This Ergonomic Metal Ruler Is The Perfect Stationery EDC Hybrid

Who would have guessed something as simple as a ruler could get a dose of innovation for quality of life? Yes, that’s right as your trusted good old ruler can be way better than what you have lying in your drawer. Meet the 25° Ruler that’ll make all the rulers out there seem dated with its small changes that result in big benefits. Riding on the resounding success of the 30° Ruler this tool is a must-have for everyone who wants the assurance of millimeter perfection in everything that can be measured.

Designer: orangered life

Click Here to Buy Now: $26 Hurry! Only 4 Days Left! Raised over $100,000.

Made out of aerospace-grade aluminum, the lightweight ruler is built for unparalleled precision and durability. To ensure the measurements are perfect every time, the tool is laser-engraved with markings that don’t wear out or fade away with years of use. To make sure this resourceful ruler is useful for anyone out there – be it a student, homeowner, or a professional – there are five different sizes available for convenience. Of course, styling is not ignored here as you can get the 25° Ruler in five different color options as well.

The namesake derived from the angle of the ruler for the best ergonomic working position improves on the successful design of the 30° Ruler. A small improvement that goes a long way in improving usability is the positioning of the measurements of the marks at the bottom edge. So, at any point while using the ruler you don’t have to lean forward to read the markings, thereby enhancing the comfort of use and accuracy of readings taken. A good ruler should have a sharp edge but that can also be counterintuitive to safety – not the case with this ruler though. The hand holding the scale is naturally kept away from the blade with a teardrop-shaped design on the opposite side. This also makes it easy to pick up the ruler from smooth surfaces like a table.

Reading the ruler markings from a distance is very easy thanks to the clear and large fonts. To make sure the ruler is good enough for taking measurements in metric and imperial units. The dual-sided design has the millimeters, centimeters, and inches marked tactfully to make the easy transition. Accuracy is the key feature of the ruler as everything is labeled clearly. The biggest plus is the starting position at zero to ensure there are no blank spaces.

The 25° Ruler is available in five different sizes – the standard S, M, L, and the larger XL and XXL – each measuring 6 inches, 8 inches, 12 inches, 18 inches and 20 inches respectively. The peppy color options liven things up, so you can get the ruler in blue, green, black, white, or orange variants for a price starting at $26 for the standard-sized rulers, or $36 for the larger-sized ones in the early bird deals.

Click Here to Buy Now: $26 Hurry! Only 4 Days Left! Raised over $100,000.

Click Here to Buy Now: $26 Hurry! Only 4 Days Left! Raised over $100,000.

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Irregular shaped aluminum rulers reinterpret measuring instruments

When we think of rulers, we think of thin, rectangular-shaped measuring instruments that are straight-laced and without any frills. After all, you just need it to tell you how short or long an object is so there doesn’t really need to be any sort of design innovation to it. But of course if you’re interested in seeing creative reinterpretations of regular, every day objects, there are a lot of designers out there who experiment and push the boundaries of what an object should look like. Yes, even the straightforward ruler can be experimented with and we get some interesting product results.

Designer: Rick Salafia

This line of rulers called Instruments plays around with what this measuring object can look like. The designer used various shapes to recreate a ruler, with some having concave or bowed edges, coils, and even fragmented parts. This resulted in some pretty interesting rulers that are more asymmetrical, which is somehow ironic for something that we use to tell us the exact measurement of an object. There are semi-circular objects, connected puzzle pieces, things that look like abstract fishes, shells, stars, a scythe, and other varied objects.

What these things have in common is that they’re all made of aluminum, just like a lot of regular rulers. And since they’re still going to be used to measure things, each item in the collection still has those individual inked lines with the numbers and we assume that they are the regular metric system measurements. There are some though that have the lines but don’t have the numbers so you may have to take the extra step of counting the lines if you really need to know how long something is.

The Instruments look interesting and a good addition to your desk especially if you’re into the aluminum aesthetic. What I’m not too sure though is the practicality of using such unusual shaped objects especially if you’re aiming for accuracy when measuring something. But if you’re looking for decorative instruments that can occasionally be used as rulers, then these are things that you can consider adding to your collection.

