Today there are literally dozens of different brands of paper shredders and hundreds of different models. While there are a lot of factors to consider when purchasing a paper shredder, one option I recommend paying special attention to is the security level. The paper shredder’s security level will ultimately determine how safe and secure your shredded documents are.

Shredder security levels are based on a scale ranging from 1 to 6. This scale, excluding Level 6, is determined by DIN 32757. This is the European standard used for paper shredder security.  Security Level 6 requirements, established by the United States NSA, came out after DIN 32757 was created. Each of these security levels serve a purpose.

Security levels start off with 1, being the least secure, and end with 6, being the most secure. I will explain the pros and cons to each of these security Levels.

Paper Shredder Security Levels

Security Level 1 - This level is the least secure and is rarely used for shredding sensitive information. It is typically used purely for shredding non-sensitive records or for creating padding or packaging material. This security level can be both strip cut or cross cut. These are the specific dimensions of DIN Security Level 1:

• Strip Cut: 10.5-11.8mm
• Cross Cut: 10.5mm x 40-80mm Cross Cut

Security Level 2 - This is the most common security level you will find in a strip cut paper shredder. This includes 1/8″ and ¼” strip cut shredders. It also includes some cross cut shredders that have larger cross cut particles. This can be used to shred a variety of material, and is hard to re-assemble, but is probably not enough security for most businesses. These are the dimensions of DIN Security Level 2:

• Strip Cut: 3.9-5.8mm
• Cross Cut: 7.5mm x 40-80mm

Security Level 3 – This security level is the most common used today by cross cut paper shredders in business. It is HIPAA and FACTA compliant and is good enough to shred client records, patient information, invoices, bills and other material. Material cut at a Level 3 is difficult to reassemble. This is the security level I recommend for most people. These are the dimensions of DIN Security Level 3:

• Strip Cut: 1.9mm
• Cross Cut: 3.9mm x 30-50mm

Security Level 4 – This is probably one of the least common security levels. It is more secure than Level 3, but not yet high enough to be considered high security. This is used by businesses and offices that want a little more security than the typical cross cut shredder, while still having a higher shred capacity than a high security shredder. These are the specifications of the DIN Security Level 4:

• Cross Cut: 1.9mm x 15mm

Security Level 5 – Up until a few years ago this was the highest security level available and was used to shred all top-secret documents. While the Level 5 is still used to shred highly sensitive material, most government and military entities now use a Security Level 6. This security level is still commonly found and is still widely used. Particles cut at this level are near impossible to re-assemble. These are the dimensions of DIN Security Level 5:

• Cross Cut: 0.78mm x 11mm

Security Level 6 – This is the highest security level available for a shredder. Paper cut by a Security Level 6 shredder almost looks like dust. A single sheet of letter-size paper is typically cut into 15,000+ particles. This security level is very popular for use with government and military. It is used by the U.S. Department of Defense, the NSA and many more agencies. These are the dimensions of the Security Level 6:

• Cross Cut: 1mm x 4-5mm

Which Is Best?

The level you use will depend entirely upon what you are shredding. I can safely tell you that the Security Level 3 is considered by many experts to be the most well-rounded level for most individuals and businesses. A Security Level 3 has a good sheet capacity, can still cut paper into tiny particles and are affordable.

You can find our entire selection of paper shredders here. Please feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions about paper shredders.

When shopping around for a paper folding machine, you typically find dozens of different models with dozens of different features. It is difficult to know exactly what machine is best for you. I have 11 years of experience with paper folding machines and would like to share with you some common questions that you can ask yourself prior to making a purchase. Answers to these questions will help you find the right machine.

Question 1: What type of paper are you using? The type of paper you use will definitely determine the machine you purchase. If you are using standard paper or card stock, a friction-feed machine will work fine. If you are using glossy or coated paper (slick surface), you will need to consider using an air feed folding machine. Friction feed machines often slip on glossy paper, resulting in a paper jam.

Question 2: How thick is the paper that you will be folding? All paper folding machines have a minimum and a maximum paper thickness capacity. Be sure the paper you are using falls within the machine’s capabilities. All machines can fold 20# copy paper, but not all can fold thinner 12# paper or thicker card stock.

