What Are The "Extra Markings" On My Tape Measure?

Aubuchon Hardware Tip: Newcomers to tape measures often wonder what the additional markings represent. Wonder no more! Every 12 inches, there is a mark to indicate one foot, plus a number to let you know how many feet are being measured at that point. At the 24 inch mark, for example, you will see the number two, indicating two feet. Another number marking, often in red, shows up every sixteen inches. This indicates 16 inches "on-center" which is helpful for framing walls and floors. You may not need this tape measure feature right away, but at some point you may read instructions for a do-it-yourself project which tell you to measure "OC" or "on-center". That's when these red marks every 16 inches come in handy.