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Curved ruler avoids smudging using a beautiful and elegant design

Rulers are one of the most ancient draftsmanship tools humans have come up with, serving both as a measuring device as well as a guide for drawing straight lines. Its design has barely changed over the centuries, still traditionally a long and flat stick of wood, metal, or plastic. There have recently been a few wild ideas on how to improve the experience, but many of those completely change the design to the point that the tool is unidentifiable as a ruler. Not all improvements have to be that drastic or revolutionary, however. Sometimes, you just need to think outside the box just a bit to produce a new design that is not only more usable than a regular ruler but also more attractive, like this ruler concept with sexy curves that make it double as a piece of decoration on your desk.

Designers: Chung Ping Lun, Kuo Kai Lei (Medium2 Studio)

On the one hand, there is no need for a ruler to be overly complex, and its simple design has proven to work for centuries. On the other hand, it’s neither the most efficient design nor the most beautiful unless you add so many elaborate embellishments that end up getting in the way of the tool’s usability. Traditional rulers, in particular, risk smearing or smudging the paper because its flat body is always in contact with the surface underneath.

Some more creative designs have the edges of the ruler raised so that you don’t drag the ink or graphite across the edge, which may lead to accidental smearing or bleeding. That, however, doesn’t solve the problem of the ruler itself smudging the marks beneath it. The Ruler_C concept tweaks the design just a little bit to minimize how much contact the ruler makes with the paper or surface beneath it, resulting in an unusual form that turns out to be pleasant to look at as well.

Instead of being completely flat, the Ruler_C’s body curves up toward one side so that only one long edge and both short edges are ever in contact with the drawing surface. This minimizes how much damage the ruler could cause while also improving the tool’s usability. It’s a small change that few would have probably considered but it is an effective one nonetheless.

It also gives the Ruler_C an interesting shape that immediately calls attention to itself without being loud and showy. The gentle slope and anodized aluminum material give it a touch of elegance that you might not expect from such a mundane tool. Even the packaging, which comes as a sliding box, has been modified to visually mimic the way light bounces off the Ruler_C’s curved body. This, in turn, makes the ruler more than just a tool but also a designer product worth showing off on your desk.

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This modular smart ruler removes the headaches of measuring with different units and scales

You’ve probably heard of the advice to measure twice and cut once, which is both metaphorical and literal. It’s not easy to get a measure right the first time, especially if you’re using an analog tool. Things get even more complicated when you have to juggle different units, scales, and other factors that make a plain, old ruler clearly inadequate. There is a new breed of digital measuring devices that try to remedy the situation, but these are mostly useless when you need to measure something that’s already on paper or on your desk. For these tasks, a flat and long ruler is still the best tool for the job, but this innovative smart ruler takes that age-old tool to the next level, providing precision, convenience, and customization right at your fingertips.

Designer: Tiancheng Liang

Click Here to Buy Now: $89 $129 ($40 off). Less than 72 hours left! Raised over $500,000.

The typical long, rectangular ruler serves two primary purposes. One is to measure something in a straight line, and the other is to draw one, sometimes with an exact length. Common rulers might be enough for most people, but professionals need more than just seeing things in metric and inches. NeoRuler turns the idea of what a ruler can do on its head, giving designers, architects, engineers, and everyone in between a tool that adapts to their needs rather than forcing users to adapt to the tool’s limitations.

Switch between Metric and Imperial in one swipe without multiple calculations.

Get 90 Built-in scales for maximum versatilities.

Equal divide space quickly in any length without any calculation.

A typical ruler would have marks for inches and centimeters or millimeters, but those aren’t the only units you need to consider when measuring or drawing lines. Sometimes you have to measure things in both feet and inches, or you might need only fractional figures. The NeoRuler can show all these variations on a single tool and can change the ticks to the appropriate unit. The bright 1.14-inch LCD display clearly shows not only the unit you’re using but also 90 built-in scales. No more guessing or calculating by hand how you’ll make the house floor plan fit on paper!

