They are commonly used by graphic designers when designing newspapers, magazines, newsletters and ads. Picas are often used for fixed horizontal measurements (most often column width). Typographers would have traditionally referred to a type setting as 12/16 which would mean a 12 point type with 16 point leading or line spacing.Ī pica is slightly less than 1/6 inch and contains 12 points. Points are the measurement unit most often used in printed publications created by graphic designers to indicate the size of type (font size) as well as the space between lines (this would be line spacing in Word but is called leading in many other programs). This is rounded up for practical reasons. The two units of measurement most commonly used for typesetting and design are points and picas.Ī point is equal to 1/72 inch (72 points in an inch). If the Ruler is not displayed, click the View tab in the Ribbon and ensure the Ruler check box is checked. Beside Show measurements in units of, choose inches, centimeters, millimeters, points or pics from the drop-down menu.īelow is the Word Options dialog box with the option to change measurement settings:īelow is the Ruler in Microsoft Word in inches:īelow is the Ruler in Microsoft Word in centimeters (cm):.Scroll down to the Display group in the panel on the right.Click Advanced in the categories on the left.To change the measurement system in Microsoft Word from centimeters to inches or to another unit of measure:
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Recommended article: How to Hide Comments in Word (or Display Them)ĭo you want to learn more about Microsoft Word? Check out our virtual classroom or in-person Word courses > Changing the measurement system in Microsoft Word Word and most graphic design programs support points, picas and other units and it is easy to convert from one unit to another. Unless the client or publication has a specific requirement for a type of measurement, most Microsoft Word users measure in inches or centimeters. Changes in the measurement system will affect Word’s Ruler as well as various dialog boxes (including the Paragraph dialog where you can change paragraph indents). You can choose inches, centimeters, millimeters, points or picas. If you’d prefer to work in inches rather than cm (centimeters) or vice versa, simply change the measurement system in Word’s Options. You can easily change the measurement system units in Microsoft Word for all of your documents.
Changing the Measurement Units for Your Word Documents (Inches to Centimeters or Vice Versa)īy Avantix Learning Team | Updated January 10, 2021Īpplies to: Microsoft ® Word ® 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 365 (Windows)