diff --git a/src/col-row-size.typ b/src/col-row-size.typ
index 565a68a..d46108f 100644
--- a/src/col-row-size.typ
+++ b/src/col-row-size.typ
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@
 #let determine-column-sizes(grid: (), page-width: 0pt, styles: none, columns: none, inset: none, align: auto, col-gutter: none) = {
     let columns = columns.map(c => {
         if type(c) in (_length_type, _rel_len_type, _ratio_type) {
-            convert-length-to-pt(c, styles: styles, page_size: page-width)
+            convert-length-to-pt(c, styles: styles, page-size: page-width)
         } else if c == none {
             0pt
         } else {
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@
 #let determine-row-sizes(grid: (), page-height: 0pt, styles: none, columns: none, rows: none, align: auto, inset: none, row-gutter: none) = {
     let rows = rows.map(r => {
         if type(r) in (_length_type, _rel_len_type, _ratio_type) {
-            convert-length-to-pt(r, styles: styles, page_size: page-height)
+            convert-length-to-pt(r, styles: styles, page-size: page-height)
         } else {
             r
         }
diff --git a/src/option-parsing.typ b/src/option-parsing.typ
index 9dcb640..428ee38 100644
--- a/src/option-parsing.typ
+++ b/src/option-parsing.typ
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
                         panic("'expand' argument to lines must be a pair (length, length).")
                     }
 
-                    convert-length-to-pt(e, styles: styles, page_size: page-size)
+                    convert-length-to-pt(e, styles: styles, page-size: page-size)
                 }
             })
         }
@@ -79,11 +79,11 @@
     row-gutter = default-if-auto(row-gutter, 0pt)
 
     if type(col-gutter) in (_length_type, _rel_len_type, _ratio_type) {
-        col-gutter = convert-length-to-pt(col-gutter, styles: styles, page_size: page-width)
+        col-gutter = convert-length-to-pt(col-gutter, styles: styles, page-size: page-width)
     }
 
     if type(row-gutter) in (_length_type, _rel_len_type, _ratio_type) {
-        row-gutter = convert-length-to-pt(row-gutter, styles: styles, page_size: page-width)
+        row-gutter = convert-length-to-pt(row-gutter, styles: styles, page-size: page-width)
     }
 
     (col: col-gutter, row: row-gutter)
diff --git a/src/type-validators.typ b/src/type-validators.typ
index 0450ea7..dc66875 100644
--- a/src/type-validators.typ
+++ b/src/type-validators.typ
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@
     type(len) in (_ratio_type, _fraction_type, _rel_len_type, _length_type) and "inf" in repr(len)
 }
 
+// Check if the given length has type '_length_type' and no 'em' component.
+#let is-purely-pt-len(len) = {
+    type(len) == _length_type and "em" not in repr(len)
+}
+
 #let validate-cols-rows(columns, rows, items: ()) = {
     if type(columns) == _int_type {
         assert(columns >= 0, message: "Error: Cannot have a negative amount of columns.")
diff --git a/src/utilities.typ b/src/utilities.typ
index d5e5c75..92621dd 100644
--- a/src/utilities.typ
+++ b/src/utilities.typ
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
 #import "type-validators.typ": *
 // -- end imports --
 
+// Typst 0.9.0 uses a minus sign ("−"; U+2212 MINUS SIGN) for negative numbers.
+// Before that, it used a hyphen minus ("-"; U+002D HYPHEN MINUS), so we use
+// regex alternation to match either of those.
+#let NUMBER-REGEX-STRING = "(−|-)?\\d*\\.?\\d+"
+
 // Which positions does a cell occupy
 // (Usually just its own, but increases if colspan / rowspan
 // is greater than 1)
@@ -114,88 +119,171 @@
     previous
 }
 
