Guides

How to read a 1 ml syringe

The ml scale of a 1 ml syringe explained: what each line means, where to read the dose, and how to draw small volumes accurately.

Every volume in uPrime is given in ml, the scale printed on a 1 ml syringe. Once you know how the lines are spaced, drawing 0.20 or 0.35 ml takes a few seconds.

The scale

• The full barrel holds 1 ml.
• The long, numbered lines mark every 0.1 ml: 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and so on up to 1.
• Between two numbered lines there are small lines, usually every 0.01 ml or 0.02 ml. Count them on your own syringe: if there are nine small lines between 0.1 and 0.2, each one is 0.01 ml.

Where to read the dose

Read the volume at the top edge of the rubber plunger, the flat ring closest to the needle, not at its tip or bottom. Hold the syringe at eye level with the needle pointing up, so the line is not distorted by the angle.

Examples

• 0.20 ml: the top of the plunger on the second numbered line.
• 0.25 ml: halfway between the second and the third numbered lines.
• 0.05 ml: halfway between the needle end and the first numbered line. This is the smallest step uPrime uses, because smaller volumes are hard to measure well.

Drawing an accurate dose

1. Clean the vial top with alcohol and let it dry.
2. Turn the vial upside down with the needle inside, and draw a little more than you need.
3. Tap the syringe so air bubbles rise, push them back into the vial, and stop exactly at your line.
4. Check the volume once more at eye level before injecting.

When the volume is too small

If the calculator says a dose is below 0.05 ml, add more water when you mix the next vial: the same dose then takes more ml and becomes easy to measure. If a dose is above 1 ml, it does not fit in one syringe: use less water or a larger vial.

Educational reference only. It is not medical advice and does not recommend any compound or dose. Talk to a doctor before using any of these compounds.

Last reviewed: 2026-10-26

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