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Buyer’s Guide: Folders


While it may seem a bit mundane, buying folders is just as crucial as every other type of purchase made for your office. In doing so, you will undoubtedly want to look for the best quality and functionality for your money. Because folders are a relatively affordable expense for an office to incur, buying the cheapest option may not save you all that much money in the end if they are frequently used and continually fall apart. With that said, whether you end up buying single-ply manila folders, or reinforced 2-ply folders for your office, it is always important that you feel good about your purchase. To help you accomplish just that, here is a buyer’s guide for purchasing folders.

Buy By The Numbers

One of the most useful ways to choose your folders is to simply buy by the numbers. In other words, if you are the manager of a medical office that houses hundreds, or even thousands of patient records, you will undoubtedly want to buy folders that help you organize them. Doing so can include using folders with dividers, custom indexes, or reinforced spines for patients that accumulate thick files. Regardless of how many patients or individual records you need to keep in your office, sometimes the folders are more about organization, than about volume.

Emphasizing Organization

The Filing Supplies Shop has a vast array of folder options that make even the most complicated filing systems a breeze to navigate. When emphasizing organization with your office records, often the best method to adopt is one that allows the right folders to stand out at the right time—when you are looking for them. Quite often using colored folders, or file guides best does this. These options make it simple for folders to be found in an easily recognizable place in your office. Additionally, filing labels can be used to enhance folder visibility, and make records stand out based on specific data, depending on your filing system.

Other Options

Two folder options not yet mentioned can be used for both organization and volume. So, in essence, they are the best of both worlds. The first option includes pocket folders and jackets, which have built in pockets to secure loose documents and materials. The other folder option is the expansion pocket, which is invaluable for holding large, bulging folders, or multiple files all in one organized pocket. Expansion pocket folders also come in two variations: paper gussets, often considered economy folders, offering a cheaper option that can be efficiently organized, and holds a substantial volume of records effectively; and Tyvek gussets providing a sturdier expansion area, ideal for large files that get handled frequently.

Conclusion

As you have read, there are many options when it comes to buying folders. Regardless of whether you are looking to put an emphasis on the organization of your office records, or you merely want to wrangle the bulking files that you already have organized, The Filing Supplies Shop will surely have something to suit your needs. If you find yourself struggling to decide which folders to buy, try one of the versatile options like the pocket folders and jackets. You really can’t go wrong with versatility.

Craig McCaa

Craig McCaa is the Director of E-Commerce at The Supplies Shops, an online market for niche office and manufacturing consumables. A graduate of Stony Brook University's College of Business, Craig has been working in the print industry for over 10 years with a focus on website development, marketing and sales.