NeoRuler’s impressive feat is made possible by a tiny computer embedded in its durable aluminum alloy frame. There is also a dynamic array of 300 LED lights lined up on the edge of the ruler, changing ticks and marks in a snap. Need to only measure a small segment? Simply slide the Neo Pointer and watch the ticks light up its trail. You no longer have to juggle numbers in your head just to divide a line into equal parts. Simply decide how many sections you need, and NeoRuler will show exactly where you need to draw the line.

Neo Pointer – Excel measuring detail.

Neo PenHolder – Empower drawing precisions.

Neo Magnifier – Magnify reading accuracy.

Neo Caliper – Enhance object measurement.

Even with these core functions, the NeoRuler is already a major evolution of the ruler, but it doesn’t stop there. This creative invention embraces a modular design that extends its capabilities without making the device more complicated. Don’t trust your shaky hand to draw a straight line even with a ruler? The Neo PenHolder allows you to just glide across the paper without worry. Can’t see the super fine details of a blueprint? The Neo Magnifier helps you make more accurate readings and better assessments. Need to measure something that’s not on paper or a flat surface? The Neo Caliper removes the need for yet another tool to clutter your desk.

Many of the analog tools we already have today work well enough, but that doesn’t mean there is no room for improvement. When flexibility and accuracy are critical to success, a simple ruler just won’t cut it. For only $89, the NeoRuler brings not only a precise measuring tool but also a multifunctional device that makes sure you will be able to measure and draw with complete confidence, even if you only measure once.

Click Here to Buy Now: $89 $129 ($40 off). Less than 72 hours left! Raised over $500,000.

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This advanced measuring scale can convert units for you, scale up dimensions, and even save them to the cloud

A NeoRuler to rule them all!

Designed by the same people who created the MEAZOR, the NeoRuler hopes to reinvent the measuring ruler/scale in a way that’s never been done before. With an LED strip instead of conventional markings, a control panel, and a display, the NeoRuler lets you do things your old ruler can’t. You can measure in the unit of your choice, find accurate dimensions, convert between units, alter the scale of your measurements, get vernier-style accurate data, and even do things like divide your measurements into segments of your choice. All the data you capture gets saved on NeoRuler’s free app, giving you access to a feature set your wooden ruler can’t even dream of having. The best part? It’s the same shape and size as a regular ruler, allowing you to carry it with ease in your backpack or your stationery toolkit.

Designer: Tiancheng Liang

Click Here to Buy Now: $89 $129 ($40 off). Hurry, only 214/600 left!

If there’s one thing I detest, it’s adding the word smart before random things. Smart fridge? Unnecessary. Smart coffee maker? Thank you, next. I’ll be honest, if you said the words Smart Ruler to me, you’d see a massive eye-roll… but that’s the kicker. The term Smart Ruler doesn’t really do a substantial job of describing what the NeoRuler is capable of. Designed to modernize the act of measuring the way the smartphone modernized the act of photography, the NeoRuler comes with features that make recording measurements easy, intuitive, and universal.

Switch between Metric and Imperial in one swipe without multiple calculations.

Get 90 Built-in scales for maximum versatilities.

Equal divide space quickly in any length without any calculation.

The NeoRuler looks like the average measuring scale, but with a few noticeable upgrades. Unlike the plastic, wooden, or metal scale, this instrument doesn’t have any markings on it. Instead, it comes with an LED strip on the top, a slider, a 1.14-inch backlit LCD screen, and three buttons. Once powered on, the LED strip comes to life and the slider lets you intuitively slide to record measurements. The screen displays the exact measurement recording, and controls on the left let you alternate between metric and imperial units. You can actively convert measurements on the fly, scaling from mm to cm, and from inches to feet, or even going into the obscure territory of yards. A simple button push lets you alternate between decimal and fractional measurements, giving you absolute precise control over the output you want, so you’re not sitting with a calculator trying to calculate fractional and decimal values.

Neo Pointer – Excel measuring detail.

Neo PenHolder – Empower drawing precisions.

Neo Magnifier – Magnify reading accuracy.

Neo Caliper – Enhance object measurement.

