Misplaced Pages

Pica (typography): Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 06:37, 6 April 2006 editYakudza (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users2,284 edits uk:Цицеро← Previous edit Revision as of 15:23, 6 April 2006 edit undoGene Nygaard (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users90,047 edits points and picas actually usedNext edit →
Line 1: Line 1:
'''The pica''', pronounced ] ], '''is a ] of measure in ].''' It corresponds always to 1/ 72 of its respectiv ] and so to 1/6 ]. There are 12 ]s in the pica. '''The pica''', pronounced ] ], '''is a ] of measure in ].''' It corresponds always to 1/72 of its respectiv ] and so to 1/6 ]. There are 12 ]s in the pica.



''In the history of printing till now, mainly three different picas were used:'' ''In the history of printing till now, mainly three different picas were used:''
Line 6: Line 5:
* The '''French pica''' of 12 ]'s points, also called ] is generally: 12 x 0.376  =  '''4.512 mm''' or about '''0.177 638 inch'''. * The '''French pica''' of 12 ]'s points, also called ] is generally: 12 x 0.376  =  '''4.512 mm''' or about '''0.177 638 inch'''.


* The traditional American printer's system uses a particular ''printer's foot'', which is defined 249/250 English foot. It measures 0.996 ft. or 11.952 in., i.e. 303.5808 mm.<br> Thus, the '''American printer's pica''' &nbsp;– the so-called Johnson pica –&nbsp; '''measures 4.2164 mm or exactly 0.166 inch.''' It was adoped by the Type Founders Association in 1886. * The traditional American printer's system uses a point of 0.013837 in (1/72.27 in). Thus a pica is 0.166044 in (4.2175 mm).

* '''The current computer pica''' is defined as 1/ 72 of the anglo-saxon compromise foot of 1959, i.e. '''4.2<font style="text-decoration: overline">33</font> mm or 0.1<font style="text-decoration: overline">66</font> inch'''. <br> This pica was notably promoted by ] PostScript and nowadays dominates in the printing industry, just like in home computing and its printers.


* '''The current computer pica''' is defined as 1/72 of the anglo-saxon compromise foot of 1959, i.e. '''4.2<font style="text-decoration: overline">33</font> mm or 0.1<font style="text-decoration: overline">66</font> inch'''. <br> This pica was notably promoted by ] PostScript and nowadays dominates in the printing industry, just like in home computing and its printers.


A measurement in picas is usually represented by placing a capital P with a top-right to left-down slash beginning in the upper right of the round portion of the "P" and ending at the lower left of the upright portion of the "P"; essentially drawing a "/" through a "P". Likewise, points are represented by placing the number of points before a small p, such as 5p for "5 points," 6P2p for "6 picas and 2 points," or 1P1 for "13 points" which is converted to a mixed fraction of 1 pica and 1 point. A measurement in picas is usually represented by placing a capital P with a top-right to left-down slash beginning in the upper right of the round portion of the "P" and ending at the lower left of the upright portion of the "P"; essentially drawing a "/" through a "P". Likewise, points are represented by placing the number of points before a small p, such as 5p for "5 points," 6P2p for "6 picas and 2 points," or 1P1 for "13 points" which is converted to a mixed fraction of 1 pica and 1 point.



'''''For further, more detailed information, please also see the article:&nbsp;'' ]''' '''''For further, more detailed information, please also see the article:&nbsp;'' ]'''

Revision as of 15:23, 6 April 2006

The pica, pronounced ] ], is a unit of measure in typography. It corresponds always to 1/72 of its respectiv foot and so to 1/6 inch. There are 12 points in the pica.

In the history of printing till now, mainly three different picas were used:

  • The French pica of 12 Didot's points, also called cicéro is generally: 12 x 0.376  =  4.512 mm or about 0.177 638 inch.
  • The traditional American printer's system uses a point of 0.013837 in (1/72.27 in). Thus a pica is 0.166044 in (4.2175 mm).
  • The current computer pica is defined as 1/72 of the anglo-saxon compromise foot of 1959, i.e. 4.233 mm or 0.166 inch.
    This pica was notably promoted by Adobe PostScript and nowadays dominates in the printing industry, just like in home computing and its printers.

A measurement in picas is usually represented by placing a capital P with a top-right to left-down slash beginning in the upper right of the round portion of the "P" and ending at the lower left of the upright portion of the "P"; essentially drawing a "/" through a "P". Likewise, points are represented by placing the number of points before a small p, such as 5p for "5 points," 6P2p for "6 picas and 2 points," or 1P1 for "13 points" which is converted to a mixed fraction of 1 pica and 1 point.

For further, more detailed information, please also see the article:  Point (typography)

Categories: