If in your line of work, or hobby, you have to cut through large quantities of paper, professionally, then it is well worth your while to consider investing in a guillotine or a trimmer. Not only will either of these methods alleviate the hours spent in the office cutting through vast numbers of sheets, but they will also give a finish which looks as though the paper was purchased that size! A guillotine or trimmer will allow you to effortlessly cut through large volumes ultimately saving you time and effort! Regardless of whether you are cutting through large amounts of paper or just a few sheets, our selection of guillotines and trimmers is sure to include the perfect model for you!.

But what is the difference between the trimmer and the guillotine and which one is best for you? This is a very common question and one which I had to research myself to fully explain it to you. So we’ve made it nice and simple and have listed the most obvious differences below, so that you’re able to make a choice based on what each one can, and cannot do.

• A guillotine is designed to cut through larger stack of paper with accuracy. The paper is placed on the cutter, a clamping mechanism is locked into place and handle is pulled, which then brings the blade down through the paper.
• For smaller amounts or for regular use, try using a trimmer which tends to be more portable and lightweight allowing you to easily move it around the office. A trimmer uses a round blade which is encased in a cutting head that slides along a metal bar. When this cutting head slides across the bar, the blade will cut through the paper.
• Rotary paper trimmers are widely used by photographers and designers as they are perfect for precision cutting individual sheets.
• If you require a tool which will allow you to cut very thick paper, or a great many sheets at once, the guillotine is by far the best option.
• If you’re just trimming the odd single print here and there, a trimmer is best. It would be fair to say that a trimmer is best cutting no more than 20-25 sheets at a time.
• Rotary trimmers are pretty safe to use as the blade is covered by its housing which prevents accidental injury making them ideal for schools.

To summarise, guillotines cut using a shear action and trimmers (or rather rotary trimmers) slice through the paper from the side.

Browse our full trimmers and guillotines range here at LA Office for a great choice of offers and bulk order prices; we have everything you could possibly need for all your paper cutting needs! Order online or call us on 0870 766 1722 for orders and enquiries.

There couldn’t be more useful additions to the old handbag or briefcase than spiral bound notebooks! Each one of us has been caught out on more than one occasion needing a piece of paper but instead has been forced to write on our own hands! Worse are the moments where you need to write something of substance where a hand just isn’t big enough, but you’ve nothing to hand (excuse the pun). There are all kinds of situations where this could happen, for myself a common one is at the school gates exchanging numbers and addresses with one of the other parents for ‘play dates’; you’d think I would have learned by now! I’m forever needing paper to jot down a shopping list when out and about or writing down directions; the list is endless.

Spiral notebooks come in so many different sizes, with the standard A4 and A5 of course, but also in many smaller ones too, as you will find at LA Office. We have a great many in small handbook sizes to fit in your pocket or tucked away in your handbag without taking up too much space. Some are even perforated so that you can easily separate a sheet when you need to jot something down for someone else; this is great when you’re in a hurry!

We like to recommend the Silvine A6 Notebook features to your right as it combines everything you could possibly need unlike most of the other options on the market. Normally when you’re looking for a smaller notepad for pocket storage, you find you must sacrifice the handy perforated sheet option. This particular notebook has been cleverly designed to incorporate not only perforated sheets and an A6 size, but other useful features too:

• Quality stiff cover book
• Twinwire sidebound
• Perforated sheets
• 96 leaves of 75gsm paper
• Feint ruled
• Ideal for a variety of office and home use
• Size: 148 x 105mm
• Packed 12
• Just £11.89 inc VAT for a pack of 12!

The other bonus to using a spiral bound notebook is that you have the perfect implement in which to store you pen! Whenever you need your pen you’ll need your note pad and vice versa, so why not use them together so you can have them both on hand, where you need them, when you need them. Simply slide you pen through the spiral binding of your notepad and you have convenient access at all times. Just another handy tip from us to you J

At LA Office we have a remarkable range of clipboards for all walks of life. People come to us for their office clipboard supplies, school clipboard supplies, and even on site clipboard supplies for outdoor work. Regardless of what you do for a living, whether you’re home based, office based, a door to door sales person or even a student; our selection will have a product ideal for your individual needs.

As you’re probably already aware, a clipboard is simply a flat piece of rigid material, normally card, plastic or hardboard with a clip at one end used to hold papers in place against the board. This clip also prevents the paper from slipping whilst writing, and from blowing away in the wind! However they’re not quote as straight forward as that here! At LA Office we have sizes from A3, A4 to Foolscap and options such as pen loops so you’re never without your pen, horizontal and vertical clip positioning, fold over covers to keep your paperwork confidential and protected from the elements, internal pockets to separately keep other paperwork and receipts, built in calculators for instant sums and figures, waterproof varieties and even shatterproof ones!