Things get interesting when you realize that the NeoRuler is capable of more than just conventional measuring. It can scale up your measurements, giving you figures in feet while you’re measuring in inches (perfect for architecture, engineering, and drafting) with as many as 90 preset scale settings to choose from. You can enter your own custom scales too, and use the NeoRuler to divide line segments into equal parts – perfect for planning, geometry, origami, design, etc. Measuring using the NeoRuler is as simple as laying the ruler down into position and moving the slider to the desired point. The value is instantly displayed on the screen, updating in real-time, and you can alter units on the fly simply by pressing a button. The cutting-edge ruler also comes with its own set of adaptive Neo modules, letting you swap out that slider for a precise pointer, a magnifying lens, a pen-holder, or even vernier-style calipers that allow you to measure accurately to the 0.1 millimeters… or 0.004th of an inch (you’d know that if you swapped units!)

The NeoRuler builds on the data processing chops of its elder sibling, the MEAZOR. The ruler measures 30cm (12 inches) in length, and weighs 120g. It comes with an aluminum chassis and a stainless-steel edge that’s also durable enough for you to cut against. An ARM Cortex-M4 microcontroller crunches data behind the scene, while a 900mAh battery powers your NeoRuler’s SoC, the 1.14-inch backlit LCD display, and as many as 300 LED lights built into the ruler’s edge. The NeoRuler has a built-in Bluetooth module too, letting it share all your measurements directly to the MEAZOR app. Data on the app gets saved historically, and can be edited on the fly or even converted into actual plans (a feature that was introduced with the MEAZOR 3D device). You’ve even got an option to export your measurements in JPG, PDF, XLS, and DXF, sharing them with colleagues or clients.

As advanced as it is, the NeoRuler is designed for people and jobs where basic stationery just doesn’t cut it. It’s most suited for technical roles, like architecture, engineering, drafting, but can be used in creative applications too, like fashion, design, crafts, etc. The ruler’s intuitive design has a minimal learning curve, making it easy to use without flipping through a manual, and that backlit LCD display even lets you measure in low-light settings without straining your eyes to see what the actual measurement is. Each NeoRuler ships with a swappable pointer slider, a USB-C cable, and the free MEAZOR 2.0 app that’s available on both Android and iOS devices. The other adaptive Neo modules come as add-on kits, along with an optional protective folio case to carry your futuristic cutting-edge NeoRuler.

Click Here to Buy Now: $89 $129 ($40 off). Hurry, only 214/600 left!

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This small metal trinket lets you draw straight lines without a ruler

No one can draw a straight line unassisted, not unless you’re one of those extremely rare geniuses. Even professional artists and designers don’t leave straight lines up to chance or fate, utilizing a tool to ensure those marks keep in line. The most common tool for this kind of drawing is, of course, the ruler, and it doesn’t get any simpler than a piece of wood, metal, or plastic with a straight edge. Not unless you count this odd-looking metal piece with a small cog-like wheel, a contraption that could very well be the simplest way to draw a straight line, one that doesn’t obscure any part of the page or risk accumulating ink and dirt that would later smudge on your work.

Designer: Gihawoo Design (UGLY.DUCKLING)

When you simply want to draw a straight line, technically, any object that you can run your pen or pencil along its straight edge will do. If you need to draw a straight line with a specific length, then you’ll need something that has markings for units of length, which is precisely what a ruler brings to the table, pun intended. But while the venerable ruler’s design is simple and effective, it also comes with flaws that most people simply overlook.

For one, a ruler almost always covers up a chunk of what’s already on the page, though there are also transparent rulers that try to remedy that situation. Running an ink pen along the edge of the ruler also transfers some of that ink to that edge, ink that could smudge on the page when you lift or move the ruler. There are a few rulers that have raised edges for that very purpose, but these are far and few in between.

The Constrained Ball represents a solution that tackles the problem from a completely different angle. There’s nothing that says you actually need a long object to draw a straight line, only that there needs something to guide the pen on that path. This object does exactly that by using a wheel that rolls along a straight line, dragging an inserted pen in tow. Any pen size will do, given how the rubber hole can stretch to accommodate a larger barrel. There’s also an option to have a small LCD display that measures the distance traveled by the wheel based on its rotations to accurately measure the length of the line.

