Most educational facilities will have an art and design department where various artistic abilities and talents are discovered and where many students find their hidden passion for art and all this entails. However in order to encourage this lust for imaginative, creative work, the correct tools must be provide so that students are able to flourish! The basics can never be forgotten such as the medium which will be used in class (paint, charcoal, pencil, pastel etc) and the basics such as paper, knives, brushes and so on. However many people leave it to the last minute before they purchase cutting mats.

A cutting mat is strongly advised wherever cutting implements are used. So this of course is not just in educational facilities. You will find as standard, cutting mats in areas such as photography studios, design and advertising studios, in the home for card and paper crafts, for quilting and other fabric work, the list is endless. It is used not just to protect your surfaces (and your blades), but also as a measuring tool to ensure a clean and straight cut. All cutting mats will feature a measuring grid printed onto their surface for guidelines.

Another less common use for a cutting mat is to aid in handwriting, this is most common with calligraphy as the mat can be slipped under their paper and used as a reference to ensure letters are written evenly and in a straight line. Of course this then also doubles up as a protective layer for your desk or table, protecting it from impressions and ink spills or seepage.

Here at LA Office we have a selection of self healing cutting mats which are made by the brand Linex. Available in A1, A2 and A3 sizes, you will find a mat suitable for your task and your space. Take a look at our A2 Linex Cutting Mat for example.

• Three layer, one hard layer between two soft layers
• Can be used on both sides
• Anti-slip, self-healing material
• Metric millimetre grid on one side
• A2 Size
• RRP £36.45 – Our price just £13.18 inc VAT!

You can simply order on line, or if you’re looking to purchase in bulk, we can look at giving you an even better price. Call us on 0870 766 1722 for quotes, ordering and more information. And remember, orders over £30 qualify for free delivery!

Keeping a busy warehouse running quickly and efficiently involves the help of various different tools and implements, without them processes are slowed and demand cannot be met. A warehouse sends out numerous parcels, crates, cartons and boxes every single day, each one needing proper care and attention. A parcel cannot be released until it is first sealed thoroughly and checked; this is where packaging tape proves priceless! However, imagine manually peeling, cutting or tearing and applying packaging tape to every single item that came into and left the warehouse; it would take forever, not to mention cause wear and damage to the hands. Why slow down the conveyer belt system; you will not be able to get customers orders to them on time and the strain on your staff would be too great. A small and simple investment will solve all your packing tape problems.

Carton sealers are designed to take the strain off as they do all the work for you! Allowing you to apply tape firmly, quickly and in a straight line, a carton sealer will also cut the tape for you when you’re done. Take our Flexocare Smartbox Safety Carton Sealer for example. This high quality metal unit features a retractable cutting blade which only comes into operation as the tape is being cut. Once cut the blade automatically retracts so that there is no risk of injury to the user.

• Designed for use with 50mm wide tape
• Retractable cutting blade
• Just £9.80 inc VAT

The Green Bit

Flexocare are part of the Kendon Packaging Group whose environmental policy is to minimise the effect of its operation on the environment by actively promoting the use of recycled and non dangerous or harmful materials. Any waste paper material is donated to local projects. In order to comply with the producer responsibility obligations (packaging waste) regulations 1997, the
Company employ the Biffpack compliance scheme to adhere with the above legislation.

The Kendon Packaging Group Plc operates a quality assurance system and is accredited with ISO 9001-2000. The company aims to ensure that quality is the concern of everybody, with employees trained to understand the importance of good quality practises, therefore giving maximum customer confidence. The quality system is continually monitored for performance and improvements.