Westcott 12 in Acrylic Ruler: Scales, Markings & Uses
The Westcott 12 in transparent ruler (model 10562) is a clear acrylic ruler with a 12 in scale marked in 1/16 in steps on one edge and a metric scale on the other. Made by Acme United's Westcott brand, it's the best-selling ruler on Amazon US in ASINsight's 2026 estimates, and it costs only a few dollars.
On this page
Product facts
- Product
- Westcott 12" Transparent Acrylic Ruler, inch and metric (10562)
- Brand
- Westcott
- Brand origin
- United States
- Made in
- Not stated*
- Material
- Transparent, scratch-resistant acrylic (per Westcott)
- Price range
- $under $5 per item
Notes on these facts
- Made by Acme United Corporation. Country of manufacture not stated: Westcott's own product page for the 10562 gives no country of origin, and neither do the retailer listings we could read. Price: example listing.
- Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.
Key takeaways
- The scale is 12 in (304.8 mm), marked to 1/16 in (about 1.6 mm), with a metric scale on the opposite edge.
- ASINsight's July 2026 report ranks it first of 129 rulers on Amazon US, at about 9,000 estimated sales a month.
- Westcott lists the clear acrylic ruler at 12.75 × 1.63 × 0.13 in (about 324 × 41 × 3.3 mm), with raised beveled edges and a hang hole.
- Westcott's wood 12 in ruler (05221) is 1 3/8 in wide and 3/32 in thick, with a brass edge for cutting along.
- Westcott is a brand of Acme United; we found no source that says where the 10562 is made.
What is the Westcott 12 in acrylic ruler?
It’s a clear acrylic school-and-office ruler with a 12 in scale on one edge and a metric scale on the other. The model number is 10562, and Westcott is a brand of Acme United Corporation. Westcott says the ends have extra margins and plumb lines for checking right angles, and the ruler comes in a vinyl pouch.
It’s also the ruler Americans buy most online. ASINsight’s July 2026 report ranks it first of 129 rulers on Amazon US, at about 9,000 estimated sales a month, and first in its art-ruler and 12-plus-inch rankings too.
Westcott 10562 specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Maker | Westcott (Acme United Corporation) |
| Model | 10562 |
| Scale length | 12 in (304.8 mm) |
| Inch marks | Every 1/16 in (about 1.6 mm) |
| Second scale | Metric, millimeters |
| Material | Transparent, scratch-resistant acrylic |
| Size | 12.75 × 1.63 × 0.13 in (about 324 × 41 × 3.3 mm) |
| Weight | 0.07 lb (about 32 g) |
| Extras | Raised beveled edges, hang hole, vinyl pouch |
| UPC | 073577105621 |
| Made in | Not stated |
Everything except origin is from Westcott’s product page, which lists length 12.75, width 1.63, height 0.13 and weight 0.07 without units; they match inches and pounds. Gateway’s listing title gives a 1 in width instead, so we use Westcott’s figure.
How do you read the marks on a 12 in ruler?
Read inch marks by their height: the taller the line, the bigger the fraction.
- Find the last numbered inch before your point.
- Count the short marks after it; each is 1/16 in.
- Reduce the fraction: 8/16 is 1/2, 4/16 is 1/4, 10/16 is 5/8.
On the metric edge, each small mark is 1 mm, with longer marks every 5 mm and numbered marks every centimeter. A 12 in scale is 304.8 mm, so the metric edge reaches 30 cm.
Why choose a clear acrylic ruler?
Because you can see through it. When you line up a ruled line, a margin or a printed shape, the text under the ruler stays visible, which is harder with wood or steel.
Westcott adds raised beveled edges, which it says give more precise drawing and fewer smudges. The trade-off is that acrylic can nick, so it’s not the ruler to cut along.
How does it compare with Westcott’s wood and steel rulers?