The rigidity of a clipboard means that it is perfect for working on-the-go as they provide a surface to write on wherever you are and whatever you are doing and thanks to their sleek shape, they can simply be popped inside your laptop bag without consuming too much space. A4 clipboards measure 210 × 297mm or 8.27 × 11.69”, the closest size to this in the US would be their Letter size (216 x 279mm or 8.5 x 11”). LA Office has a variety of brands including 5 Star, Avery and Repesco, plus a further selection from the likes of Stewart.

Are you looking for a new selection of drawing pads? Maybe you’re not happy with the quality of your current art pads or your current supplier doesn’t meet your needs? Whether you’re an educational facility looking to stock up on drawing pads for your students, or you’re an artist or designer looking to replenish your own supplies, LA Office are sure to have not only a selection which will please you, but we also provide an unbeatable service!

You’ll be pleased to hear that you can enjoy free standard next day delivery on all orders of £30 or more (excl VAT), so that’s a delivery saving of £8.50! Why not stock up on the items you know you’ll re-order again to save being charged for delivery, and also to save time ordering all over again!

Our variety of drawing books and pads are available in many different sizes, from a selection of brands, with a number of page quantities and with all the various page styles; graph, grid, tracing, cartridge, and drawing (plain). So whether you’re looking for A4, A3 or A2 sizes, or you’d like to choose from your favourite brands including Chartwell, Goldline and Technik, LA Office are the place to come!

Take a look at our Goldline Popular A3 Drawing Pad to your right for example, a shining example of the quality you can expect here at LA Office.

• Contains 50 sheets
• 90gsm paper
• Ideal for most applications
• Lightly textured, acid free paper
• Suitable for pencil or charcoal
• Acid-Free cartridge paper
• A3
• Just £5.68 inc VAT!

The Green Bit

Goldline are a Tollit & Harvey brand who deal in the manufacture and distribution of office products and art and craft materials and have an established reputation for quality products and service. They are committed to continually improving and monitoring environmental performance and will endeavour to prevent pollution as far as possible. Tollit and Harvey shall control and minimise waste through reducing, reusing and recycling where possible. They are committed to managing environmental matters as an integral part of the business by complying with any environmental legislation or regulations and other requirements relevant to the business. The business has a framework for identifying environmental aspects, determining those which can be controlled or influenced and setting realistic objectives and targets. These will be considered and discussed at management reviews, and will be communicated throughout the business. The company will communicate this policy to staff and other persons working for or on behalf of the organisation, ensuring their 100% participation. Suppliers and other interested parties including their customers or any members of the public can also request a copy.

Paper formats can be incredibly difficult to get your head around when you haven’t been given an explanation as to what they all mean; all these A’s and 3’s and 4’s, what is it all about? A paper formats are based on the international paper size standard ISO 216 which is measured by the single aspect ratio of square root of 2. A simple way to understand how these sizes are given their names is by folding the paper in half. An A0 sheet of paper folded then becomes the size of an A1 sheet of paper. An A1 sheet folded becomes A2, A2 folded becomes A3 and so on. All these ‘A’ paper formats have a height to width ratio of 1.414:1. In summary ‘A’ paper formats are based on:

• The A0 format has an area of 1 square metre
• The length divided by the width is 1.4142
• The standard length and width of each size is rounded to the nearest millimetre
• Each subsequent format ‘A’ is defined as ‘A’ cut in half parallel to its shorter sides

At LA Office, you’ll find that our most popular paper sizes are A3 Paper Format, A4 Paper Format and A5 Paper Format which are available from both our budget brands and our high quality reputable brands for when it counts to make a good impression. If you’re just looking for general printing paper, note paper or paper for your kids artwork and doodles, it’s probably best to go for our budget brands. Featured is a visual explanation as to the difference in these sizes and their measurements.

Another aspect of choosing your paper is the papers weight, the lightest being 70gsm. Standard paper for laser and inkjet printers is 80gsm; weights such as 90gsm and 100gsm are generally used for higher quality documents and letters. 120gsm produces excellent reports, presentations and brochures where as 160gsm is the standard thickness for card.

