How Many Sheets of Paper Will A Binder Hold?

In an effort to provide the best possible information and content to our readers/customers, we are trying to answer some of the questions that are most commonly asked of our customer service team. Well, here’s a great one:

“How many sheets of paper will a 2″ (or any other size) binder hold?

Great question, and here’s the answer:

The amount of paper that a particular binder will hold is dependent on the type and size of the ring inside the binder. For the most part, the ring in the binder is the same size as the binder spine, so a 2″ binder will have a 2″ ring. The two most common types of rings are O ring and D ring.

O Ring – O rings are the most popular type of ring, and generally come in diameters ranging from 1/2 an inch up to 4 inches. With O rings, the diameter of the ring will determine how much paper the binder can hold.

D ring – D rings get their name because they are somewhat shaped like a D. With D ring binders, the amount of paper that the binder will hold is dependent on the length of the straight portion of the D ring. For most D ring binders, the diameter of the D ring itself is really the length of the straight portion of the ring. A 3 inch D ring binder will have a straight shank that is very close to 3″ long.

Some data floating around the internet, indicates that a 1/2 binder will hold approximately 100 sheets of paper so a 1″ binder will hold 200 sheets, while a 2″ binder should hold 400 sheets. Unfortunately, this data isn’t exactly correct.

The data below comes from our friends at Binders, inc., who are recognized experts at all things binder. These numbers are based on the assumption that standard 20 lb paper is being used. For thicker paper, these numbers will need to be adjusted down.

Hopefully this information will be useful the next time you get ready to purchase a binder.

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