Q: How do I know what size binding wire to use?
A: The size of wire that you need to use is determined by the thickness of the book that you are binding.
The 3:1 binding wire (3 holes to the inch – all very imperial!) comes in a range of 8 different wire diameters which cover different thickness ranges. These different diameters are labelled no’s: 3-10. These numbers are 3/16” up to 10/16” in a range of colours.
For example
|
Wire No |
Diameter “ |
Diameter mm |
Book Thickness |
|
3 |
3/16” |
5.5mm |
2.5mm |
|
4 |
¼” |
6.9mm |
4.8mm |
|
5 |
5/16” |
8.0mm |
6.4mm |
|
6 |
3/8” |
9.5mm |
7.9mm |
|
7 |
7/16” |
11mm |
9.5mm |
|
8 |
½” |
12.7mm |
11.1mm |
|
9 |
9/16” |
14.3mm |
12.7mm |
|
10 |
5/8” |
16mm |
14.3mm |
For book thicknesses greater than 14.3mm you will need to be using a 2:1 Punch (2 holes to the inch)
You can find more information on our wires section
Please give us a call on 01793 716300 and we can send you a free “Binding Wire Guide” which is a ruler designed to show you which binding wire you will need.