Question 3: What kinds of folds do you need to create? Most paper folding machines will list the types of folds they can create. It is important to know, however, that some machines use a different word to describe the same fold. Here are a few examples:

• C Fold – AKA Letter Fold
• Z Fold – AKA Accordion Fold
• Cross Fold – AKA French Fold
• V Fold – AKA Single Fold
• Engineering Fold – AKA Half Accordion Fold

Once you have determined the fold you need, make sure the machines you are looking at can accomplish the required fold.

Question 4: How much paper do you need to fold per day? Paper folding machines range from daily duty cycles of a few dozen to thousands of sheets per day. Most paper folding machines will list their motor speed and some will even list a daily duty cycle limit. It is important to know that the motor speed doesn’t necessarily reflect duty cycle, but it is a good place to start. Feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 if you need advice on the duty cycle of a specific machine.

Question 5: Do the documents need to be kept in order? If you are folding invoices or bills, you may need to keep folded material in alphabetical or numerical order. If this is the case, you will probably need a folding machine with a powered exit conveyor. Conveyors help slow paper down and assists in neatly stacking the paper. If you don’t need to keep folded documents in order, you may still like a conveyor as it helps keep things neat and orderly.

Question 6: Where will you be using your paper folding machine? Folding machines vary a lot in weight and size. If you plan on using your paper folder on a desk, be sure your desk or table can hold the weight. It is also a good idea to take into account the size of the machine as you will need a place to store and use it. It is also important to note that paper folding machines generate some noise, especially air suction feed machines. You may want to consider using your machine in a separate room or away from people, especially for long runs.

Glossary:

• Friction Feed – A machine that uses rubber or silicon wheels to pull paper into the machine.
• Air Feed – A machine that uses air suction to pull paper into the machine.

These six questions will narrow down your search to just a few models. Once you have selected a few models that will work, you then need to factor in your budget and feedback from other people who have used the machine. This should help make your final decision even easier.

We have been selling paper folding machines since 1980, and have a lot of experience with machines from Martin Yale, MBM, Formax, Standard, Intelli-Fold, Dahle and more. We are more than happy to help guide you in the right direction and will not pressure you into buying a machine. You can reach us by calling 1-800-658-8788. You can find our entire selection of paper folding machines here.

Multi-function time clocks provide a versatile and effective way to keep track of employee time. These types of time clocks allow employers to determine the method they like most for employees to log in and out. These time clocks are typically digital and employee keypad, biometric and proximity time clock interfaces. One such time clock is the David-Link W-988P.

David-Link is a leading manufacturer of digital time clocks. Their lineup includes biometric and proximity time clocks as well as traditional punch style time clocks and watchman clocks. These time clocks are best known for their incredibly low retail price and rich list of features. You can find our entire selection of David-Link time clocks here.

The David-Link W-988P is a multi-function time clock. It has a digital keypad on the front of the clock, a biometric finger scanner and includes a proximity card sensor. These three methods of recording employee time are very popular and have surpassed the popularity of traditional punch style time clocks.

Here are a few details on each of the three time clock recording methods:

• Keypad – An employee can enter a pin number at the clock. When this number is entered, the time clock records that employee as being logged in and the clock begins to record time worked. The same number is used to log the employee out of the system.
• Biometric Finger Scanner – An employee is entered into the system by means of their finger. Their finger can then be used to punch in and out of work. Biometric time clocks are especially popular right now because they eliminate a lot of fraud, such as buddy punching, and there is no need to worry about lost badges or forgotten pin codes.
• Proximity Card - Proximity cards, often incorporated into ID badges, log the employee in and out of work when they are held up to the time clock. The time clock will acknowledge an employee is logged in by means of visual or audible (often both) verification.

The David-Link W-988P allows the employer to set up the time clock to use any one of these login methods or a combination of all three. Setting up the time clock is seamless. The LCD display makes navigation easy and data is clearly displayed during the login and logout process.

Logged data can be accessed several different ways:

• An administrator can access data directly from the W-988P terminal.
• Data can be exported to a USB drive for transfer to a computer.
• Data can be accessed via a USB cable.
• Data can be accessed via an Ethernet network over an LAN / WAN.

