One micron is exactly 0.0002362204724 picas, so converting microns to picas is a single multiplication. Enter any figure and the result appears as you type — the arithmetic runs in your browser, so nothing is sent anywhere.
The older name for a micrometre, still standard in filtration, machining and paint-thickness specifications. 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". The tables underneath give both a plain step-by-step lookup and a list of real quantities expressed in picas, so you can sanity-check whether your answer is a plausible size.
The formula
microns- The amount you are converting, in microns
0.000236220472441- The exact number of picas in one micron
picas- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in microns.
- It is multiplied by 0.000236220472441, 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 credit card’s long edge: 8.56e+04 micron in picas
A credit card’s long edge comes to about 8.56e+04 micron. Multiplying by the factor: 8.56e+04 × 0.00023622 = 20.2205 pica. Dividing the answer back by 0.00023622 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
A door height: 2.03e+06 micron in picas
Take a door height, roughly 2.03e+06 micron. The conversion is a single multiplication — 2.03e+06 × 0.00023622 — giving 479.528 pica. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 959.055 pica.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many picas are in one micron?
Exactly 0.000236220472441. 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 microns to picas?
picas = microns × 0.000236220472441. Reversed, microns = picas ÷ 0.000236220472441, which is the same as multiplying by 4233.33333333.
Which is the bigger unit, the micron or the pica?
The pica. One micron is only 0.00023622 of a pica, so it takes 4233.33 microns to make one pica.
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 micron?
The older name for a micrometre, still standard in filtration, machining and paint-thickness specifications.
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 micron to pica in my head?
Plenty of people do this in their head: divide by 4200 instead of using the exact factor 0.0002362204724. At 100 that shortcut gives 0.023809524 picas, off by 0.0001875 picas or about 0.79%. Fine for a rough estimate, not fine for anything you are cutting to size or dosing.
Microns to picas reference tables
| Microns | Picas |
|---|---|
| 0.5 micron | 0.00011811 pica |
| 1 micron | 0.00023622 pica |
| 2 micron | 0.000472441 pica |
| 3 micron | 0.000708661 pica |
| 5 micron | 0.0011811 pica |
| 10 micron | 0.0023622 pica |
| 20 micron | 0.00472441 pica |
| 25 micron | 0.00590551 pica |
| 50 micron | 0.011811 pica |
| 75 micron | 0.0177165 pica |
| 100 micron | 0.023622 pica |
| 250 micron | 0.0590551 pica |
| 500 micron | 0.11811 pica |
| 1000 micron | 0.23622 pica |
| 5000 micron | 1.1811 pica |
Exact factor: 1 micron = 0.000236220472441 picas.
| Quantity | micron | pica |
|---|---|---|
| A credit card’s long edge | 8.56e+04 micron | 20.22 pica |
| A door height | 2.032e+06 micron | 480 pica |
| An Olympic pool | 5e+07 micron | 1.181e+04 pica |
| The Eiffel Tower | 3.3e+08 micron | 7.795e+04 pica |
| A marathon | 4.22e+10 micron | 9.967e+06 pica |
| Earth’s diameter | 1.274e+13 micron | 3.01e+09 pica |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.