We have all been in the situation of wanting to measure something, but unable to find the ruler hidden at the bottom of a drawer or lost among the sheets of paper piled up on the desk. So in this kind of case, I usually use the 21/29.7 technique. This technique of my invention consists of estimating a measurement using the dimensions of an A4 sheet that measures 21cm by 29.7cm… needless to say, you can forget about precision! But it helps!
But as always, the web is full of much more effective solutions to overcome these problems! And this is particularly the case of the site OnlineRulers (RulesOnline in French) which notably offers an online ruler allowing you to measure anything you want!
What is the principle of OnlineRulers?
Imagine you’re in this situation, with no ruler at hand, but your smartphone, tablet or computer nearby. That’s where the online ruler comes in, a handy resource that turns your screen into a virtual ruler that can measure objects in centimetres (and inches). Whether you’re at your desk on your PC, on the couch with a tablet or on the go with your smartphone, this tool adapts to all your measuring needs.
However, one might legitimately wonder whether a ruler on a screen can be accurate… The answer is: sufficiently accurate! The developers of the OnlineRulers website have taken great care to ensure that the measurements are as accurate as possible. Then of course, there are variables like the size of your device's screen, the pixel density (PPI, Pixels Per Inch) and even your privacy settings that can influence. But don't worry, they have included calibration options that allow you to adjust the ruler to the exact specifications of your screen.
How to use this rule online?
I'm not going to tell you how to use a ruler, because I assume that's within your skill set. And the good news is that OnlineRulers is very easy to use:
- Meeting on onlinerulers.com.
- By clicking on the small cogwheel on the right you enter the settings which allows you to select the unit of measurement centimeters or inches (inches)
- Choose the orientation, horizontal or vertical, depending on how you need to measure the object.
- Place the object to be measured next to the screen, and voila, you have the measurement.
So since I am suspicious I wanted to check the reliability of the ruler. But since I don't have a ruler, but always have sheets of paper on hand, I used my famous A4 sheet technique. I positioned the short side of my sheet near the ruler in line and I measured 19.8cm... instead of 21cm. The site probably misdetected my configuration. No problem, it is possible to modify the calibration in order to have a more accurate measurement
Adjust the calibration for a satisfactory result!
As sometimes the tool may not detect your size correctly or screen resolution, OnlineRulers offers two adjustable settings for calibration: pixel density (PPI) and the size in inches of your screen.
So of course, there are many sites that can detect the dimensions of your screen, but it's a safe bet that if the calibration carried out by OnlineRulers is not correct, these sites will also have problems... So the best thing is once again to use the A4 sheet technique.
In the OnlineRulers settings, there is a slider to fine-tune the Pixel Density Range (PPI). Take your A4 sheet or any object whose dimensions you know precisely and slide the slider until the ruler gives the right measurement! Easy and super reliable! Yes, it is sometimes necessary to bypass the technology a little!
Use your phone as a ruler
Another advantage of this online ruler site is that it allows you to transform your phone into a portable ruler. While the iPhone and other phones allow you to take measurements quite efficiently with a dedicated application, this is not the case with all smartphones.
Simply open OnlineRulers from your mobile browser, adjust the units and orientation, and if necessary, calibrate. After that, your phone turns into a measuring tool that you can take anywhere.
I admit that it's not the most innovative site in the world, but it can really help you out, and that's already not bad.
