Printer Ink & Office Supplies Blog

Bin raiders are either individuals working on their own initiative or employed by organised criminal gangs. The sole purpose of their actions is to collect as much personal information about you as possible. They rummage through your bins searching for any kind of correspondence containing your personal details in order to carry out fraudulent activities. Identity theft in itself, is not regarded as a crime until someone benefits from it.

To avoid the stress and trauma associated with identity theft, be sure to destroy all bank statements, insurance documents, utility bills, catalogue invoices, junk mail and even personal letters with your name and address on before discarding to the bin. It can take between 6 months and up to 2 years to reclaim your identity. For a small monetary outlay you can invest in a shredder, which will cut up your documents into unreadable pieces of paper.

You can choose between strip cut, cross cut and confetti/micro cut shredders, each shredder has a security rating attached to it.

Strip Cut – for everyday home use, suitable for between 1 and 3 users. Security level rating between 1 and 2, which shreds a single piece of A4 paper into approximately 36 strips.

Cross Cut – recommended for small business and professional use and appropriate for 3 – 5 users. These have a higher security level of 3 and above. It cuts an A4 document into 412 unreadable small pieces.

Confetti/Microshred – for use in shared workplaces with between 5 and 20 users. Security rating of 4 or 5 and shreds an A4 piece of paper into 2,000+ tiny pieces.

For peace of mind and to avoid becoming another statistic of identity theft invest in a shredder. If you would like further advise and information regarding the different types of shredder then contact us either by e-mail, or by telephoning 01656 749808.

Friedrich Soennecken of Bonn, Germany introduced the ring binder as far back as 1886. Louis Leitz another German, in his development work of ring binders introduced the finger hole in the side of the file. He was the founder of Esselte Leitz and whose family were active in the office supplies industry for over a 125 years before selling it off in 1986.

Presentation Binders and Ring Binders are folders in which punched pieces of paper may be held by means of a spring-loaded clamp running through the holes punched in the paper. These are frequently circular, known as O-Ring, but some are D-shaped and obviously referred to as D-Ring. When it comes to filing your papers, you have the choice between a 2 hole ( 2 ring ) or the larger ( 4 ring ) 4 hole system. Binders are available in A5, A4 or A3 sizes and a storage capacity for paper ranging from 15mm – 65mm.

Most binder covers are made of three pieces similar to that of a hardback book, but are produced in many styles. Materials vary widely and range from wipe clean transparent polypropylene, hard wearing plastic board, pressed paper over board and laminate paper on board. Some are made from recycled board covered with oxo-biodegradable polypropylene which takes months rather than years to biodegrade.

Presentation binders have the added benefits of either a clear front pocket, or an all round clear slip pocket on the front, back and side. This enables the individual to personalise the binder’s contents and to add a more professional touch. A selection of these binders have an inside front and back pocket, as well as a pocket to hold business cards.

The use of pre-punched polypropylene pockets provides further protection from thumb prints and wear for the papers being filed in the binders.

The bright and bold range of colours make them an ideal asset for everyday use in the office, classroom or home.

We stock a wide range of Elba, Esselte, Europa, Leitz, Q-Connect, Snopake and Rexel Presentation Binders and Ring Binders.

For advice and guidance call us on 01656 749808.

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It’s amazing to think that a felt-tipped marking pen was first patented by Lee Newman as far back as 1910. The use of marker pens grew following Sidney N Rosenthal’s patented invention of the Magic Marker in 1953. This marker pen had a glass reservoir for the ink, which was attached to a felt wick nib. This idea enabled the marker pen to be useful at any time, even if it was not used for long periods. Rosenthal’s idea of placing a chiseled tip on a small bottle of permanent ink was later manufactured and sold by Speedry Chemical Products Inc.

Basically, the body of a permanent marker pen has a glass, aluminium or plastic ink reservoir with a core of absorbent matted material such as felt. The felt acts as a carrier for the water proof ink inside the reservoir. The attached nib was made out of hard felt, but has been replaced by polyester materials, which has a cap to prevent the marker tip from drying out. Up until the mid 1990′s the permannent ink used, contained solvents of either Toluene or Xylene, both of which are harmful and characterised by a very strong odour. These days, permanent marker ink usually has an alcohol base such as propanol, butanol, diacetone or cresols.

