<P> A column inch was the standard measurement of the amount of content in published works that use multiple columns per page . A column inch is a unit of space one column wide by one inch high . </P> <P> Newspaper pages are laid out on a grid that consists of a margin on 4 sides, a number of vertical columns and space in between columns, called gutters . Broadsheet newspaper pages in the United States usually have 6 - 9 columns, while tabloid sized publications have 5 columns . </P> <P> In the United States, a common newspaper column measurement is about 11 picas wide (or about 1.83 inches), though this measure varies from paper to paper and in other countries . The examples in this article follow this assumption for illustrative purposes only . </P> <P> Newspapers sell advertising space on a page to retail advertisers, advertising agencies and other media buyers . Newspapers publish a "per column inch" rate based on their circulation and demographic figures . Generally, the more readers the higher the column inch rate is . Newspapers with more affluent readers may be able to command an even higher column inch rate . For most newspapers, however, the published rate is just a starting point . Sales representatives generally negotiate lower rates for frequent advertisers . </P>

How wide is a column in a newspaper