Pica/ˈpaɪkə/ Definition 1 of 3Pro Tip 1/3Printing Scale Pica in printing measures the height of characters and is made of 12 points. The designer set the text at 6 pica for the invitation cards. Pro Tip 2/3Not Inches/Centimeters Remember, pica is different from common length units; one pica equals about 1/6 inch. I need the margins set to 2 pica, not 2 inches. Pro Tip 3/3Desktop Publishing In programs like Adobe InDesign, pica is often used for page layout measurements. The guidelines are spaced 1 pica apart.