Pica (Printer's) to Centimeter Conversion

Convert between Pica (Printer's) and Centimeter quickly and accurately.

pc
cm

How to Convert Pica (Printer's) to Centimeter

Conversion Formula

1 pc = 0.422 cm
1 cm = 2.371 pc

Example

Convert 15 pc to cm:

15 pc = 15 × 0.422 cm = 6.326 cm

Unit Information

Learn about the typography units you're converting between

Pica (Printer's)

pc

Definition

A printer's pica is the traditional typographic unit used in professional printing, slightly different from the computer pica. One printer's pica equals 239.10336 twips, reflecting historical printing standards.

History/Origin

The printer's pica has been used in professional printing for centuries, originally defined as 12 points. It represents the traditional typographic measurement system used in commercial printing and publishing.

Current Use

Printer's picas are used in professional printing, traditional typography, and publishing for precise text layout, font sizing, and spacing that maintains compatibility with historical printing standards and equipment.

Multiplier

239.103

Offset

0

Centimeter

cm

Definition

A centimeter is one-hundredth of a meter, commonly used in typography for medium-scale measurements. One centimeter equals 566.9291338583 twips, providing a practical unit for document layout and typographic spacing.

History/Origin

The centimeter is part of the metric system, derived from the meter. It has been widely adopted internationally for scientific, engineering, and commercial measurements, including typography and graphic design.

Current Use

Centimeters are extensively used in typography for measuring margins, column widths, font sizes, and spacing in both print and digital media, especially in international publishing and design standards.

Multiplier

566.929

Offset

0

Pica (Printer's) to Centimeter Conversion Table

Pica (Printer's) [pc] Centimeter [cm]
1 pc 0.421752 cm
10 pc 4.217518 cm
25 pc 10.543794 cm
50 pc 21.087588 cm
100 pc 42.175176 cm
0 pc 0E+0 cm
-10 pc -4.217518 cm
-40 pc -16.87007 cm