It is admittedly a simple and creative alternative to a ruler, one that reduces the risks of smudging and doesn’t cover up any content on the page. There might be some concerns about how straight your hand can really travel with this guide, or more importantly, you can actually draw parallel lines without being able to “see” the line beforehand, like with a ruler. Still, for most use cases, this rather cute little thingamajig will do, and it will more easily fit in your pouch or tool case better than any foot-long ruler.

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This hexagonal ruler set packs some impressive multifunctionality in its matte black body

A great stationery design is extremely critical for any product designer. Stationery is the tool that helps and supports you through your creative process. It can either make or break your entire design process, so it’s imperative to have products that really let you work easily, efficiently, and effectively, and enhance your overall system. One such phenomenal stationery design that we recently came across was the ‘Hexagonal Ruler 2.0’.

Designer: Yuan Design Studio

First and foremost, this stationery design is actually 3 rulers coming together to form a sleek and stylish kit. It instantly catches your attention with its metallic form and matte black finish. But hey, we’re not the superficial type to be impressed by mere good looks, as the Hexagonal Ruler has also been power-packed with immense multi-functionality.

Created from electroplated stainless steel, all three rulers boast a compact form, making them extremely easy to carry around! After all, inspiration can strike designers almost anywhere, and the regular sketching tools are pretty hefty (in comparison to the Hexagonal Ruler 2.0) to be carried by your side. So, the next time an ingenious idea strikes you, you don’t need to wait till you get home to start drawing it to life, you can do it on the spot with the help of this set. The ruler was designed to lay an “emphasis on freedom, quick edits and free flow of ideas that are hard to reach in computers.”

Each ruler is 72 x 62 mm, and can be used as a compass, protractor, and template ruler! It basically features all the tools you need to sketch. The deeper you look into the little intricacies of the ruler, you’ll find a number of interesting hexagonal shapes – from honeycombs to bubbles. It aims to provide more functionality as compared to a regular ruler.

A tailor-made leather case can be used to protect, and carry the rulers along with you…in style. The Hexagonal Ruler 2.0 is a simple yet complex product, that manages to enchant you with its unique aesthetics, compact size, and impressive multifunctionality. It is easy to use, easy to carry, and easy to create with!

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This unconventional tactile calendar doubles as a ruler in a pinch

Calendars are staples on our desks and walls, but their basic format hasn’t really changed in centuries. The grid system has been in use even before our grandparents were born, and it has been adopted in calendars that go beyond paper. Of course, there is more than one way to tell the date and the day of the week, especially if you’re not too picky about looking back at other months. If you just want that single piece of data at a glance, the doors are wide open for unique and beautiful designs that go beyond people’s concept of what a calendar should look like. This incarnation of a calendar, for example, looks nothing like something that tells the date and is more like an odd ruler that just happens to remember what date you set it to.

Designer: Sebastian Bergne

There are plenty of fancy and artistic calendars around that don’t fit the typical definition of a calendar, at least in terms of representing days as a grid or even a row of dates. In addition to digital clocks that give only the current date, there are also rings, flipping pages, and many other contraptions that are both functional as well as decorative. Monthly Measure definitely looks visually interesting to be a piece of your desk’s decor, but it also serves multiple functions in ways you might not expect.

It is primarily a calendar, which you can probably guess from the 31 numbers lined up on the wooden block’s top edge. Unlike typical calendars, it only gives you a clue on what day it is, depending on how you position the cast aluminum star. That star has seven points, marked with letters to indicate a day of the week. The idea is to set the day to the proper date and simply roll the star forward each day.

It’s definitely a curious way to tell the date and the day, and one that actually requires you to be more involved. You have to move the star each day; otherwise, it won’t point to the correct date. At the same time, you have to make sure the star doesn’t move to the wrong place accidentally. To figure out what day a different date falls on, you’ll have to roll the star, but also remember to roll it back to today’s date. There’s also no way to move forward or backward by month unless you already know what day the month starts.

The “measure” part of the Monthly Measure comes from the numbers as well. Each number is spaced a centimeter apart, so the wooden bar also works as a 30cm ruler. How you’ll do that, however, is up to you, whether using the flat bottom of the “calendar” or using the serrated top edge for markers.