-// Convert a certain (non-relative) length to pt
+// Measure a length in pt by drawing a line and using the measure() function.
+// This function will work for negative lengths as well.
+//
+// Note that for ratios, the measurement will be 0pt due to limitations of
+// the "draw and measure" technique (wrapping the line in a box still returns 0pt;
+// not sure if there is any viable way to measure a ratio). This also affects
+// relative lengths — this function will only be able to measure the length component.
 //
 // styles: from style()
-// page_size: equivalent to 100%
-// frac_amount: amount of 'fr' specified
-// frac_total: total space shared by fractions
-#let convert-length-to-pt(
-    len,
-    styles: none, page_size: none, frac_amount: none, frac_total: none
-) = {
-    page_size = 0pt + page_size
+#let measure-pt(len, styles) = {
+    let measured-pt = measure(line(length: len), styles).width
 
-    if is-infinite-len(len) {
-        0pt  // avoid the destruction of the universe
-    } else if type(len) == _length_type {
-        if "em" in repr(len) {
-            if styles == none {
-                panic("Cannot convert length to pt ('styles' not specified).")
-            }
+    // If the measured length is positive, `len` must have overall been positive.
+    // There's nothing else to be done, so return the measured length.
+    if measured-pt > 0pt {
+        return measured-pt
+    }
 
-            measure(line(length: len), styles).width + 0pt
-        } else {
-            len + 0pt  // mm, in, pt
-        }
-    } else if type(len) == _ratio_type {
-        if page_size == none {
-            panic("Cannot convert ratio to pt ('page_size' not specified).")
-        }
+    // If we've reached this point, the previously measured length must have been `0pt`
+    // (drawing a line with a negative length will draw nothing, so measuring it will return `0pt`).
+    // Hence, `len` must either be `0pt` or negative.
+    // We multiply `len` by -1 to get a positive length, draw a line and measure it, then negate
+    // the measured length. This nicely handles the `0pt` case as well.
+    measured-pt = -measure(line(length: -len), styles).width
+    return measured-pt
+}
 
-        if is-infinite-len(page_size) {
-            return 0pt  // page has 'auto' size => % should return 0
-        }
+// Convert a length of type length to pt.
+//
+// styles: from style()
+#let convert-length-type-to-pt(len, styles: none) = {
+    // repr examples: "1pt", "1em", "0.5pt", "0.5em", "1pt + 1em", "-0.5pt + -0.5em"
+    if "em" not in repr(len) {
+        // No need to do any conversion because it must already be in pt.
+        return len
+    }
 
-        ((len / 1%) / 100) * page_size + 0pt  // e.g. 100% / 1% = 100; / 100 = 1; 1 * page_size
-    } else if type(len) == _fraction_type {
-        if frac_amount == none {
-            panic("Cannot convert fraction to pt ('frac_amount' not specified).")
-        }
+    // At this point, we will need to draw a line for measurement,
+    // so we need the styles.
+    if styles == none {
+        panic("Cannot convert length to pt ('styles' not specified).")
+    }
 
-        if frac_total == none {
-            panic("Cannot convert fraction to pt ('frac_total' not specified).")
-        }
+    return measure-pt(len, styles)
+}
 
-        if frac_amount <= 0 or is-infinite-len(frac_total) {
-            return 0pt
-        }
+// Convert a ratio type length to pt
+//
+// page-size: equivalent to 100%
+#let convert-ratio-type-to-pt(len, page-size) = {
+    assert(
+        is-purely-pt-len(page-size),
+        message: "'page-size' should be a purely pt length"
+    )
+
+    if page-size == none {
+        panic("Cannot convert ratio to pt ('page-size' not specified).")
+    }
 
-        let len_per_frac = frac_total / frac_amount
+    if is-infinite-len(page-size) {
+        return 0pt  // page has 'auto' size => % should return 0
+    }
 
-        (len_per_frac * (len / 1fr)) + 0pt
-    } else if type(len) == _rel_len_type {
-        if styles == none {
-            panic("Cannot convert relative length to pt ('styles' not specified).")
-        }
+    ((len / 1%) / 100) * page-size + 0pt  // e.g. 100% / 1% = 100; / 100 = 1; 1 * page-size
+}
 
