pica
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈpaɪkə/
- Specialized
:
pica
- A standard pica is equivalent to 1/6 of an inch, which printers use to size type.
Examples
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Back when I had just my electric typewriter, I was so jazzed that I had not one, but two daisy wheels, each one with a different font (pica and elite) to choose from.
Blog text (19) -
However, some of its technical innovations, such as the introduction of the pica, which is the standard of type measure, live to this day.
Academic text (2005) -
Do I grab one of my pica markers and sit there and trace it like this?
-
To measure the width of the text columns accurately, set the ruler to pica.
-
When designing the page layout, I used a pica as a unit to determine line spacing.
Synonyms
A measure equal to one sixth of an inch used in printing and page layout
Compounds
- Specialized
A magpie with black and white feathers and a long tail that lives in western North America
How Wide
Surface Forms
Etymology
Pica in printing is the name of a small measure (about 1/6 of an inch) used for type and columns; a helpful way to remember it is to think of a pica as a tiny 'piece' of type that helps printers make text fit neatly.