KAM® Snaps: FAQ and Tutorials

What Size Snaps Do I Need?

Snaps are available in a number of sizes (diameters/cap size). Snaps and Buttons are commonly sold by their size in an old measurement called the Ligne. One inch (1" - 2.54 cm) is approximately 40 Ligne.

Size 20 (0.5" - 12.4 mm) snaps are our most popular size and can be used for most general projects like baby diapers and clothing. They are our most popular plastic snap size, have the largest color variety, and have a good strong hold.
Size 16 (0.4" - 10.2 mm) snaps are most commonly used for baby and toddler clothing, pacifier clips, mama pads, and small crafts.
Our Size 14 (0.35" - 9.7 mm) snaps have 5.0 mm prongs and can be used in most applications where Size 16 snaps are used.
Size 19 (0.475" - 12 mm) and Size 22 (0.55" - 14.1 mm) snaps are used for heavy duty applications requiring a strong grip. They are often used with tote bags, coats, tarps, and upholstery.

In general, smaller snaps have shorter prongs (size 14 and 19 snaps are exceptions, as size 14 caps have longer prongs than size 16 caps and size 19 caps have longer prongs than size 20 caps).

Prong length determines how much material you can go through and successfully form the snap. A good rule of thumb for standard prong Size 20s is that the fabric thickness must condense to less than the thickness of a penny to work. The ideal thickness is that of a dime.

We also carry longer pronged Size 16 (5.2 mm prong length) in White and Black and Long Prong Size 20 (6.2 mm prong length) in 21 color choices for thicker fabric projects.

If you are unsure which size you need, consider one of our KAM® Snaps Starter Packs with white snaps in varying sizes.

Please feel free to ask for help.

KAM Plastic Snap Size Reference Chart

The Anatomy Of A KAM® Plastic Snap

KAM® plastic snaps are wonderful. They are a SNAP to install and much easier and durable than a standard metal snap or sewable button. They come in a multitude of colors and sizes. Which one is right for you?

Here is a simple tutorial on the anatomy of a plastic snap set. There are 4 parts to a set:

2 Caps (Before installation they resemble a tack with a Round, Heart, or Star shaped head. They give a neat finished look to your snap.)
1 Socket (The female part with the larger raised circle that the stud (male part) fits into)
1 Stud (The male part with the smaller raised circle that fits inside the socket (female part))

SIZE 20:

Size 20 (0.5" - 12.4 mm) snaps can be used for most general projects like baby diapers and clothing. They are our most popular plastic snap size, have the largest color variety, and have a good strong hold. We carry them in all 130 colors and clear.
Standard Size 20 snaps have a 5.6mm prong length. Prong length refers to the length of the shaft on the backside of the Cap. When formed, the prong will compress and form a 'mushroom' shape to hold the Cap and Socket or Stud together.
We also offer Long Prong Size 20 (0.5" - 12.4 mm) in a rainbow of colors. They are great for embroidered key fobs using Marine or Glitter Vinyl as well as other projects where you need just a little more prong length. Long Prong Size 20 snaps have a 6.2mm prong length.

SIZE 16:

Size 16 (0.4" - 10.2 mm) snaps are most commonly used for baby and toddler clothing, pacifier clips, mama pads, and small crafts. We carry them in our first 60 ("B") colors and clear.

Size 16 snaps have a 4.2mm prong length. Prong length refers to the length of the shaft on the backside of the Cap. When formed, the prong will compress and form a 'mushroom' shape to hold the Cap and Socket or Stud together.

The Size 16 Socket and Stud are less noticeably different. Many first time users don't immediately see the distinction. The Socket's raised circle is the larger of the two pictured, and the Stud's raised circle is smaller and inserts into the Socket (female) side.

SIZE 14:

Our Size 14 (0.35" - 9.7 mm) snaps can be used in most applications where Size 16 snaps are used. We carry them in White and Black at this time.

Our Size 14 snaps have a 5.0mm prong length. Prong length refers to the length of the shaft on the backside of the Cap. When formed, the prong will compress and form a 'mushroom' shape to hold the Cap and Socket or Stud together.

As with the Size 16, the Size 14 Socket and Stud are less noticeably different. The Socket's circle is the larger of the two pictured. The Stud's circle is smaller and inserts into the Socket (female) side. Size 16 and Size 14 Sockets and Studs are the same; only the cap differs.