Here is a connection diagram from the W-988P:

The W-988P includes time management software that makes it easy to run reports and view data. This data can then be exported into an Excel format for use with other payroll programs. Many people ask if this time clock is compatible with Quickbooks and other payroll software. In an effort to save money on licensing costs, the W-988P software does not export data in a Quickbooks format. It does, however, export data in an Excel format that can be imported by Quickbooks. You could say that it is indirectly compatible with Quickbooks.

What does the W-988P include? It includes:

• The W-988P time clock
• Time management software
• USB flash drive
• Proximity cards
• USB cable
• A power adapter

It also features a one-year warranty and lifetime technical support. At $295, this is probably one of the best deals available right now for a time clock that has keypad, proximity and biometric time logging capabilities. We have been selling David-Link time clocks, including the W-988P, and have had great luck with them. Our customers love them and we consider them to be reliable devices.

The W-988P can be used on a desk or table, but is probably best mounted on a wall for easy access. The W-988P itself can store up to 3,000 different fingerprints, can be used with up to 3,000 employees and can hold up to 60,000 logs. It is a very versatile time clock and can easily be used by small or larger businesses.

You can fined the David-Link W-988P on our site here and our entire selection of David-Link time clocks here. Feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any technical questions, for a quote or to place an order.

If you want to bind a booklet or instructional manual, and don’t want to use a binding format that uses a spine, you may want to consider using a booklet maker (found here). These compact machines come in a variety of sizes, depending on the amount of books you want to create. So how exactly does a booklet maker work?

Booklet makers use staples, instead of binding elements, to bind books. These staples, usually 2 or 3, are placed along the middle of the booklet rather than the edge. Booklets bound on a booklet maker are usually 8 ½” x 5″ folded and usually range in size anywhere from a couple of pages up to 60, depending on the machine that’s used.

Booklet makers typically complete the binding process in a matter of a few of steps.

1. Paper is first inserted into the machine.
2. The booklet maker then applies staples along the middle of the sheets.
3. The booklet is then folded in half, completing the process.

The size of the book depends on the capacity of the booklet maker. An entry level booklet maker typically staples around 10 sheets of paper, which ends up being 40 pages (front and back). High end machines can staple up to 25 sheets, which ends up being 100 pages (front and back). Keep in mind, when looking for a booklet maker, that sheet capacities are based on standard copy paper. That amount will need to be decreased if you are using card stock.

Before booklet makers existed, paper was first folded in half using a folding machine. Folded paper was then placed on a saddle stapler and stapled. This process involved multiple machines and took a minute or two to complete. Booklet makers cut that time by at least half.

Booklet makers can be broken up into three different categories, based on how the machine is built and how it is used. These three styles include semi-automatic, automatic and in-line. I will briefly cover each of these machines.

• Semi Automatic - This type of booklet maker is especially popular because it is much more affordable. It is usually designed for low to medium-volume work. The operator typically pulls a lever, which activates the staple heads. When the lever is returned to its original position, the booklet maker then grabs the paper and folds it in half (by means of an electric motor). The process is extremely quick.
• Automatic – Automatic machines use a motor to staple and fold the paper. Most of these machines still require the operator to feed the paper into the machine, but the rest is automated. A book takes just seconds to complete on an automatic machine.
• In-Line – These machines are designed to work in conjunction with a collator. Separate stacks, usually hundreds of sheets of paper, are placed into the collator. As the collator collates the paper, it feeds the stacks automatically into the booklet maker where the document is stapled, folded and comes out the other side of the machine completed.

TROUBLESHOOTING:

The biggest complaint I here from customers using booklet makers is that the page edges don’t line up. This is perfectly normal and occurs as more sheets are stapled together. The edges of the paper will gradually fan out as more paper is stapled together. For this reason, many businesses like to use a stack cutter to chop of and align the edges of the booklets. Some higher-end booklet makers include built-in cutters for an all-in-one process.

BRANDS:

There are several different brands of booklet makers. I really don’t have any issues with any particular brand. For entry-level booklet making, I really like machines by Formax, MBM, ISP and Martin Yale. For higher-end booklet making, I really like machines by MBM.