For a full listing of All International Paper Formats see PaperSizes.org

Staples, what an utterly boring subject, but someone has to explain them, so I guess it’ll have to be me! Although they are extremely tiresome and some of our readers may even fall asleep while reading this, it is important to know your stuff before buying them as they’re not as simple as they may seem! Thing is, once you know it, it really is simple, one of those times where you’ll kick yourself for not figuring it out for yourself…well, if it’s that important to you! It’s all about simply knowing what the numbers in the size represent. Basically, the two numbers used (in international staple sizes) are the gauge of the wire and the length of the staple shank; these are given in millimetres. Remember that the lower the wire gauge number, the thicker the staple, and the higher the shank number, the longer the length. A simple guide to remember would be the most widely recognised standard for staple sizes. This reads in the format wire gauge/shank length, for example 23/8, where the gauge of the wire (23) is the former, and the shank length (8 mm) is the latter. There are however exceptions to this rule for example the common size No. 10 staple, this being the standard size for use in mini staplers.

There are many varieties of staples designed for many different purposes, for example heavy duty staplers use staples which are intended for stapling thicker stacks of paper, say 25 sheets or more, or alternatively for sealing boxes along with various other industrial purposes. The standard heavy duty staples sizes are 13/10, 13/14, 23/12, 23/15 and 23/24.

The most common and also the most popular stapler however is the one you’ll find in most every home or classroom. These standard staplers use staples of the following sizes; 13/6, 13/8, 24/6, 24/8 or 26/6. This type of stapler is used for tasks such as re-sealing packets, stapling fewer than 25 sheets of paper together, fastening pages to a notice board or wall and so on.

The most important thing of all to remember before you go and buy your staples is to check the stapler to see if it is marked with the staple code it requires. This can often be found on the inside cover or on the base of the stapler and is the manufacturers recommendation and therefore is sure to give the best results. Here at LA Office you will find many staple sizes available, however if you are unable to find the size you need, please do call us and I’m sure we’ll be able to find what you’re looking for. 0870 766 1722

I remember as a kid I used to make occasions cards for my family on birthdays, Mothers day, Fathers day, Easter, Christmas etc. To be honest, I know that my mother in particular still loves them now, so whenever I have the time I’ll take a day out to make her a card for Mothers day or her birthday. It’s quite nice to have the excuse to get out all my lovely art supplies, which by the way include the most fabulous Derwent artist pencils which I swear by! My grandparents pulled out a folder the other day filled with cards that my brothers, my cousins and I had made for them over the years, it was quite bizarre. Some of them even had homemade envelopes which gave me an idea for today’s blog. As reputable envelope suppliers we have various different customer markets; from big corporate giants to small offices, to home workers and families. Now obviously businesses will not have the time to go making their own envelopes, but for our small niche market of families, they could have a go at making envelopes of their own as a fun activity to do with the kids. You will need:

• Paper
• Glue
• Scissors
• Ruler

Get yourself a sheet of paper measuring 8 ½ - by 11” and fold a half-inch seem on each long side. Next, measure 4 inches from the bottom of the paper and mark with a pencil. Fold the paper along the 4 inch line creating the bottom flap for the card to sit inside. Next, use the glue to stick the bottom flap to the folded sides and fold the top of the paper over by 2 inches forming the top flap. Taper the sides of this flap to create some style. When you have filled your envelopes, glue the top flap closed.

For businesses, unless you’re looking for a nice team building experience you may prefer to look through our selection of different envelopes available in various sizes and from some top brands. Our envelopes are made from high quality paper and are priced to suit all different budgets. Choose from the following categories:

• 15 x 10 Envelopes  
• 16 x 12 Envelopes
• C4 Envelopes (Fits A4 Page unfolded)
• C5 Envelopes (Fits A4 Page folded in half along long edge)
• DL Envelopes (Standard Business Size)
• Machine Processing Envelopes
• Padded Envelopes
• Polythene & Protective Envelopes
• Specialty Envelopes

More and more people are finding themselves lucky enough to hold down jobs from home and so home offices are on the rise. These shiny new offices are decorated, furnished and cleaned ready for action, equipped with every last detail; the expensive new stapler that’ll probably only see one use (and even that was just for trying it out), the Post it Notes, reams of paper, a brand spanking new printer and a supply of pens which you know will have all disappeared within a week at which stage you’ll wish you spent your stapler budget buying hundreds of biro’s! However this beautiful, gleaming office to die for will soon go to ruins when laziness kicks in and filing goes to pot. Mountains of paperwork and bills will all mount up, stacks which topple over when you open the door too fast or open a window. But why do we allow it to get this way when there are items available such as ring binders?

Invest in a number of ring binders (hardly a big investment but the rewards are staggering!) and separate your paper work to be filed into different binders, for example: Bills, Warranties and Guarantees, Receipts, Insurance Documents, Birth Certificates and Deep Poll/Marriage Certificates, etc, etc. You can then keep these ring binders neatly on a shelf ready for quick, easy and convenient access when you need to find a document or file one away.

