To convert picas to hands, multiply by 0.04166666667. That factor is the whole relationship: both units measure length, so the conversion is a proportion with no offset and no substance-specific constant.
Exactly four inches, and still the only accepted way to state the height of a horse. Twelve points, or 1/6 inch — the column-width unit of print layout.
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". The tables underneath give both a plain step-by-step lookup and a list of real quantities expressed in hands, so you can sanity-check whether your answer is a plausible size.
The formula
picas- The amount you are converting, in picas
0.0416666666667- The exact number of hands in one pica
hands- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in picas.
- It is multiplied by 0.0416666666667, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in hands, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
The Eiffel Tower: 7.8e+04 pica in hands
At 7.8e+04 pica (the eiffel tower), the same quantity in hands is 7.8e+04 × 0.0416667 = 3250 hh. One pica is 0.0416667 hands, so the numbers shrink as expected.
A door height: 480 pica in hands
A door height comes to about 480 pica. Multiplying by the factor: 480 × 0.0416667 = 20 hh. Dividing the answer back by 0.0416667 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many hands are in one pica?
Exactly 0.0416666666667. 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 hands?
hands = picas × 0.0416666666667. Reversed, picas = hands ÷ 0.0416666666667, which is the same as multiplying by 24.
Which is the bigger unit, the pica or the hand?
The hand. One pica is only 0.0416667 of a hand, so it takes 24 picas to make one hand.
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 hand?
Exactly four inches, and still the only accepted way to state the height of a horse.
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.
Picas to hands reference tables
| Picas | Hands |
|---|---|
| 0.5 pica | 0.0208333 hh |
| 1 pica | 0.0416667 hh |
| 2 pica | 0.0833333 hh |
| 3 pica | 0.125 hh |
| 5 pica | 0.208333 hh |
| 10 pica | 0.416667 hh |
| 20 pica | 0.833333 hh |
| 25 pica | 1.04167 hh |
| 50 pica | 2.08333 hh |
| 75 pica | 3.125 hh |
| 100 pica | 4.16667 hh |
| 250 pica | 10.4167 hh |
| 500 pica | 20.8333 hh |
| 1000 pica | 41.6667 hh |
| 5000 pica | 208.333 hh |
Exact factor: 1 pica = 0.0416666666667 hands.
| Quantity | pica | hh |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 20.22 pica | 0.8425 hh |
| A door height | 480 pica | 20 hh |
| An Olympic pool | 1.181e+04 pica | 492.1 hh |
| The Eiffel Tower | 7.795e+04 pica | 3248 hh |
| A marathon | 9.967e+06 pica | 4.153e+05 hh |
| Earth’s diameter | 3.01e+09 pica | 1.254e+08 hh |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.