You can find our entire selection of booklet makers here. We currently offer about 14 different models, so feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 if you have any questions about them. We have been selling booklet makers for decades, so we have a lot of experience that may help you with your choice.

Counterfeit bill detection is a necessary evil in a world where high-tech printers and ever-smarter criminals are producing counterfeit bills that can fool most people. Counterfeit money detectors, and many bill counters, help quickly catch counterfeit bills before it becomes a serious problem. I personally recommend any business that deals with tangible cash on a regular basis to use a counterfeit detector. One popular method for catching counterfeit bills is MG (magnetic) detection.

Legitimate US currency implements magnetic ink in strategic locations to help thwart counterfeiters. Many modern counterfeit money detectors, and most bill counters with counterfeit detection, will check for magnetic ink.

Most manual counterfeit money detectors require that you slide a bill over a magnetic sensor. If the bill is legitimate, it will usually audibly and visually indicate that it is real. The process takes just seconds and is faster than manual UV detection or counterfeit ink pen detection.

Most modern bill counters, equipped with counterfeit money detection, will scan for UV (ultraviolet) and MG (magnetic) properties. These bill counters count bills at a speed of hundreds of bills per minute. As the bills are run through the machine, sensors scan the bill for magnetic properties. This is probably the fastest way to check a bill for counterfeit properties.

Is magnetic ink scanning 100% foolproof? While nothing is 100%, magnetic detection is very reliable. Bill bleaching, which can be a problem for some counterfeit detection methods, will typically ruin the magnetic ink properties, rendering the bill useless to counterfeiters.

Considering the reasonable cost of counterfeit bill detectors, with some MG scanners costing less than $30, I recommend investing in a solid machine. The savings in catching a counterfeit bill alone will make up for the cost of the machine.

Our ABC-75, at the time of this article, costs $41 and includes UV (ultraviolet) detection, WM (watermark) detection, MG (magnetic) detction and also includes a magnifying glass. This is a video demo of me using teh ABC-75, including the magnetic ink scanner:

At ABC Office, we offer about 10 different counterfeit detectors (found here), which range from manual operation to automated operation. We also offer almost 2 dozen different bill counters (found here), with about half having counterfeit bill scanning capabilities.

We have over a decade of experience with counterfeit bill detectors, so please feel free to contact us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions.

If you have been shopping around for a bill counter or a counterfeit money detector, you have probably come across the phrase UV or ultraviolet. UV detection is an important part of verifying the authenticity of a bill. UV scanners are commonly used to detect counterfeit banknotes. The way UV detectors work is simple, yet very clever.

All US denominations, except the $1, have a UV stripe embedded in the banknotes paper / fabric. While it is visible with a back light, this stripe becomes illuminated when a UV light is held over it.

This shows you where the UV stripe is located on a $10:

We have a guide, found here, that shows you where the stripe is located on $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills. You will notice that the strip is located in different places, depending on the denomination. There is a good reason for this. One popular method for counterfeiting a bill is to use a real bill, say a $5, bleach it and reprint a higher denomination on that bill. If you are unaware of where the stripe is located, the bleached bill may pass a counterfeit detector.

Ultraviolet (UV) counterfeit detectors come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them are portable and require the operator to visually confirm the stripe, where others simply pull in the bills and use a sensor to scan them. While UV counterfeit detection isn’t 100% effective, it catches most counterfeit bills. Visual UV detectors catch just about everything, but SOME automated machines may be tricked by bleached bills. If you are using an automated counterfeit detector, I recommend you use one that implements several counterfeit detection measures.

Having used several types of manual UV counterfeit detectors, I do highly recommend using them indoors and if possible, in a darker setting. Direct sunlight or outdoor use is almost impossible with a manual UV scanner that requires visual verification.

This is a video of me using a very effective manual UV counterfeit detector (the ABC-75 found here):

We offer a great selection of bill counters with UV counterfeit detection here and a great selection of stand-alone counterfeit detectors with UV capabilities here. If you still have questions, please feel free to contact one of our specialists at 1-800-658-8788. You can learn more about counterfeit detection by reading our guide found here.

