ARTEZAArchitectural Scale Ruler – 12-Inch Triangular Ruler, Anodized Aluminum Tool with Laser-Etched Markings for Blueprints & Tech Drawings

I’ve used plastic architect’s scales for decades, but I quite like this aluminum one. (And yes, it's a single tool... you don't get three metal scales for this price.) The weight is comparable to plastic ones, but it has a nicer feel. At first glance, it almost looks light-gray, but that’s because it has a very fine acid-etched-like texture that makes it easier to read in different lighting situations. There are plastic ‘ends’ that presumably protect the corners from damage.Some seem confused about the markings, so here’s a quick explanation. This is not an imperial/metric ruler – it’s all about [imperial] ratios commonly used in engineering and architectural drawing. Remember, this is not a ‘ruler’ or straight-edge – it’s not about making “rules” (lines). It’s a scale. It allows you to draw and read drawings at different commonly-used scales without constantly doing math. For instance, if you have a floor plan of a building, and the drawing is in 1:48, meaning that the drawing is 1/48th the true size of the thing it describes, then 1/4”=1’ (each quarter-inch on the drawing indicates one foot in reality). In other words, one inch on the drawing is four feet (48 inches) in full-size. This scale lets you quickly read distances without having to constantly multiply your measurements by 48 to get the “real world” distances. Once you understand that, the markings are not mysterious. Let’s look at a few of the scales as example.Hold the scale with the RED side facing you (logo and “Architect” upper-left, “Made in Taiwan” upper right).This is what most would consider a ‘normal ruler.’ This is the 1:1 scale (one inch = one inch). The “16” printed far left in this particular case means that every vertical marking on that edge is 1/16th of an inch. This edge is different from all the others because of the way it is named and because it shows only a single scale – ‘real world.’Still looking at the red side, flip it (logo lower-right). The “3/32” at left means that 3/32” on the drawing equals one foot in reality. This is 1:125 scale. You read this from left-to-right starting at the “0” (NOT starting from the left-most vertical lines which are handy finer divisions of the scale for smaller distances).Now at far-right, you see “3/16” … this is ~1:75 scale (3/16” on the drawing = one foot in reality). This is the tricky part. Any scales that have their names printed on the *right* side must be read from right-to-left, always starting at the zero (which again may not be the first marking at the extremes).If you understand the three scales on that one side, you understand the rest of the tool. It’s three sided, giving you six functional edges, and all but one edge displays two interlaced scales, one read from the left and one from the right. That’s eleven commonly-used imperial scales in a single tool. (The description here says “6 scales” but that’s a conservative count due to paired scales being related by simple 1:2 ratios… 1 & 1/2, 1/8 & 1/4, 3/16 & 3/32, etc.)I’ll pass along the advice of several professors of mine: “NEVER use your measuring tools as straight edges for drawing or cutting!” Used and treated properly, this scale should last a lifetime.Hope this helps!

Well made Quality Scale that one can easily have a lifetime. Excellent finish and scale markings. If you like using nice tools, this one will not disappoint.

Love the three sided stability of using these.

quality for daily use

Sturdy, handy tool. Very nice to have multiple scale ratios on one ruler.Suggestion for an improvement would be to color-code each scale to differentiate.Eg. make the 3/16 red and the 3/32 black, as they are both on the same edge.Overall, an excellent tool.

I just wanted a ruler for a straight edge, and this is fashionable, straight, and sturdy. However, I am not an architect and so I honestly have no idea what most of the markings on this thing are for or what it measures. I do however recognize the 12 inches and what is most likely centimeter markings. Would have been nice to have some kind of instruction manual for this thing but alas it does have numbers on it. And a bunch of variety spaced lines and things. Also three colors, which add to variety. Would have been better in my opinion, if the third color were an actual color rather than just the silver coloring of the ruler itself. Also, has not increased ability for spatial awareness or architectural design prowess. Still very durable, with premium aesthetic quality. 5/5. Could have been better, but oh well.

Item as described

Easy to read measurements and a great straight edge for drawing.