-        let ratio_regex = regex("^\\d+%")
-        let ratio = repr(len).find(ratio_regex)
+// Convert a fraction type length to pt
+//
+// frac-amount: amount of 'fr' specified
+// frac-total: total space shared by fractions
+#let convert-fraction-type-to-pt(len, frac-amount, frac-total) = {
+    assert(
+        is-purely-pt-len(frac-total),
+        message: "'frac-total' should be a purely pt length"
+    )
+
+    if frac-amount == none {
+        panic("Cannot convert fraction to pt ('frac-amount' not specified).")
+    }
 
-        if ratio == none {  // 2em + 5pt  (doesn't contain 100% or something)
-            measure(line(length: len), styles).width
-        } else {  // 100% + 2em + 5pt  --> extract the "100%" part
-            if page_size == none {
-                panic("Cannot convert relative length to pt ('page_size' not specified).")
-            }
+    if frac-total == none {
+        panic("Cannot convert fraction to pt ('frac-total' not specified).")
+    }
 
-            // SAFETY: guaranteed to be a ratio by regex
-            let ratio_part = eval(ratio)
-            assert(type(ratio_part) == _ratio_type, message: "Eval didn't return a ratio")
+    if frac-amount <= 0 or is-infinite-len(frac-total) {
+        return 0pt
+    }
 
-            let other_part = len - ratio_part  // get the (2em + 5pt) part
+    let len-per-frac = frac-total / frac-amount
 
-            let ratio_part_pt = if is-infinite-len(page_size) { 0pt } else { ((ratio_part / 1%) / 100) * page_size }
-            let other_part_pt = 0pt
+    (len-per-frac * (len / 1fr)) + 0pt
+}
 
-            if other_part < 0pt {
-                other_part_pt = -measure(line(length: -other_part), styles).width
-            } else {
-                other_part_pt = measure(line(length: other_part), styles).width
-            }
+// Convert a relative type length to pt
+//
+// styles: from style()
+// page-size: equivalent to 100% (optional because the length may not have a ratio component)
+#let convert-relative-type-to-pt(len, styles, page-size: none) = {
+    // We will need to draw a line for measurement later,
+    // so we need the styles.
+    if styles == none {
+        panic("Cannot convert relative length to pt ('styles' not specified).")
+    }
 
-            ratio_part_pt + other_part_pt + 0pt
-        }
+    // Note on precision: the `repr` for em components is precise, unlike
+    // other length components, which are rounded to a precision of 2.
+    // This is true up to Typst 0.9.0 and possibly later versions.
+    let em-regex = regex(NUMBER-REGEX-STRING + "em")
+    let em-part-repr = repr(len).find(em-regex)
+
+    // Calculate the length minus its em component.
+    // E.g., 1% + 1pt + 1em -> 1% + 1pt
+    let (em-part, len-minus-em) = if em-part-repr == none {
+        (0em, len)
+    } else {
+        // SAFETY: guaranteed to be a purely em length by regex
+        let em-part = eval(em-part-repr)
+        (em-part, len - em-part)
+    }
+
+    // This will give only the pt part of the length.
+    // E.g., 1% + 1pt -> 1pt
+    // See the documentation on measure-pt for more information.
+    let pt-part = measure-pt(len-minus-em, styles)
+
+    // Since we have the values of the em and pt components,
+    // we can calculate the ratio part.
+    let ratio-part = len-minus-em - pt-part
+    let ratio-part-pt = if ratio-part == 0% {
+        // No point doing `convert-ratio-type-to-pt` if there's no ratio component.
+        0pt
+    } else {
+        convert-ratio-type-to-pt(ratio-part, page-size)
+    }
+
+    // The length part is the pt part + em part.
+    // Note: we cannot use `len - ratio-part` as that returns a `_rel_len_type` value,
+    // not a `_length_type` value.
+    let length-part-pt = convert-length-type-to-pt(pt-part + em-part, styles: styles)
+
+    ratio-part-pt + length-part-pt
+}
+
+// Convert a certain (non-relative) length to pt
+//
+// styles: from style()
+// page-size: equivalent to 100%
+// frac-amount: amount of 'fr' specified
+// frac-total: total space shared by fractions
+#let convert-length-to-pt(
+    len,
+    styles: none, page-size: none, frac-amount: none, frac-total: none
+) = {
+    page-size = 0pt + page-size
+
+    if is-infinite-len(len) {
+        0pt  // avoid the destruction of the universe
+    } else if type(len) == _length_type {
+        convert-length-type-to-pt(len, styles: styles)
+    } else if type(len) == _ratio_type {
+        convert-ratio-type-to-pt(len, page-size)
+    } else if type(len) == _fraction_type {
+        convert-fraction-type-to-pt(len, frac-amount, frac-total)
+    } else if type(len) == _rel_len_type {
+        convert-relative-type-to-pt(len, styles, page-size: page-size)
     } else {
         panic("Cannot convert '" + type(len) + "' to length.")
     }
diff --git a/tablex-test.typ b/tablex-test.typ
index ba448fe..eac0d86 100644
--- a/tablex-test.typ
+++ b/tablex-test.typ
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-#import "src/common.typ": calc-mod
-#import "src/utilities.typ": default-if-auto
+#import "src/common.typ": calc-mod, _length_type
+#import "src/utilities.typ": default-if-auto, convert-length-to-pt
 #import "tablex.typ": *
 
