An agate font is commonly used to display statistical data or legal notices in newspapers.

It is considered to be the smallest point size that can be printed on newsprint and remain legible.

[citation needed] Due to the small size of agate compared to typical newspaper body text that might be 8 to 10 points and due to its use for statistical, stock, racing or other table uses, the term "agate" may also refer to tables and texts using this point size.

Its chief use is for advertisements and market reports in daily papers, on which it is generally the smallest size used.

It was unknown before 1822, when George Bruce, who was endeavoring to have a truer relation between the bodies of type than then existed, saw the gap between pearl and nonpareil, and introduced this size to fill it.