Everything about the Monthly Measure is unorthodox. It is an unusual calendar and an admittedly odd ruler, and it might be hard to use it in either mode. The one thing it excels at is being a fine desk accent, so you actually have three things for the price of one wooden bar and a star that you can roll around like a fidget toy.

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This quirky contraption is a non-perforating compass that does more than draw circles

Anyone who has worked with paper and pen will most likely have come across the venerable drawing tool that is the compass. For centuries, it has been the standard way to draw circles of any diameter, and for centuries, artists, designers, and engineers have been forced to deal with holes in their canvases and papers. Fortunately, that’s a thing of the past, and designers today have come up with multiple ways to draw circles without harming your paper, but that’s as far as many of these modern compasses go. At the end of the day, it’s yet another tool to add to your pouch or drawer, taking up space for something you might not use that often. In contrast, this tool looks a little bit complicated because it sort of is. Although you’ll probably use it to primarily draw circles and ellipses, this modular stationery can actually replace almost a dozen of your other tools as well.

Designer: Pik Shan Lee

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It’s difficult to blame product designers of the ancient past for how they made compasses that would become a staple of the trade. It wasn’t until recently that we’d have access to better materials, more accessible resources, and more unconventional design thinking to create a tool that doesn’t need to poke a hole in the middle of your material. These non-perforating compasses are starting to become more familiar with designers today, but Exlicon takes that idea to the next level and beyond perfect circles.

The basic concept behind Exlicon is the same. You have a disc that you set in the middle of the circle you want to draw, and then you swing a movable arm to draw that circle. In this tool’s case, however, the arm or arms or wings can attach in different ways to draw not just circles but also ellipses of different orientations. Going beyond round forms, however, the tool supports drawing other geometric shapes and can also measure things you’ve already drawn.

It mostly depends on how you use or connect the wings, with one serving as a typical ruler while another can measure angles like a protractor. Another wing has holes and cutouts to draw golden ratio triangles and curves. You can even draw hexagons and pentagrams without having to pull out a different tool from your arsenal. There are also add-on discs that can do spirals, mandalas, and perspective guides.

All in all, the Exlicon and its discs can replace about nine other drawing tools you might have to carry separately. With an all-steel build, the tool has its own distinct appeal and a promise of longevity that many plastic rules and curves can’t deliver. That said, the multi-shape design tool does look a bit daunting because of its many parts and complex use, but it is the price that must be paid for an all-in-one solution to many of your drawing and measuring needs.

Click here to enroll for the 2022 Design Intelligence Awards FOR FREE!

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This 3D shape measuring design is an obvious evolution of the ruler, making it a must have EDC

A simple-looking ruler that’ll surprise you with its ability to measure everyday objects with pinpoint accuracy – sans any maths involved. The best thing is it fits in your pocket or in the backpack without taking much space!

Measuring things that have complex shapes involves a lot of mathematics – and frankly, it is not everybody’s cup of tea. Moreover, in day-to-day life, one wants to get complex measurements done in the most convenient way. After all who wants to search for complex tools or get hold of nerdy friends to do such calculations? This calls for a measuring stationery tool that can measure the length of 3D objects, curved shapes or anything else that falls in between.

Meet Ropler, a ruler designed to measure distance in 3D space while having the customary function of a ruler and a tape measure. The idea of the tool is pretty simple, yet very intuitive for practical usage. You can measure the circumference of a camera lens or take measurements of a complex vase with accuracy. The pointer on the Ropler moves as you pull out the rope, and the amount of rope pulled is pointed out by the number on the scale. To shorten the extra length of rope pulled, simply push the pointer back to the required point.

The nifty measuring tool comes with the added function of drawing perfect circles of radius up to 29.7 cm. The silver lining of the tool is its ruler-like form factor that fits in your pocket. When it’s time to measure complex-shaped objects the tool is right there to solve your problem in a jiffy. The designers have put a lot of thought into creating the Ropler, and I appreciate the effort for its pure ingenuity!

Designer: Ethan Chiang and Zhang Haoping