This page converts picas into centimeters using the factor 0.4233333333, and shows the reverse figure alongside it. Both units measure length, which is why one number does the whole job.
Twelve points, or 1/6 inch — the column-width unit of print layout. One hundredth of a metre, and the everyday metric unit for body measurements and paper sizes.
The mil and the millimetre are not the same thing and are out by a factor of about forty. A mil is one thousandth of an inch — 0.0254 mm — and a spec sheet that quotes film thickness in mils means the small unit. British drawings write the same size as "thou". Two tables follow: rounded steps for quick lookup, and a set of real reference quantities converted into centimeters, which is usually more useful than the bare number.
The formula
picas- The amount you are converting, in picas
0.423333333333- The exact number of centimeters in one pica
centimeters- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in picas.
- It is multiplied by 0.423333333333, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in centimeters, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A marathon: 9.97e+06 pica in centimeters
A marathon comes to about 9.97e+06 pica. Multiplying by the factor: 9.97e+06 × 0.423333 = 4.22063e+06 cm. Dividing the answer back by 0.423333 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
A credit card’s long edge: 20.2 pica in centimeters
Take a credit card’s long edge, roughly 20.2 pica. The conversion is a single multiplication — 20.2 × 0.423333 — giving 8.55133 cm. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 17.1027 cm.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many centimeters are in one pica?
Exactly 0.423333333333. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert picas to centimeters?
centimeters = picas × 0.423333333333. Reversed, picas = centimeters ÷ 0.423333333333, which is the same as multiplying by 2.36220472441.
Which is the bigger unit, the pica or the centimeter?
The centimeter. One pica is only 0.423333 of a centimeter, so it takes 2.3622 picas to make one centimeter.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure length. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a pica?
Twelve points, or 1/6 inch — the column-width unit of print layout.
What is a centimeter?
One hundredth of a metre, and the everyday metric unit for body measurements and paper sizes.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Is there a quick way to do pica to cm in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: divide by 2.4 instead of using the exact factor 0.4233333333. At 100 that shortcut gives 41.666667 centimeters, off by 0.6667 centimeters or about 1.57%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Picas to centimeters reference tables
| Picas | Centimeters |
|---|---|
| 0.5 pica | 0.211667 cm |
| 1 pica | 0.423333 cm |
| 2 pica | 0.846667 cm |
| 3 pica | 1.27 cm |
| 5 pica | 2.11667 cm |
| 10 pica | 4.23333 cm |
| 20 pica | 8.46667 cm |
| 25 pica | 10.5833 cm |
| 50 pica | 21.1667 cm |
| 75 pica | 31.75 cm |
| 100 pica | 42.3333 cm |
| 250 pica | 105.833 cm |
| 500 pica | 211.667 cm |
| 1000 pica | 423.333 cm |
| 5000 pica | 2116.67 cm |
Exact factor: 1 pica = 0.423333333333 centimeters.
| Quantity | pica | cm |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 20.22 pica | 8.56 cm |
| A door height | 480 pica | 203.2 cm |
| An Olympic pool | 1.181e+04 pica | 5000 cm |
| The Eiffel Tower | 7.795e+04 pica | 3.3e+04 cm |
| A marathon | 9.967e+06 pica | 4.22e+06 cm |
| Earth’s diameter | 3.01e+09 pica | 1.274e+09 cm |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.