Three binders, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) are studied to elucidate the principal fundamental features giving rise to an excellent binder in a polymer-stainless steel particle array, used in the context of binder jetting. Using an out-of-printer screening approach, samples were compared based on compression tests, specifically the 0.2 % yield strength as a function of void volume fill factor, 𝜙, leading to a quasi-sigmoidal generalized curve for green body strength development. PVA demonstrated a strong tendency to form inter-particle bridges at low 𝜙 and the highest rise in strength, while PAA samples exhibited a lower tendency to form inter-particle bridges and a weak exponential rise in strength. This paper relates these behaviors to polymer strength, capillary properties and polymer-metal interactions and ultimately provides a rigorous selection process for binder efficacy.