Pick acrylic to see through, wood with a metal edge to cut along, and steel for durability.
| 10562 acrylic | 05221 wood | Stainless steel 12 in | |
|---|---|---|---|
| See-through | Yes | No | No |
| Scales | Inch (1/16) and metric | Inch (1/16) and metric | Inch and metric |
| Edge | Acrylic | Brass edge | Steel |
| Size | 12.75 × 1.63 × 0.13 in | 12 × 1 3/8 × 3/32 in | 12 in |
| Best for | School, drawing, planning pages | Cutting with a craft knife | Workshop, crafting |
Westcott’s page for the 05221 says the metal edge preserves the ruler when you use it for drawing straight lines or cutting. Retailers disagree on whether it has one brass edge or two.
Is a 12 in ruler right for notebooks and planners?
It’s longer than most notebook pages, so it rules any line you need. An A5 page is 148 mm (5.8 in) wide and 210 mm (8.3 in) tall, well inside the 304.8 mm scale.
For a ruler that lives inside the notebook itself, the Midori Clip Ruler is a 10 cm metal bookmark, and the TRAVELER’S COMPANY Brass Ruler is a 16 cm brass ruler with a raised edge for ink. Pair either with a fine pencil such as the Ticonderoga #2 or a Pigma Micron for drafting-style lines.
Who makes Westcott rulers, and where is the 10562 made?
Westcott is a brand of Acme United Corporation, an American company; neither Westcott nor the retailers we read say where the 10562 is made. So we list it as not stated.
If your ruler or its packaging says, that’s the answer for your copy. We’ll update this page when we can confirm it. Westcott’s best-known scissors, the Westcott Titanium Bonded 8 in, are listed by distributors as made in China.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Westcott 12 inch ruler metric?
Yes. Westcott says the 10562 is scaled in 1/16 in on one side and millimeters on the other, so you can measure in both without turning it over.
What is the smallest mark on a Westcott ruler?
On the inch edge it's 1/16 in, about 1.6 mm. The metric edge is marked in millimeters.
How do you read the 1/16 marks on a ruler?
Count by mark height: the tallest is the inch, then 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8, and the shortest marks are sixteenths. Ten sixteenths past 3 in is 3 5/8 in.
Is the Westcott clear ruler acrylic or plastic?
It's acrylic, a clear, rigid plastic that Westcott calls scratch-resistant. Westcott also sells a separate 12 in shatterproof plastic ruler and wood and stainless steel versions.
Can you cut along an acrylic ruler with a craft knife?
It isn't made for it: a blade can nick a plastic edge. Westcott sells its wood ruler with a metal edge for straight cuts.
Who makes Westcott rulers?
Westcott is a brand of Acme United Corporation, an American company; Westcott's own site for the 10562 is run by Acme United. It doesn't say where the ruler is made.
What is the best-selling ruler on Amazon?
In ASINsight's July 2026 estimates it's this Westcott 12 in clear acrylic ruler, at about 9,000 sales a month, ahead of 128 other rulers.
Sources
- Westcott: 12 in Transparent Acrylic Ruler, Clear (10562) (1/16 in and millimeter scales, plumb lines, hang hole, raised beveled edges, vinyl pouch; length 12.75, width 1.63, height 0.13; UPC 073577105621)
- Quill: Westcott 12" Acrylic Standard Ruler, Transparent (10562/55275)
- Gateway Printing & Office Supply: Westcott 12" transparent ruler, 1/16 graduations, imperial and metric, acrylic
- desertcart: Westcott 12 in acrylic ruler (model and part number 10562, Acme United)
- ASINsight: Best-selling rulers on Amazon US (July 2026)
- ASINsight: Best-selling 12+ inch rulers on Amazon US
- ASINsight: Best-selling art rulers on Amazon US
- Westcott: Ruler with double brass edge, 12 inch (05221)
- Staples Advantage: Westcott 12" double metal edge ruler (05221)
- OfficeCrave: Westcott 05221 (1 3/8 × 3/32 in, 1/16 in scale)
- Staples: Westcott 12" shatterproof plastic ruler
- Walmart: Westcott stainless steel ruler, 12 in