diff --git a/src/main/java/com/gregor/jprototerm/TerminalMetrics.java b/src/main/java/com/gregor/jprototerm/TerminalMetrics.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e12e020
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/com/gregor/jprototerm/TerminalMetrics.java
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+package com.gregor.jprototerm;
+
+import javafx.scene.text.Font;
+import javafx.scene.text.Text;
+
+/**
+ * Cell geometry shared by the {@link Compositor} and every {@link TerminalPane}.
+ *
+ * <p>The nominal cell width/height come from measuring the font, but a grid can't use
+ * fractional cells, so the measured size is snapped to whole (logical) pixels here — that
+ * snapping is why the value isn't purely a property of the font. The compositor owns the
+ * single instance (it holds the canvas, which is the pixel context), hands it to panes so
+ * they can turn their rect into a column/row count themselves, and re-measures it on a font
+ * change so every pane observes the new geometry through the shared reference.
+ */
+public final class TerminalMetrics {
+    /** Inset, in pixels, between a pane's edge and its content on every side. */
+    public static final double PADDING = 12.0;
+
+    private String fontFamily;
+    private double fontSize;
+    private Font font;
+    private double cellWidth;
+    private double lineHeight;
+    private double baselineOffset;
+
+    public TerminalMetrics(String fontFamily, double fontSize) {
+        setFont(fontFamily, fontSize);
+    }
+
+    public void setFont(String fontFamily, double fontSize) {
+        this.fontFamily = fontFamily;
+        this.fontSize = fontSize;
+        this.font = Font.font(fontFamily, fontSize);
+        measure(font);
+    }
+
+    public String fontFamily() {
+        return fontFamily;
+    }
+
+    public double fontSize() {
+        return fontSize;
+    }
+
+    public Font font() {
+        return font;
+    }
+
+    public double cellWidth() {
+        return cellWidth;
+    }
+
+    public double lineHeight() {
+        return lineHeight;
+    }
+
+    public double baselineOffset() {
+        return baselineOffset;
+    }
+
+    /** Columns that fit in a pane of the given pixel width (after subtracting the padding). */
+    public int columnsFor(double widthPx) {
+        return Math.max(1, (int) ((widthPx - 2 * PADDING) / cellWidth));
+    }
+
+    /** Rows that fit in a pane of the given pixel height (after subtracting the padding). */
+    public int rowsFor(double heightPx) {
+        return Math.max(1, (int) ((heightPx - 2 * PADDING) / lineHeight));
+    }
+
+    private void measure(Font font) {
+        Text text = new Text("┃MgÅjy");
+        text.setFont(font);
+        // Snap the cell size to whole pixels so cells tile on integer boundaries. Fractional
+        // cell metrics put every cell edge on a sub-pixel position, leaving anti-aliased
+        // seams that show up as a faint grid behind the themed cell backgrounds. Rounding
+        // leaves a few pixels of unused space at the right/bottom edge, which is fine.
+        this.lineHeight = Math.max(1.0, Math.round(text.getLayoutBounds().getHeight()));
+        this.baselineOffset = -text.getLayoutBounds().getMinY();
+
+        Text cell = new Text("M");
+        cell.setFont(font);
+        this.cellWidth = Math.max(1.0, Math.round(cell.getLayoutBounds().getWidth()));
+    }
+}