The wires for initial alignment purposes require a combination of excellent strength, excellent springiness, and a long rang of action. The variables in selecting appropriate arches for alignment are the arch wire material, its diameter, and the distance between attachments. The principle that there should be 0.02 inch clearance for initial wires means that an .016 diameter wire is the largest that should be considered for initial alignment in the .018 slot system. The three major possibilities for alignment arches are multistranded steel wires, nickel-titanium wires, and single-stranded steel wires with loops. The excellent choice for initial alignment in .018 bracket is .014 steel wire with loops.