Toluene is a clear, toxic and flammable liquid of the methyl group attached to benzene.
Xylene is any of three oily, colorless, water-insoluble, flammable, toxic, isomeric liquids of the benzene series.

The porous nature of permanent marker pens makes them ideal for writing on various surfaces such as glass, plastic, wood, metal and stone. Generally, they are water resistant and can last for many years. Permanent markers vary in tip size, nib shapes and colours. They contain volatile organic compounds which evaporate to dry the ink.

All the permanent marker pens that we supply are either acrylic or alcohol based and contain no added toluene or xylene.

We stock permanent marker pens manufactured by Berol, BIC, Edding, Q-Connect, Pentel, Sharpie and Staedtler, Call us on 01656 749808 for competitive prices and stock levels.

Taking part in an exhibition or trade show provides the ideal opportunity to showcase your products or services to a mass of potential customers. It has been suggested that 90% of visitors to trade shows or exhibitions have a buying influence for their business, company or organisation.

Before committing to taking a stand at any trade show or exhibition ask the organisers :-

Is the event well established and how is it promoted to attract visitors ?

Which trade bodies or organisations, if any support the event?

The expected number of visitors attending.

Will the event be covered by the press and media?

What does the total cost of the stand include ?

Which type of display areas are available – shell scheme ( enclosed walled area ) or open space ?

Once you have agreed to take part you will need to appoint a show manager, decide on your objectives for exhibiting and what you want to achieve from taking part. Remember to include the charge for stand hire, transport costs, accommodation costs, catering charges, give away products, brochures and leaflets, insurance and any security charges in your show budget. As a precaution, it might be worth adding an extra 5% to your budget for any unforeseen costs. At the end of the day, you are looking to maximise your return on investment, both in terms of money and time.

Your stand needs to create a wow factor, which will attract people to come and view it, whilst at the same time positively promoting your brand image and products.

With the shell scheme you get a pre-erected stand, made up of 3 walls of grey metre-wide panels, fascia board for your company name, carpet, lighting and possibly a power point. The use of roll up banner stands, pop up stands, or panel kits will help to decorate your stand and are a cost effective way to convey your brand image and products to visitors.

A space is literally a space, its an area for you to use as you see fit to demonstrate your merchandise and brand. Prior to the show or exhibition you will need to find out how much floor space has been allocated to you. You can then build your floor space exhibit by using :

A flat top table covered in a cloth decorated in your company colours with literature holders carefully positioned to attract the visitors eye. Remember to place taller items at the back and smaller ones at the front.

Roll up banners with printed graphics displaying your brand, products and services are light weight and easily transported in a carry bag.

Pop up stands are easily transported and assembled by one person. These help to portray a professional image at an affordable price. Magnetic strips allow graphics or fabric panels to be hung on the stand.

Panel or Panel and Pole display kits are lightweight and adaptable and consist of display panels fitted with Velcro compatible loop nylon panel coverings. You can also add panels to extend the size of your display. Header panels are also available to display company name and logo.

Literature holders and mobile folding display stands are ideal for keeping your brochures, pamphlets, fliers and leaflets well organised and easily accessible to potential buyers.

Remember – The whole event will have been a waste of time unless you are prepared to devote time and effort in following up your leads.

All the necessary formalities have been completed and the decision made on office space, including your desk and chair. With the telephone, pc or laptop and printer all arranged
neatly on your desk top, you are ready to begin your new adventure into business for the first time.
However, there are some essential items missing that are necessary to help you run your business on a daily basis.

• Pens - to sign cheques and documents, sribble down notes and to address correspondence letters.

• A4 Paper – to print off invoices, receipts, letters of introduction and proposals.

• Envelopes – a mixture of plain white DL, C5 and C4

• Post-it-Notes or Sticky Notes – write down reminders of things to do, telephone numbers and appointments.

