Used in typography and graphic design. It is a specialized ruler that helps designers and typesetters to measure and align the characters in a piece of text. The ruler typically has two sides: the agate side and the pica side.
Agate and pica are two units of measurement used in typography. Agate is a unit of measurement that's equal to 5.5 points or 1/14 of an inch. Pica is another unit of measurement that's equal to 12 points or 1/6 of an inch.
The Lance agate/pica ruler allows designers to measure and align type at both sizes, which are commonly used in print design. It's often made of transparent plastic or metal and has marks or tabs to help designers align type at different intervals. Overall, it's a useful tool for ensuring that text is accurately sized and positioned for printed materials such as books, magazines, and newspapers.