Our Leitz Ring Binders featured are fantastic eye-catching ring binders available in brilliant new colours with a modern dual-colour effect. The laminated surface gives these ring binders a glossy and high-quality appearance.

• A palette of brilliant colours for an outstanding workplace
•  D-ring mechanism accommodating more paper and easier to turn pages
• Compressor bar to keep pages secure
• A4+ format works with dividers and pockets
• Capacity: 250 A4 sheets (80 gsm)
• Spine width 25mm
• For format – A4 Maxi
• Mechanism – 2 D Ring
• Spine Label - no
• Packed 10
• Just £28.42 inc VAT

More background at Ring Binders dot biz

The filing cabinet is possible the most valued and important piece of furniture in the office. Without it your paperwork would be chaos, mountains of invoices, statements, quotes and queries all highly important in stacks just waiting to be lost, thrown away accidently, blown away or ruined. How on earth can you be capable and on the ball when you don’t know where each customer’s paperwork is? Without a filing cabinet, you will come across incompetent wasting precious time each time you need to refer to a document. At LA Office, you can find a great variety of discount filing cabinets which are perfectly priced to take one for each corner of your office. However many filing cabinets you need, LA Office are your number one supplier, and remember, if you’d like a number of cabinets, call for a quote and we can offer further reduced prices on bulk orders!

Once you have your filing cabinet(s) in place it is essential to develop a good filing system to enable you to be organised at work. It is this organisation which is sure to increase your productivity as you will be able to find whatever you need at the tip of your fingers, exactly when you need it leaving you more time to get on with your job and give your customers the time and attention they need. Say goodbye to sifting through piles and lost paperwork by following these steps!

• Go through your paperwork; to keep, to shred.
• Arrange your paperwork into general categories specific to your businesses field.
• Purchase suspension files for your drawers – make sure to order the right amount!
• Label the suspension files and then file them alphabetically.
• If you want to be super organised, sort the documents within each category into sub-categories.
• Insert your documents into their correct positions, if applicable, in date order.
• Lastly, create a label for each drawer indicating what can be found within.

It is very important to remember not to over fill each category. If you find that you have too many documents for each suspension file, try using expanding/gusset suspension files instead. Also, leave space in each drawer so that they can be added to, which of course is inevitable. Organise to go through your paperwork on a yearly basis, shredding old files, closed account details, ex-customer details and anything out-of-date. Good luck!

A recent survey conducted by Lloyd’s bank of London revealed a very interesting fact about our beloved little paper clip. It was discovered that out of 100,000 paper clips, only 20,000 where used to fasten together paper, the use for which they are intended. So what I hear you ask, were the other 80,000 used for?

It is due to their tiny nature, their pliability and their in-expense which makes paperclips so useful for such a vast array of different tasks. There are many seemingly small, and menial jobs that need doing which we all seem to forget, until this tiny job becomes a big problem! However, you wouldn’t believe how useful a mere paperclip can be and keeping some to hand will get you out of all kinds of muddles.

• Paper clip chains – We’ve all done it, restless fingers at work, tedious phone calls, the hand reaches for the paperclips and then there’s no turning back…a paper clip chain of epic proportion is sure to follow! Well not only is this a fantastic stress buster keeping your hands busy, but it can also be a fun activity for your children. A paper clip chain can also be hung from your wall over Christmas and used to display Christmas cards or it can be hung all year round and used for photographs.
• Pressing the ‘Reset’ button – Most little devises and small electronics nowadays have a ‘reset’ button which is recessed into the piece of equipment through the tiniest hole. Think watches, remote controls, hand held computer games, tamagotchi’s, calculators etc. Use the end of an unwound paper clip to press the reset button.
• Lock Picking – Although we would never condone breaking into locks and general lock picking, breaking and entering isn’t always for theft purposes. How many times have you been locked out of your jewellery box, display cabinet, or in your children’s case, a diary? A simple paper clip straightened out can be the answer to your problems. Simply unwind and insert the straight of the paper clip into the lock and give it a wiggle, more often than not, it works!
• Unclogging – Are you fed up with cloggy toothpaste tubes, bunged up pollyfiller, glued tight PVA tubes, dried up paint bottle tops or even blocked up salt and pepper shakers? Use a bent paper clip to poke a hole through the bunged up bottle and clean away the blockage.
• Mixing – Do you often have to mix up small quantities of solution? Great examples would include mixing bleaching powders with the bleaching cream, glue, paint and glue combinations, glitter and any other small and fiddly stirring requirements.

There are so many uses for the paper clip, it’s no wonder we barely use them for the purpose for which they were intended!  Take a look at our variety of paper clips here available in many different sizes, coatings, materials and by a selection of different brands, all available at the lowest prices!