A Ruler for Windows

What this utility does

Handy Ruler & Reading Guide is a free Windows utility that provides an on-screen measuring ruler and a separate reading aid. It’s useful when you need to check distances in graphics or keep your place while reading long blocks of text like emails, spreadsheets, or dense documents.

Measurement features

• The ruler supports precise on-screen measurements and can display large, easy-to-read numbers.
• You can choose which long edge shows tick marks; clicking a tick will drag a measuring line to that exact position.
• Numbers on the ruler can be reversed, and there’s an option to show the ruler’s total length.
• The ruler’s length is adjustable so it can match the size of your application window.

Reading-guide features

• The reading guide is a slim, plain bar meant to highlight a single line or narrow block of text; drag it anywhere on the screen to follow text comfortably.
• Like the ruler, the guide can be stretched in length to suit the width of the text column you’re reading.

Appearance and controls

• Both tools can be flipped horizontally or vertically to match your workflow.
• There are four built-in visual themes (skins) available by default to change the look quickly.
• You can switch between ruler and reading-guide modes either with a mouse click or a keyboard shortcut.

Alternative option

If you want another free choice, consider Pixel Ruler Free as a recommended alternative.