A "pica" is a unit of measurement commonly used in typography and desktop publishing to represent the size of text, fonts, and other elements on a printed page. The pica is part of a system of measurement used in the field of typesetting, which involves arranging and designing text for printed materials.
In the pica system:
1 pica (abbreviated as "p") is equal to 12 points. 1 point (abbreviated as "pt") is approximately equal to 1/72nd of an inch.
So, 1 pica is roughly equal to 1/6th of an inch.
This system is based on the traditional point system used in printing, where a point is a very small unit of measurement. Picas and points are still widely used in the design and printing industry, especially when specifying font sizes, line spacing, and other layout details for printed materials like books, magazines, and newspapers.
In digital design and modern desktop publishing software, you can often switch between using picas and points or other units like inches, millimeters, or pixels to set and adjust the layout of text and graphic elements.
The "archin" is an obsolete unit of length that was historically used in Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union. The length of an archin varied by region and over time, but it was typically around 28 inches or approximately 71 centimeters. In some regions, an archin could be slightly shorter or longer.
The archin was used for measuring cloth, textiles, and sometimes land. Like many traditional units of measurement, it has largely been replaced by more standardized systems, such as the metric system, in modern times. While the archin is no longer commonly used for official measurements, it may still be encountered in historical or traditional contexts in Russia and other former Soviet states.