This page converts meters into picas using the factor 236.2204724, and shows the reverse figure alongside it. Both units measure length, which is why one number does the whole job.
The SI base unit of length, defined by the distance light travels in 1/299,792,458 of a second. Twelve points, or 1/6 inch — the column-width unit of print layout.
The mil and the millimetre are not the same thing and are out by a factor of about forty. A mil is one thousandth of an inch — 0.0254 mm — and a spec sheet that quotes film thickness in mils means the small unit. British drawings write the same size as "thou". Below the calculator there is a step table for the values people look up most, and a second table putting real length figures into picas so the number you get has something to be compared against.
The formula
meters- The amount you are converting, in meters
236.220472441- The exact number of picas in one meter
picas- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in meters.
- It is multiplied by 236.220472441, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in picas, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
A door height: 2.03 m in picas
Take a door height, roughly 2.03 m. The conversion is a single multiplication — 2.03 × 236.22 — giving 479.528 pica. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 959.055 pica.
A credit card’s long edge: 0.0856 m in picas
A credit card’s long edge comes to about 0.0856 m. Multiplying by the factor: 0.0856 × 236.22 = 20.2205 pica. Dividing the answer back by 236.22 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many picas are in one meter?
Exactly 236.220472441. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert meters to picas?
picas = meters × 236.220472441. Reversed, meters = picas ÷ 236.220472441, which is the same as multiplying by 0.00423333333333.
Which is the bigger unit, the meter or the pica?
The meter. One meter equals 236.22 picas.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure length. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a meter?
The SI base unit of length, defined by the distance light travels in 1/299,792,458 of a second.
What is a pica?
Twelve points, or 1/6 inch — the column-width unit of print layout.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Is there a quick way to do m to pica in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: multiply by 240 instead of using the exact factor 236.2204724. At 100 that shortcut gives 24,000 picas, off by 378 picas or about 1.60%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Meters to picas reference tables
| Meters | Picas |
|---|---|
| 0.5 m | 118.11 pica |
| 1 m | 236.22 pica |
| 2 m | 472.441 pica |
| 3 m | 708.661 pica |
| 5 m | 1181.1 pica |
| 10 m | 2362.2 pica |
| 20 m | 4724.41 pica |
| 25 m | 5905.51 pica |
| 50 m | 11,811 pica |
| 75 m | 17,716.5 pica |
| 100 m | 23,622 pica |
| 250 m | 59,055.1 pica |
| 500 m | 118,110 pica |
| 1000 m | 236,220 pica |
| 5000 m | 1.1811e+06 pica |
Exact factor: 1 meter = 236.220472441 picas.
| Quantity | m | pica |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 0.0856 m | 20.22 pica |
| A door height | 2.032 m | 480 pica |
| An Olympic pool | 50 m | 1.181e+04 pica |
| The Eiffel Tower | 330 m | 7.795e+04 pica |
| A marathon | 4.22e+04 m | 9.967e+06 pica |
| Earth’s diameter | 1.274e+07 m | 3.01e+09 pica |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.