My thirds aren't equal; help!

October 3, 2009 10:23 AM

Help me divide a sheet of paper equally with tape, please!

Ashamed to admit it, but I'm finding it very tricky to divide a sheet of paper into equal thirds using tape. It's easy to divide the overall length into thirds with width-less lines, but centering 3/4-in. tape on these lines doesn't result in equally sized divisions because of the width of the tape; the middle section is always narrower than the end ones. Halves are easy since the tape width bites equally into the divided sections; what would a quick trick be for doing thirds with this tape? The edges of the paper are already taped off when I divide the space inside the edges, btw. TIA!

posted by dpcoffin to media & arts (7 comments total)

On each of the lines that divide the paper into thirds, place tape such that two-thirds of the tape is on the outer third of the paper, and one-third of the tape is on the inner third of the paper.
posted by Flunkie at 10:26 AM on October 3 [1 favorite]

I'm assuming that you mean "so that the untaped portions of paper are equal", by the way.
posted by Flunkie at 10:27 AM on October 3

I'm not sure I get the problem. You can already divide the paper into thirds...? Ok, so then divide the tape into thirds by width. Put two-thirds of the tape on the outside of the line, one-third in the center section. That way, each edge will contain two-thirds of a width of tape, and the center will contain two one-third widths. Leaving all the paper sections equal.

Or no?
posted by ctmf at 10:29 AM on October 3

To make that easier, I'd redraw my lines 2/3 times the width of the tape closer to the edge, then line up the tape on the center-page side of the line.
posted by ctmf at 10:31 AM on October 3

Assuming 11x8.5 paper and it is the 11 inch height you want to divide equally:

11 - .75 - .75 = 9.5 inches you want to divide equally.

9.5/3 = 3.167 inches.

So your paper is going to look like (from top to bottom):

3.167 inches of space
0.75 inch strip of tape
3.167 inches of space
0.75 inch strip of tape
3.167 inches of space

If you add all that up you'll see it adds to 11 inches (allowing for the fact 3.167 is rounded from 3.16666666666...)

To actually put this on a piece of paper I would suggest using a ruler to measure down 3.167 inches, then put down your tape, then measure 3.167 inches down from the bottom of the tape & that is the top of your next strip of tape.

FWIW 3.167 inches doesn't come out evenly on a regular ruler that measures with 16ths or 32nds of an inch but 3.167 is just a little more than halfway between 3 2/16 and 3 3/16 or just a bit closer to 3 5/32 than 3 6/32.
posted by flug at 10:34 AM on October 3

Thanks, all; just the little whiff needed to clear off the head fog on this. I'll just mark 1/4-in. inside each dividing line and line the tape edge on that; easy! And unfortunately, I'm doing a variety of paper sizes, flug; but thanks anyway!
posted by dpcoffin at 10:43 AM on October 3

Huh?
Is this supposed to be practical or theoretical?
If theoretical, then place the tape so that one edge is on the side of the dividing line and at the other end of the dividing line, place the opposite edge of the tape. The tape is bisected in area and uses equal parts of the line on each side.
Oh, you mean the third in the middle gets two chunks taken out and the other two only get one taken out?... Nevermind.
Why do I feel like Emily Latella?
posted by Drasher at 1:07 PM on October 3