Result
This page has no server side at all. The table you paste is parsed by JavaScript inside your own browser, the chart is drawn on a canvas element on your machine, and the export file is assembled locally. Nothing is uploaded, stored or written to any log. You can disconnect from the network after the page has loaded and everything will still work — which is the simplest way to verify the claim yourself.
Facts and limits of this method
| Conversion factor | 1 pica = 2.54/6 cm ≈ 0.423333 cm |
|---|---|
| Via the inch | 1 pica = 1/6 inch (12 points) |
| Reverse factor | 1 cm ≈ 2.36221 picas |
When it misleads you
- This uses the American/English (PostScript/Pica) pica, where 1 pica = exactly 1/6 inch and an inch is exactly 2.54 cm; historical typographic measurement systems (such as the Didot point used in French and continental European tradition) use a slightly different ratio and aren't covered by this calculation.
- A pica consists of 12 points — if your value is given in points rather than picas, first convert points to picas by dividing by 12, or use a separate point converter.
- Rounding is applied only to the displayed result — internal calculations use the full precision of JavaScript floating-point numbers.
How it is calculated
The entered value in picas is multiplied by the factor 2.54/6 (≈0.423333), giving length in centimeters — this follows from the chain pica → inch (1/6) → centimeter (× 2.54).
The reverse factor (how many picas are in one centimeter) is computed as the inverse of the main factor and shown as a separate reference line.
The result is rounded to the chosen number of decimal places.
The calculation updates instantly whenever the value or precision changes.
Questions and answers
Where is the pica used as a unit of measurement?
In typography, page layout (such as text column widths) and desktop publishing software like Adobe InDesign, where dimensions are traditionally set in picas and points rather than centimeters or inches.
How many points are in a pica?
12 points make up one pica — the standard ratio in the Pica/PostScript system, the most common one used in digital layout today.
Is this the same pica used in old print shops before digital layout?
Approximately, but not exactly — historical national typographic measurement systems (such as the continental European Didot system) have slightly different ratios; this converter uses the modern American/English pica (PostScript/Pica).
Is my data sent anywhere?
No, the whole calculation runs in your browser.