Why does the ruler in Snip and Sketch indicate an angle if there is no way to rotate it? Or is there? Find out here how to rotate the ruler in Windows Snipping Tool and Snip & Sketch to measure angles.
First, Léon Foucault Sends Out a Note
“You are invited to come see the earth turn,” said Foucault’s missive, and a prominent group of French received it on February 2, 1851.
The earth in rotation is, of course, not all the guests saw when Foucault revealed his pendulum at the Paris observatory on the next day. A Foucault pendulum not only measures the earth’s rotation around itself, after all, but also its rotation around the sun, the solar system’s rotation around the center of the galaxy, and so on.
Given all that, the dignitaries did not see much at once and immediately: at the latitude of Paris, it takes the pendulum some 8 hours to show a rotation of 90 degrees.
Want to see some rotation faster and sooner?
How to Rotate the Ruler in Windows Snipping Tool (and Snip and Sketch)
Time needed: 1 minute
To change the angle and rotate the ruler in Windows 11 Snipping Tool or Snip and Sketch for Windows 10:
- Add the ruler to your Snipping Tool screenshot.
Here’s how: Click Ruler or Protractor in the toolbar, then select Ruler.
Snipping Tool keyboard shortcut: You can also press Alt L for the ruler or protractor.. - Position the mouse cursor over the ruler.
Center of rotation: The ruler will rotate around the top left tip of the mouse cursor, not the ruler’s center.
- Swipe down with two fingers on the trackpad to rotate the ruler clockwise.
Rotating against the clock: Swipe up with two fingers to rotate counterclockwise.
Using the mouse: Use the scroll wheel on a mouse.
- Click and drag the ruler to move it.
- Draw lines along the ruler.
Done: You can remove the ruler using the Ruler toolbar button.
How to Rotate the Ruler in Windows Snipping Tool (Snip and Sketch): FAQ
Can I rotate the protractor tool as well?
No; you need not rotate the protractor to measure angles precisely in Snipping Tool (Snip and Sketch), though.
Can I rotate the image in Snipping Tool?
No, Windows Snip and Sketch will not let you rotate the image itself. You can crop it to size right in Snipping Tool (Snip and Sketch), however.
(How to angle the ruler in Snipping Tool (Snip and Sketch) tested with Version 11.2209–2312 and Version 10.2008; updated February 2024)