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.