# On screen ruler
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-screen-ruler/499927
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 16, 2009, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-screen-ruler/499927 "2009-06-16T10:36:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2009, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-screen-ruler/499927/1 "2009-06-16T10:36:59Z")
Does anyone know if there is a website that shows a ruler or a to-scale measurement (which will obviously be limited to the size of my screen)? For example, if I wanted to see 3", I would like a line of that length, showing the relevant subdivisions, or something similar.
I’ve tried googling without success.
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### Author:  [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2009, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-screen-ruler/499927/2 "2009-06-16T11:22:10Z")
Why do you need a website as opposed to a program, of which there are many?
[http://www.google.com/search?q=On+screen+ruler](http://www.google.com/search?q=On+screen+ruler)
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### Author:  [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2009, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-screen-ruler/499927/3 "2009-06-16T11:41:08Z")
> [@PatriotGrrrl](#):
>
> Why do you need a website as opposed to a program, of which there are many?
>
> [Google Search](http://www.google.com/search?q=On+screen+ruler)
Because it never occurred to me that there would be such a thing; but thank you for the link (and your pre-edited comment. :))
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2009, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-screen-ruler/499927/4 "2009-06-16T12:06:39Z")
Without having any idea what the application is, it’s hard to know if this will work, but Photoshop has an integrated ruler as well, which leads me to believe that it’s free competitor GIMP probably has one also.
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### Author:  [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2009, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-screen-ruler/499927/5 "2009-06-16T12:53:43Z")
I’m not sure this could work automatically. Your computer only sends out rows of pixels; it doesn’t know how big your display device’s pixels are. For instance, you might be looking at the same image on a 14" laptop screen and on a five foot screen from a projector.
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### Author:  [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-screen-ruler/499927/6 "2009-06-16T13:16:53Z")
[This](http://wonderwebware.com/screen-ruler/)is exactly what I was looking for.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2009, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-screen-ruler/499927/7 "2009-06-16T13:53:00Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#):
>
> [This](http://wonderwebware.com/screen-ruler/)is exactly what I was looking for.
Wow. It’s been a long time since I saw a program who’s requirements simply said “Windows.”
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### Author:  [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-screen-ruler/499927/8 "2009-06-16T14:09:02Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#):
>
> Wow. It’s been a long time since I saw a program who’s requirements simply said “Windows.”
Well it would appear that some of us are going to need to upgrade hard drives, what with that newfangled 600 KB of hard drive space required… 😉
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### Author:  [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-screen-ruler/499927/9 "2009-06-16T14:16:44Z")
> [@Quercus](#):
>
> I’m not sure this could work automatically. Your computer only sends out rows of pixels; it doesn’t know how big your display device’s pixels are. For instance, you might be looking at the same image on a 14" laptop screen and on a five foot screen from a projector.
Of course you have to calibrate it - once. Then you can move the ruler around, rotate it, etc.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-screen-ruler/499927/10 "2009-06-16T14:21:12Z")
> [@BrandonR](#):
>
> Well it would appear that some of us are going to need to upgrade hard drives, what with that newfangled 600 KB of hard drive space required… 😉
Yeah, but once you get one of those 20MB hard drives, your storage requirements will be met forever. Imagine it, dude!
Twenty! Mega! Bytes!
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### Author:  [@Scruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruff)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2009, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-screen-ruler/499927/11 "2009-06-16T14:27:54Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#):
>
> Yeah, but once you get one of those 20MB hard drives, your storage requirements will be met forever. Imagine it, dude!
>
> Twenty! Mega! Bytes!
Yeah, but imagine the box of floppies you’ll need to back it up. It’s too big,man.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2009, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-screen-ruler/499927/12 "2009-06-16T14:35:13Z")
> [@Scruff](#):
>
> Yeah, but imagine the box of floppies you’ll need to back it up. It’s too big,man.
Good point. Sheesh, these dag-blasted things sure are complicated.
Hey, anybody know how to troubleshoot a Hercules graphics card?