A system and method for implementing selectable platen sheet rulers as one of technology-based dynamically adaptable platen sheet rulers or physically-replaceable platen sheet rulers or a plurality of physically-replaceable platens having associated with each a permanently-affixed set of platen sheet rulers for device emulation, are provided. The user is provided with a mechanism by which to select a different origin for imaging operations in an image forming device. To enable emulation on the image forming devices, selectable rulers are employed. Dynamically-adaptable rulers include liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, light emitting diode (LED) arrays or similar tools to configure platen sheet ruler displays to frame a platen of the image forming device to enable real-time changing of the platen sheet rulers. Separately, physically-replaceable rulers such as, for example, one of “snap-in” rulers that are changeable with respect to a set platens in the image forming device are provided.