28 mm is a label, not a measurement

Figure sizes are named after a nominal height and paired with a ratio by convention. A range sold as 28 mm often measures 30–32 mm from the base to the top of the head, because the label describes an eye-level height on a real person and heroic sculpting adds a little more on top. Measurements also depend on where you start: base top, sole, or the underside of the integral base all give different numbers.

That is why this converter does the maths from the ratio rather than from the label. Type the real height and the scale ratio and you get a number that holds up whatever the range calls itself. If you are matching sculpts from two manufacturers, compare their measured heights against the same ratio and you will see the real difference.

Worked example: a 6 ft adventurer at 1:56

You are building a 28 mm dungeon and want a doorway the party can walk through without ducking. A real door opening is about 2030 mm, so at 1:56 you cut it to 2030 ÷ 56 = 36.3 mm. The same conversion gives a brick course of 65 ÷ 56 = 1.2 mm, a wall height of 2400 ÷ 56 = 42.9 mm and a storey of 3000 ÷ 56 = 53.6 mm.

The figure itself is the same maths: a 1.8 m fighter becomes a 32.1 mm model on a 25 mm round base, with an illustrative stance width of about 9.6 mm under this page's 30%-of-height assumption. Base the model on the 25 mm round, cut the door at 36 mm and the whole scene stays in proportion.

What this converter does not do

It does not set your base sizes. Games and rulesets publish their own base requirements, and they win over the starting sizes suggested here.
It does not know your figure range. Nominal sizes, heroic proportions and integral bases vary between manufacturers, so measure the sculpt you own if the difference matters.
It does not judge proportion. A heroic 32 mm figure and a realistic 1:50 figure are the same height and a very different silhouette.
It does not convert 3D printer scale percentages. Multiply the ratio instead: 1:56 to 1:32 is a 175% enlargement.
It never sends or stores your numbers. Every figure is calculated in this page, in your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Is a 28 mm miniature actually 28 mm tall?: Usually not. 28 mm is a trade label rather than a measurement, and a figure sold as 28 mm commonly stands 30-32 mm from the top of the base to the top of the head, because the label describes a nominal eye-level height and heroic sculpting adds a little more above it. This converter works from the scale ratio instead of the label, so a 1.8 m subject at 1:56 comes out at 32.1 mm whatever the range calls itself.
What scale is a 32 mm heroic figure?: This converter pairs 32 mm heroic with a nominal 1:50. Heroic proportions carry a larger head and hands than a true 1:50 human would, so two ranges can share the ratio and still look different next to each other. Use the ratio for terrain and the label for comparing figure ranges.
How do I convert a real height to a model size by hand?: Divide the real-world height in millimetres by the ratio denominator. A 1.8 m subject is 1800 mm, so at 1:56 it becomes 1800 divided by 56, which is 32.1 mm. To go the other way, multiply the measured model height by the denominator: a 28 mm figure at 1:56 stands for a 1568 mm subject.
What base size goes with a 28 mm figure?: Classic ranges put 28 mm figures on 25 mm round bases and 32 mm heroic figures on 32 mm round bases, and the converter suggests the closest of those conventions. Your ruleset has the final say, though. The page's illustrative stance width (30% of model height) is only about 10 mm across at 1:56 - that is a planning assumption, not an anatomical measurement or a base requirement.

Keep going

Scale decides more than figure height: base size, magnet size and terrain all follow from it. If you are basing the models you just measured, start with the base and magnet sizes that match.