Change Ruler Units to Points or Picas in GIMP

This guide explains how to change the measurement units of the rulers in GIMP to typographical points or picas. By adjusting the unit setting located directly in the image workspace or through the global preferences, you can ensure precise alignment and layout spacing tailored specifically for print and typography projects.

Step-by-Step: Changing the Active Ruler Unit

To change the ruler units for your current workspace, follow these steps:

  1. Ensure Rulers Are Visible: If the top and left rulers are not currently shown, enable them by navigating to the top menu and selecting View > Show Rulers (or press Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows/Linux, Cmd + Shift + R on macOS).
  2. Locate the Unit Selector: Look at the bottom-left corner of the image window, situated directly below the canvas and just to the left of the zoom percentage dropdown. By default, this button usually displays px (pixels).
  3. Select Your Unit: Click the unit dropdown menu and choose your preferred measurement:
    • Select pt or Points (1/72 of an inch).
    • Select pc or Picas (1 pica = 12 points).

Once selected, both the horizontal and vertical rulers along the canvas edges will automatically update to reflect points or picas. Any guides dragged from these rulers will also measure in the chosen unit.

Setting Points or Picas as the Default for New Images

If you frequently work in print design and want new documents to use typographical units automatically:

  1. Go to Edit > Preferences (or GIMP > Preferences on macOS).
  2. In the left panel, click on Default Image.
  3. Under the Image Size section, change the unit dropdown from pixels to points or picas.
  4. Click OK to save your preferences.

Every new document created via File > New using the default template will now automatically display the rulers in your chosen typographical unit.