SIZE 19:

Size 19 (0.475" - 12 mm) snaps are used for heavy duty applications requiring a strong grip. They are often used with tote bags, coats, tarps, and upholstery. We carry them in White and Black at this time.

Size 19 snaps have a 6.9mm prong length. Prong length refers to the length of the shaft on the backside of the Cap. When formed, the prong will compress and form a 'mushroom' shape to hold the Cap and Socket or Stud together.

The Size 19 Socket and Studs are larger, but similar in appearance to Size 20 Sockets and Studs.

SIZE 22:

Size 22 (0.55" - 14.1 mm) snaps are used for heavy duty applications requiring a strong grip. They are often used with tote bags, coats, tarps, and upholstery. We carry them in White and Black at this time.

Size 22 snaps have a 6.9mm prong length. Prong length refers to the length of the shaft on the backside of the Cap. When formed, the prong will compress and form a 'mushroom' shape to hold the Cap and Socket or Stud together.

The Size 22 Socket and Studs are larger, but similar in appearance to Size 20 Sockets and Studs.

What Colors Can I Choose?

I Like Big Buttons!® carries the largest KAM® Snap color selection in the world.

Size 20 snaps are available in over 130 colors. The first 60 colors (B1-B60) are standard KAM® Snap colors. We have created over 60 custom KAM® Snap colors that you may choose from as well. Custom color codes start with the letter G.
- For a full-size color chart, please click here (or save a copy: JPG or PDF).
- For a compact color chart, please click here (or save a copy: JPG or PDF).
Size 16 snaps are available in the standard color pallet (B1-B60).
- For a full-size color chart, please click here (or save a copy: JPG or PDF).
- For a compact color chart, please click here (or save a copy: JPG or PDF).
Size 14, Size 19, and Size 22 snaps are available in B3 (White) and B5 (Black).

*** Please note that there may be slight color variations between different productions batches, particularly on custom colors. Like paint and yarn, each dye lot is recreated from a recipe during manufacturing and may very slightly from the previous batch.

I Like Big Buttons! KAM Plastic Snap Chart with Numbers

Are Snaps Available In Other Shapes?

Yes! We carry KAM® Snaps in several shapes.

Heart Shaped KAM® Snaps work with Size 20 sockets and studs. You will need snap pliers to apply heart shaped snaps and the T5 (Size 20) die.
- For a full-size color chart, please click here (or save a copy: JPG or PDF).
Star Shaped KAM® Snaps work with Size 20 sockets and studs. You will need snap pliers to apply Star shaped snaps and the T8A (Size 22) die.
- For a full-size color chart, please click here (or save a copy: JPG or PDF).

Heart-Shaped Chart:

Star-Shaped Chart:

K1 KAM Plastic Snap Pliers vs. K2 ILBB Plastic Snap Pliers

We get a lot of questions about the difference between K1 and K2 plastic snap pliers. Both K1 and K2 pliers work great for applying plastic snaps. They are lightweight, portable, and easy to use. The K1 pliers are KAM® branded pliers, the same quality brand as the snaps we carry. They come with four (4) dies:

The K2 pliers are manufactured for our I Like Big Buttons!® brand. They are a more economical option for those who aren't looking to do all that many snaps. They come with three (3) dies:

K1 are sturdier and have more robust dies than K2. If you are just doing a few snaps, the K2 is not a bad choice, and some people like them better for Size 16 snaps. The K1 pliers do a nicer job on Size 20 snaps and work great on Size 16.

K1 pliers form the snaps creating a small rounded dome in the socket and stud center. K2 pliers form more of a flat pancake with a bullseye impression that some like for Size 16 snaps, as it can make them snap together a little easier.

If grip strength is an issue, K2 pliers require less force to sufficiently set snaps.

In general, we recommend K1 over K2, but both work great.

How Do I Tell the DK-93 Press Socket and Stud Dies Apart?

1. Press the Socket (female) firmly into the die. Finished side goes into the die. The bottom of the Socket should be almost flush with the rubber lip.

2. Press the Stud (male) firmly into the die. Finished side goes into the die. The bottom of the Stud should be flush with the rubber lip.