 *Test*
@@ -783,3 +783,224 @@ Combining em and pt (with a stroke object):
     }),
     [E]
 )
+
+*Length to pt conversion*
+
+#let convert-length-to-pt-test(
+    len, expected,
+    page-size: 100pt,  // Set 1% to 1pt
+    frac-amount: 10,  // Set 1fr to 1pt
+    frac-total: 10pt,
+) = {
+    set text(size: 1pt)  // Set 1em to 1pt
+    style(styles => {
+        let actual = convert-length-to-pt(
+            len,
+            styles: styles,
+            page-size: page-size,
+            frac-amount: frac-amount,
+            frac-total: frac-total,
+        )
+
+        assert(type(actual) == _length_type)
+        assert(expected == actual)
+    })
+}
+
+// `length` tests
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0pt, 0pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(1pt, 1pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(1em, 1pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(-1pt, -1pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(-1em, -1pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0.005pt, 0.005pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0.005em, 0.005pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(-0.005pt, -0.005pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(-0.005em, -0.005pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0.005pt + 0.005em, 0.01pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0.005pt - 0.005em, 0pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(-0.005pt + 0.005em, 0pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(-0.005pt - 0.005em, -0.01pt)
+
+// `ratio` tests
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(1%, 1pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(-1%, -1pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0.5%, 0.5pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(-0.5%, -0.5pt)
+
+// `fraction` tests
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(1fr, 1pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(-1fr, -1pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0.5fr, 0.5pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(-0.5fr, -0.5pt)
+
+// `relative` tests
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0% + 0pt + 0em, 0pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0% + 0pt + 1em, 1pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0% + 1pt + 0em, 1pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0% + 1pt + 1em, 2pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(1% + 0pt + 0em, 1pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(1% + 0pt + 1em, 2pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(1% + 1pt + 0em, 2pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(1% + 1pt + 1em, 3pt)
+
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0% + 0pt + 0.005em, 0.005pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0% + 0.005pt + 0em, 0.005pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0% + 0.005pt + 0.005em, 0.01pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0.005% + 0pt + 0em, 0.005pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0.005% + 0pt + 0.005em, 0.01pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0.005% + 0.005pt + 0em, 0.01pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0.005% + 0.005pt + 0.005em, 0.015pt)
+
