A pica is a typographic unit of length equal to 1/6 of an inch, or 12 points. It is widely used in print design, newspaper layout, and desktop publishing software like Adobe InDesign.

What formula is used?

px = pica × 12 × DPI / 72. The chain is: picas → points (× 12) → inches (÷ 72) → pixels (× DPI). At 96 DPI, 1 pica = 16 px. At 72 DPI, 1 pica = 12 px. At 300 DPI, 1 pica = 50 px.

What DPI should I use for web and CSS?

96 DPI is the CSS reference pixel density and the default for most monitors. Use 192 for Retina / HiDPI screens (2× scale), and 72 or 96 for older screen design contexts.

What DPI should I use for print?

300 DPI is the standard for high-quality print (magazines, brochures). 150 DPI is common for newspaper or draft print. 72 DPI was the original Macintosh screen resolution, still used in some legacy print workflows.

How many pixels is 1 pica at 96 DPI?

1 pica = 12 pt = 12/72 inch = 1/6 inch. At 96 DPI: 96 ÷ 6 = 16 pixels. So 1 pica equals exactly 16 px at 96 DPI.

Is this the same as the CSS pica unit?

Yes. CSS defines 1pc (pica) = 16px when the reference pixel equals 1/96 inch. This tool's default of 96 DPI matches that definition exactly.

Picas to Pixels Converter

Enter picas and a DPI value to instantly calculate the equivalent pixel count using the standard pica-to-point-to-inch-to-pixel formula.

Enter Picas

Picas (pc) DPI (dots per inch)

Result in Pixels (px)

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Common Pica Values

Picas	px @ 72	px @ 96	px @ 300
1	12	16	50
2	24	32	100
3	36	48	150
6	72	96	300
12	144	192	600
36	432	576	1,800
72	864	1,152	3,600

Formula: px = pica × 12 × DPI / 72 | 72 DPI = legacy Mac screen | 96 DPI = CSS / standard web | 300 DPI = print quality

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Summary

This converter translates picas — the typographic unit used in print and desktop publishing — into screen pixels at any resolution. The formula is px = pica × 12 × DPI / 72: one pica equals 12 points, one point equals 1/72 of an inch, and pixels per inch is your DPI setting. The default DPI of 96 matches CSS and standard web screens. All math runs in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.

How it works

Enter the number of picas in the input field.
Set the DPI (dots per inch) — the default of 96 covers standard web and CSS screens.
The converter multiplies picas by 12 to get points, then multiplies by DPI and divides by 72 to get pixels.
The result updates instantly as you type.
Copy the pixel value with one click.
Use the DPI reference table to pick the right setting for your target device or print context.

Use cases

Convert print layout measurements from InDesign or QuarkXPress into screen pixels.
Translate a column width specified in picas into CSS pixel values.
Calculate pixel dimensions for exporting assets from a print-centric design file.
Convert typographic measurements for high-DPI (Retina) screens at 192 DPI.
Check pica-based grid specifications against a pixel grid when moving from print to web.
Verify image output sizes when printing at 300 DPI from a pixel-based source.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-14 · Reviewed by Nham Vu