• Stapler and Staples – to keep documents neatly together, staple cheques to invoice remittances for suppliers.

• Paper clips – to hold loose papers temporarily.

• Highlighters – to mark important phrases of information, deadline dates and meeting appointments.

• Letter trays – to neatly store all incoming and outgoing mail, invoices to be paid and all relevant daily documentation.

• Desk & Drawer Tidies – to store all your pens, highlighters, post-it-notes, staples and paper clips.

• Waste bin – for all your discarded rubbish.

With all these in place, you are armed to begin the first day of a new era in your life and begin building up your client list.

If you require any help or assistance in choosing everyday essential office supplies, then please contact us either by e-mail or by telephone 01656 749808.

Whether you are a school pupil undertaking course work, a student researching a particular topic, or a business man or woman assembling a presentation, after hours of painstaking research, draft and redrafting of notes, you finally print off your completed article. How are you going to present all this hard work to your audience? Maybe by stapling the corners of your paper together in some form of handout, with the added danger of them all falling loose at the slightest rough handling. The use of a Display Book makes organising yourself easier and the clear front cover pocket is easy to personalise. Simple to access, it will keep your papers neat and secure. These are ideal for documents that require regular referrals or put together for presentations.

Available in A5, A4 and A3 sizes.

As with size, there is a choice of the number of internal pockets to display your work – 5,10, 12, 20, 24, 30, 36, 40, 50, 60 – top opening clear polypropylene pockets.

They have wipe clean covers, a full length spine pocket for referencing and easy identification, a few styles have cd disc and business card pockets, and some have anti-static pockets to stop ink lifting off the paper.

You have a wide choice of colours and finishes, such as heavy grained, suede effect and soft leather.
You can also opt for environmentally friendly and biodegradable display books.
In addition to the Q-Connect range, we also stock Rexel, Snopake, Pentel, Elba and Bio2 display books.

If you would like further information relating to the range and price of display books available, then call Gareth on 01656 749808, who will be more than happy to answer your questions.

Why not request one of our 940 page catalogues at the same time.

The unbelievably thin and light Portege Z830 Ultrabook series offers essential features, performance, and durability, perfect for the mobile user. The Portege Z830 is designed to be the ultimate mobile business laptop. At just 1.12Kg and 8.3mm thin, the Portege Z830 exudes quality and reliability, and has a host of technology and connectivity features, as well as battery life that lasts up to 8 hours. With no moving parts and with a casing made entirely from Magnesium Alloy, the Portege Z830 is ideal for a mobile life.

Ultra lightweight 8 hour battery life

Premium design

SSD

USB 3.0

3G

Information supplied by Toshiba.

Call us on 01656 749808 for up to date prices and stock availability on the Portege Z830 range. Z830-10N, Z830-10P, Z830-10Q and Z830-11J

STABILO Point 88 Fineliner Pens

Since 1855 STABILO have developed their products to make writing easier. Correct posture style protects against cramp and tiredness and promotes trouble free writing and drawing and better performance. There are versions specially designed for left and right hand users. This development is based on feedback from scientists, teachers, children and adults who know a lot about writing.

The STABILO Point 88 is available in 25 vibrant colours and is the perfect fineliner for writing, sketching and drawing. It’s the ideal fineliner for use by school children and professionals alike.

Regarded as Europe’s number one fineliner.
The only one available in 25 brilliant colours.
Unmistakeable hexagonal striped design.
Encased metal tip for a long life span.
Suitable for use with rulers and stencils.
Cap can be left off for a long time.
Ventilated cap.

The STABILO Point 88 Fineliner pens are available in :
STABILO Point 88 Blister of 3
STABILO Point 88 Twin Pack
STABILO Point 88 Twister Pack
STABILO Point 88 Wallet of 10
STABILO Point 88 Wallet of 20

We also stock STABILO Permanent Markers, Speciality Markers, Office Pencils, Fibre Tip Pens, Gel Ink Pens, Rollerball Pens and Highlighters.