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0% + 0pt - 0.005em, -0.005pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0% - 0.005pt + 0em, -0.005pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(0% - 0.005pt - 0.005em, -0.01pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(-0.005% + 0pt + 0em, -0.005pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(-0.005% + 0pt - 0.005em, -0.01pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(-0.005% - 0.005pt + 0em, -0.01pt)
+#convert-length-to-pt-test(-0.005% - 0.005pt - 0.005em, -0.015pt)
+
+*Line expansion - issue \#74:*
+
+#let wrap-for-linex-expansion-test(tabx) = {
+    set text(size: 1pt) // Set 1em to 1pt
+    box(
+        width: 100pt,  // Set 1% to 1pt
+        height: 100pt,
+        tabx
+    )
+}
+
+- Positive single-cell hlinex expansion
+
+#wrap-for-linex-expansion-test(
+    tablex(
+      columns: 3pt,
+      auto-lines: false,
+      hlinex(),
+      [],
+      hlinex(expand: 3pt),
+      [],
+      hlinex(expand: 3em),
+      [],
+      hlinex(expand: 3%),
+      [],
+      hlinex(expand: 1% + 1pt + 1em),
+    )
+)
+
+- Positive multi-cell hlinex expansion
+
+#wrap-for-linex-expansion-test(
+    tablex(
+      columns: (1pt, 1pt, 1pt),
+      auto-lines: false,
+      hlinex(),
+      [], [], [],
+      hlinex(expand: 3pt),
+      [], [], [],
+      hlinex(expand: 3em),
+      [], [], [],
+      hlinex(expand: 3%),
+      [], [], [],
+      hlinex(expand: 1% + 1pt + 1em),
+    )
+)
+
+- Negative single-cell hlinex expansion
+
+#wrap-for-linex-expansion-test(
+    tablex(
+      columns: 15pt,
+      auto-lines: false,
+      hlinex(),
+      [],
+      hlinex(expand: -6pt),
+      [],
+      hlinex(expand: -6em),
+      [],
+      hlinex(expand: -6%),
+      [],
+      hlinex(expand: -(2% + 2pt + 2em)),
+    )
+)
+
+// TODO: currently does not work as intended (https://github.com/PgBiel/typst-tablex/issues/85)
+- Negative multi-cell hlinex expansion
+
+#wrap-for-linex-expansion-test(
+    tablex(
+      columns: (5pt, 5pt, 5pt),
+      auto-lines: false,
+      hlinex(),
+      [], [], [],
+      hlinex(expand: -6pt),
+      [], [], [],
+      hlinex(expand: -6em),
+      [], [], [],
+      hlinex(expand: -6%),
+      [], [], [],
+      hlinex(expand: -(2% + 2pt + 2em)),
+    )
+)
+
+- Positive single-cell vlinex expansion
+
+#wrap-for-linex-expansion-test(
+    tablex(
+      columns: 5,
+      rows: 3pt,
+      auto-lines: false,
+      vlinex(),
+      vlinex(expand: 3pt),
+      vlinex(expand: 3em),
+      vlinex(expand: 3%),
+      vlinex(expand: 1% + 1pt + 1em),
+    )
+)
+
+- Positive multi-cell vlinex expansion
+
+#wrap-for-linex-expansion-test(
+    tablex(
+      columns: 5,
+      rows: (1pt, 1pt, 1pt),
+      auto-lines: false,
+      vlinex(),
+      vlinex(expand: 3pt),
+      vlinex(expand: 3em),
+      vlinex(expand: 3%),
+      vlinex(expand: 1% + 1pt + 1em),
+    )
+)
+
+- Negative single-cell vlinex expansion
+
+#wrap-for-linex-expansion-test(
+    tablex(
+      columns: 5,
+      rows: 15pt,
+      auto-lines: false,
+      vlinex(),
+      vlinex(expand: -6pt),
+      vlinex(expand: -6em),
+      vlinex(expand: -6%),
+      vlinex(expand: -(2% + 2pt + 2em)),
+    )
+)
+
+// TODO: currently does not work as intended (https://github.com/PgBiel/typst-tablex/issues/85)
+- Negative multi-cell vlinex expansion
+
+#wrap-for-linex-expansion-test(
+    tablex(
+      columns: 5,
+      rows: (5pt, 5pt, 5pt),
+      auto-lines: false,
+      vlinex(),
+      vlinex(expand: -6pt),
+      vlinex(expand: -6em),
+      vlinex(expand: -6%),
+      vlinex(expand: -(2% + 2pt + 2em)),
+    )
+)