Measuring tapes come in different styles. For measuring rooms, or large areas, the heavy duty style, in a case that pulls open and snaps shut is often used. Measuring tapes also come in soft material, used for the dress maker, or to measure a hem and everything in between. Understanding what measurement it shows is important in any project. Steps: 1) Understand what the labeled units are. A 1/16 of an inch is usually the smallest measurement on a tape measure, which means the distance between every line on the tape measure is 1/16 of an inch. 2) Understand what an 1/8 is. An 1/8 of an inch is twice as big as the 1/16 of an inch. It is every other mark. 3) Understand what 1/4th of an inch is. 1/4 of an inch is every four marks on your tape measure. 4) Understand what 1/2 of an inch is. A 1/2 (half) inch is exactly what it sounds like: Half of 1 inch. 5) Understand, finally, what inches are. Inches are the long lines that cross either half of, or all of the 1" width of the tape. They usually are preceded or followed by numbers. 6) Measure. Hold the front of the tape at the point where you wish to start the measurement and extend it to the point where you want to stop. Read the first large number before your stop point - this will tell you the number of inches. Read the smaller lines of various sizes (remembering what the various sizes mean) up until your stop point. This will tell you your fraction of an inch.
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