How to Choose a Bible Size: Thinline vs. Large Print

Same leather. Same Smyth-sewn binding. Same standard.

The real difference between Thinline and Large Print isn't quality — it's what your eyes and your bag are asking for.

The short answer

Thinline is built for portability. Slimmer profile, 7.5–9 point type, easy to hold one-handed, easy to slide into a bag. This is the size most people default to.

Large Print is built for readability. 12–12.5 point type, more page surface per line, easier on the eyes for long reading sessions, low light, or daily study without strain. It's a thicker, larger book — that's the tradeoff for the larger text.

Neither is the "upgraded" version of the other. They're solving two different problems.

Side by side

A question worth asking yourself

Do you notice yourself squinting, holding the page farther away, or losing your place in small type by the end of a chapter?

That's the signal Large Print answers. It's not about age or eyesight being "worse" — plenty of people just read more comfortably with more room on the page.

If instead the question is "will this fit in my bag, my glovebox, my jacket pocket" — Thinline is built for that answer.

What you're giving up either way

Choose Thinline, and you're trading some type size for a slimmer, more portable Bible.

Choose Large Print, and you're trading portability for a page that's easier to read without strain.

Both come from the same standard otherwise: full-grain leather, Smyth-sewn binding, a 5-year warranty, and engraving available for $10 on the lower right corner of the front cover.

Common questions

Is Large Print available in every translation Thinline offers? Not currently — Large Print comes in ESV and NIV. Thinline offers a wider range: ESV, NIV, NKJV, KJV, NLT, NASB, and CSB.

How much bigger is Large Print, really? Thinline runs 7.5–9 point type. Large Print runs 12–12.5 point — a jump that makes a real difference for extended reading, at the cost of a larger, thicker book.

Can I get Large Print in the Wrapped style, like the Wrapped Thinline? Currently, the wrapped cord-closure style is offered on Thinline. Large Print is available as a standalone Handbound Bible.

Which one should I buy as a gift? If you know the person struggles with small type, or reads for long stretches, Large Print is the safer choice. If you're not sure, Thinline is the more universal option.

Shop the [Handbound Thinline Bible] or the [Large Print Bible] — both full-grain, Smyth-sewn, and backed by our 5-year warranty.