I am trying to insert a scale bar that when printed, will equal to an exact amount in inches when a ruler is brought onto the paper. I have set my projected scale to 1:12,650 so 1 inch will equal 0.2 miles. Seems like this should be a very simple thing to do, especially when working with maps but ArcMap makes it seem like it's not possible. I understand I can bring to the ruler part at the top of my layout and measure from there, but that won't give me an exact like I am looking for.
Any ideas on how or if this is even possible?
Best Answer
You need to work within the Scale Bar Properties (see pic below), and set the "Division Value:" to the map distance you want represented by the scale value. So for example in your case you want to select a "1 inch = XXX ft." scale bar type, then open the properties and set Division Value to 0.2 miles. You will also need to set the "Division Units" dropdown to miles (in your case).
If you will be resizing, you may have to play around with the Adjust Width, Adjust Division Value, or others, but if you know your reference scale in advance it should not be an issue.