Most tape measures will show inches divided into 16 segments. The shortest line represents the sixteenths, ... The most common of these are used to help measure in feet and inches.

Whether you're buying a retractable metric tape measure or one with inches and feet, you'll want to think about the length that best suits the type of projects you like to tackle.

The tape measure has stud markings that are conveniently placed every 16 inches. This 16-foot tape measure is also available in a 25-foot option for longer measurements. Advertisement.