Ruler Now

Printable ruler

A 15 cm ruler and a 6 inch ruler, sized to print exactly on A4 or US Letter paper. There's a bank-card outline on the sheet so you can check the printer didn't shrink it.

The sheet below is shown at an approximate size. It's only exact once printed.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 cm · rulernow.com 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 inches · rulernow.com
Lay a bank card here. It should cover the outline exactly.

Check the scale before you use it.

Any bank or ID card should match the dashed outline. If it doesn't, the printer scaled the page. Print again at 100%.

How to print it at the right size

  1. Click Print the ruler.
  2. In the print window, set the scale to 100% or Actual size. Don't use "Fit to page" or "Shrink to fit".
  3. Print, then lay a bank card over the dashed outline. It should cover it exactly.
  4. Cut out the rulers along their outlines. Glued to thin card, they'll last much longer.

If the card doesn't match, check the scale setting again. Some printers and PDF viewers shrink pages by default. Saving as PDF first and printing the PDF at 100% often helps.

How accurate is a printed ruler?

A good printer at 100% is usually within about half a millimeter over 15 cm. That's fine for crafts, sewing and quick checks. Paper stretches a little with humidity, so for anything precise, use a proper ruler.

Need a ruler right now, without printing? Use the on-screen ruler. Calibrate it once with a bank card and it's exact on your screen.