Style 612-18 Stainless Steel 18" Gaebel Line Gauge [6 & 12 Pt / Inches, 6 & 12 Pt / Agate] Item#05LIAHG61218 (Discontinued)

Gaebel line gauges are a popular measuring and reference tool for printing companies, pressrooms, and artists. These style 612 Gaebel rulers are made of a flexible, but durable and corrosion-resistant stainless steel. The flexibility makes them eay to use, while a handy hole punched into the top of the ruler allows for hanging and storage opportunities. Choose from 12", 18", or 24" typographic rulers, each featuring four different units of measure, including popular options like agate, pica, inches, and point. But what are these different measurements used for?

   • Inches is the most common, standard unit of measure used in the USA, no matter the industry
   • Agate is used in typography, and is equal to 5.5 typographical points, or about ¹/₁₄" (1.81mm). It is most commonly used to display statistical dada and legal notices in newspapers. It can refer to either the height of a line of text, or a font that is 5.5 points. Agate is also called a "ruby" in the UK.
   • Point is also used in typography, and is used to indicate the size of text and space between lines (leading / line spacing). Sometimes they are also used to measure the width and depth of a column. 1 point is equal to 0.013836 inches, and they are abbreviated with "pt". Typographers may use it in a format of points/leading, for example, ¹²/₁₆ indicating 12 points with a 16 point leading. Points are often rounded up.
   • Pica is used to represent fixed horizontal measurements, most often referring to column width. They are popular for designing newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and ads. Picas are a hair less than ⅙", and contain 12 points. They are designated with the letter "p".
   • Metric is available in either millimeter (MM) or centimeter (CM). A mm is a unit of length in the metric system that is equal to 0.039", while a cm is equal to about 0.39", 10x the size of a millimeter. 
   • Cicero (sɪsəroʊ) is a unit of measure that is most commonly used in typography in European countries, such as Italy and France. It is equal to ⅙ of the historical French inch, and is divided into 12 points. The cicero is similar to a pica, thought slightly larger; there are about 1.063 picas to 1 cicero. A cicero is equal to 4.5 mm.

Take a look at the Gaebel chart below to see the Style 612 rulers available, determine which ones have which units of measure, and choose the best Gaebel stainless steel ruler for your specific needs.