Are you like me and appreciate the power of the age old flipchart during a meeting or presentation? It so simple yet so effective; use you giant flipchart pad as demonstration tool during your presentation and let the bold ink stand out from the contrasting pure white paper. A flipchart pad allows you to brainstorm ideas and concepts with others, and as each page fills, unlike a white board, you can simple turn the page – no need to clean and start afresh! Another benefit to this method is the used pages can then be referred back to later on and for notes, but also to go over at the end in order to summarise the meeting.

But of course no flipchart pad is complete without flipchart marker pens and as far as we’re concerned, the bolder the better! One of the best flipchart markers out at the moment are the Staedtler Lumocolor Flipchart Markers featured.

• Dry-safe ink - can be left with cap off for 2 days without drying out
• Odourless water-based ink
• Waterproof on most surfaces
• 22% recycled
• Black
• Bullet point
• Line width: 2.0mm
• Packed 10
• Just £8.91 inc VAT for 10 markers!

If and when your pens do run out however, all is not lost. You can buy yourself a little time while you order in your next batch by giving them a little boost. Depending on whether or not they’re water based, you simply dip the tip in nail varnish remover and pop the cap back on for a few minutes. You will almost instantly see the results of a fully restored marker, but bear in mind, it is a temporary fix! Alternatively, if you are restoring water based markers, dip the tip in water instead. We’ve even found that a short spell in the fridge can give them a second lease of life too! Why not give these ideas a try and tell us what you think?

There are many uses for the permanent markers in both the home setting and the work environment. As a marker which permanently inscribes whatever material it is written on, this has many benefits! In the office a permanent marker is like a security tool. Objects around the office can be written on as a sort of ‘stamp’ to say what belongs to the business; this works as a preventative those who have tendencies towards being light fingered! It is also a great way to discourage arguments in the office. Most offices are split into teams, groups and pods each dealing with the different areas of the business and so by marking the staplers, scissors etc, it prevents arguments like, “that’s our pods stapler!” and so on. The same goes for schools, stationery items can be marked with the name of the classroom or teacher so stop items from going astray and at home your children’s objects can be marked to prevent arguments between siblings. They can also be used to write on Disks

We have a large choice of permanent markers here at LA Office, however the brand of choice today is Pentel. Our Pentel Permanent Markers are available in a wide selection of different colours, tips and line widths and offer many remarkable values! Take the Pentel N50 Black Bullet Tip Permanent Markers featured for example. The marker features a robust bullet tip which can be used on almost any surface, plus the bonded fibre tip will retain its shape! With permanent and waterproof ink, these pens are great on metal, wood, glass, card or plastic. Featuring a strong aluminium barrel and a line width of 1.5-2mm, these permanent markers are a snip at just £9.14 (inc VAT) for a pack of 12!

Pentel is a privately held Japanese company that produces stationery and writing instruments and are responsible for the development of ideas behind two-thirds of the writing instruments in use around the world today. Other products in their range include mechanical pencils, erasers, pens, correction fluid, pencil lead, and felt-tipped pens. Pentel is also the inventor of non-permanent marker technology. Most of Pentel products are manufactured in Japan, Taiwan and France. Their UK offices are based just outside Swindon Wiltshire.

With a mission to develop pens that offer customers a more satisfying writing experience, correction products that give better value for money and art materials that allow their users to release their true creative side, it’s clear that Pentel value their customers! Pentel were the creators of the very first acrylic fibre tipped pen, and proudly manufacture a staggering 26 shades of pigment gel ink! It’s clear to see why we value Pentel and why we confidently recommend their products to our own very special customers.

I’ve been pondering today’s blog for some time now and have been trying to understand one thing. Why is it so many more people have taken to home crafts? Is it that with our current economical crisis many of us can no longer afford the expense of birthday cards or could it be that there are more craft magazines these days teaching us the art of home crafts and giving away freebies? Alternatively, maybe the older generation have better eyesight due to laser eye correction or improved eyewear thanks to ‘Specsavers’ and so are able to take up bobbies such as home crafts after retirement? Hmmm, well whatever the reason, home crafts is definitely on the rise and I have to admit, I quite like it. It is so much more personal to give someone you care about a homemade card than it is to just go out any buy one. Although she doesn’t know it yet, I have bought my eldest various stamps and stamp pad inks for her birthday with little bits to play with like butterfly stamps, alphabet stamps, bird stamps and loads of different colour stamp pads; I just know she’ll love it. Other than this, I have bought her some Calligraphy pens so that she can learn the art of this beautiful writing form leaving lovely artistic messages in each of her cards.

Here at La Office we have some beautiful Edding Calligraphy Pens (featured to your right) which are water based and so perfectly suitable for beginners like my daughter. They feature;

·         Set of 3 calligraphy pens

·         2mm, 3.5mm and 5mm tips

·         Black

·         Water-based ink

·         Complete with plastic wallet

·         Just £3.20 Inc VAT

The art of calligraphy is based upon the visual expression of words. Calligraphy pens enable you to develop your skills and express your ideas through beautiful calligraphic designs. This form of writing is ideal for adding your very own personal touch to shop bought and homemade occasion cards, invitations, announcements, place cards, fancy labels, flyers posters, signs, certificates and awards. Calligraphy is basically a form of italic writing which has more of an artistic flare. You can truly express yourself with an Edding calligraphy pen; writing is not just a way of presenting thoughts and ideas, your own handwriting can also become an important design tool.