This page converts picas into meters using the factor 0.004233333333, 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. The SI base unit of length, defined by the distance light travels in 1/299,792,458 of a second.
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". Below the calculator there is a step table for the values people look up most, and a second table putting real length figures into meters so the number you get has something to be compared against.
The formula
picas- The amount you are converting, in picas
0.00423333333333- The exact number of meters in one pica
meters- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in picas.
- It is multiplied by 0.00423333333333, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in meters, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A credit card’s long edge: 20.2 pica in meters
At 20.2 pica (a credit card’s long edge), the same quantity in meters is 20.2 × 0.00423333 = 0.0855133 m. One pica is 0.00423333 meters, so the numbers shrink as expected.
The Eiffel Tower: 7.8e+04 pica in meters
Take the eiffel tower, roughly 7.8e+04 pica. The conversion is a single multiplication — 7.8e+04 × 0.00423333 — giving 330.2 m. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 660.4 m.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many meters are in one pica?
Exactly 0.00423333333333. 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 meters?
meters = picas × 0.00423333333333. Reversed, picas = meters ÷ 0.00423333333333, which is the same as multiplying by 236.220472441.
Which is the bigger unit, the pica or the meter?
The meter. One pica is only 0.00423333 of a meter, so it takes 236.22 picas to make one meter.
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 meter?
The SI base unit of length, defined by the distance light travels in 1/299,792,458 of a second.
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 m in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: divide by 240 instead of using the exact factor 0.004233333333. At 100 that shortcut gives 0.41666667 meters, off by 0.006667 meters or about 1.57%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Picas to meters reference tables
| Picas | Meters |
|---|---|
| 0.5 pica | 0.00211667 m |
| 1 pica | 0.00423333 m |
| 2 pica | 0.00846667 m |
| 3 pica | 0.0127 m |
| 5 pica | 0.0211667 m |
| 10 pica | 0.0423333 m |
| 20 pica | 0.0846667 m |
| 25 pica | 0.105833 m |
| 50 pica | 0.211667 m |
| 75 pica | 0.3175 m |
| 100 pica | 0.423333 m |
| 250 pica | 1.05833 m |
| 500 pica | 2.11667 m |
| 1000 pica | 4.23333 m |
| 5000 pica | 21.1667 m |
Exact factor: 1 pica = 0.00423333333333 meters.
| Quantity | pica | m |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 20.22 pica | 0.0856 m |
| A door height | 480 pica | 2.032 m |
| An Olympic pool | 1.181e+04 pica | 50 m |
| The Eiffel Tower | 7.795e+04 pica | 330 m |
| A marathon | 9.967e+06 pica | 4.22e+04 m |
| Earth’s diameter | 3.01e+09 pica | 1.274e+07 m |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.