It’s hard for architects who only work with feet and inches to understand metric scales. This guide will help you get a feel for what’s going on by relating common metric scales to English counterparts.
Metric: 1:5m
1 cm = 5 cm
Imperial: 3" = 1'-0"
three inch scale
Metric: 1:50
1 cm = 0.5 m
Imperial: 1" = 4'
quarter inch scale
(actual scale: 1" = 4.17')
Metric: 1:100
1 cm = 1 m
Imperial: 1" = 8'
eighth inch scale
(actual scale: 1"= 8.33')
Metric: 1:200
1 cm = 2 m
Imperial: 1" = 1/16'
sixteenth inch scale
(actual scale: 1" = 16.66')
Metric: 1:500
1 cm = 5 m
Imperial: 1" = 40'
(actual scale: 1" = 41.66")
Metric: 1:1000
1 cm = 10 m
Imperial: 1" = 80'
(actual scale: 1" = 83.34')
Metric: 1:5000
1 cm = 50 m
Imperial: 1" = 400'
(actual scale: 1" = 418.66')
Metric: 1:10000
1 cm = 100 m
Imperial: 1" = 800'
(actual scale: 1" = 833.32')