If you need to create mass copies, in the hundreds or even thousands, you may want to consider using a machine called a digital duplicator (found here). While you may never have seen a digital duplicator in person, they look very similar to a toner-based Xerox copy machine. So what is a digital duplicator and how do they work?

Are you familiar with ditto machines or mimeograph machines? I can still remember (perhaps this is showing my age) in school people asking for a ditto of something on the ditto machine. Both Ditto Machines (aka Spirit Duplicators) and Mimeograph machines utilize direct contact with paper to print text. Digital duplicators, in a way, borrow ideas from these technologies to create a modern-day ink-printing machine.

Using a digital duplicator is very similar to using a toner-based copy machine, like a Xerox copier, but the actual printing process is very different. Here is a step-by-step breakdown on how the process works.

1. First you place your document, text facing down, on the glass scanning surface of the machine.
2. The digital duplicator scans the image off the paper.
3. The image is then burned onto a wax-based master via tiny dots. Different duplicators have different resolutions referred to as DPI (dots per inch).
4. The master is then wrapped around an ink drum.
5. The drum, filled with ink, squeezes ink out through the tiny holes on the master.
   As the drum rotates, it rolls over paper, leaving the image on the paper.
6. The paper exits the machine and the process either continues with more paper or ends.

The ink dries very fast. If you are concerned about the ink not being dry enough, I recommend using an air paper jogger. They are designed to quickly dry ink for use with digital duplicators or even with offset printers.

One of the first digital duplicators created, around 1986, was made by the Riso Kaguka Corporation. Their machines were often referred to as Riso or Risograph machines. While Riso machines are still used today, digital duplicators made by Ricoh and Standard Duplicating are more commonly used.

So why would you want to use a digital duplicator? Ink is far less expensive than toner. If you plan on printing a lot of text, perhaps for a manual, menu, flier or other documentation, a duplicator makes a lot of sense.

So why are copy machines more popular? Copy machines are often used to create one, two or perhaps a few dozen copies at a time. In small quantities, toner-based copy machines cost less to operate. The most expensive part of using a digital duplicator is the master. The price, however, drops dramatically once you start making 25 or more copies.

Copies made on a traditional copy machine typically run around $0.02 a copy. Duplicators, once you hit around 200 copies, costs about $0.004 a copy. Simply put, a duplicator (at 25 or more copies) costs less to operate. The text printing quality of a digital duplicator is just as good as a toner-based copy machine.

You can read more about duplicator operation costs by reading our Digital Duplicator School Guide found here.

You can find our entire selection of Standard digital duplicators here and our entire selection of Ricoh, Riso and Standard masters and inks here. Please feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions about digital duplicators.

If you are trying to save money on office equipment, binding machines, paper folders, laminators and other office products, consider using ABCOffice.com. We offer some of the best selection and prices available online. Not only do we have great prices, but we stock much of what we sell, which means fast shipping times for you. As a valued reader of our blog, we would like to extend a 5% off coupon code that you can use during the month of January 2012.

The coupon code you will want to use during January is JANBLOG12. This code can be used to buy both office equipment and supplies and can either be applied via our secure shopping cart where it says, “Enter coupon or gift certificate number” at the bottom of the shopping cart, or you can mention the code over the phone.

We appreciate your business and are excited for the New Year. We plan on adding a lot of new machines and supplies to our site this year, so be sure to check back often. You can find our entire selection of office equipment and supplies by visiting us here.

If you need a quote, or simply have some questions about the equipment we offer, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-658-8788.

Some restrictions do apply to this coupon code. You can read those restrictions here.

Optical media discs are used to store and hold volumes of data. This data, as is the case with printed material, is susceptible to identity theft. For this reason, it is recommended to properly destroy optical media rather than throw it away in the garbage. CDs where the first widely used optical discs to store data. Later can DVDs and now Blu-ray discs are commonly used for data storage.

There are a lot of optical discs in use today in businesses around the world. Common formats include:

• CD (CD-R, CD-RW)
• DVD (DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW)
• Blu-ray (BD-R, BD-RE)

To put into perspective just how much data can be stored on these media discs, take this into consideration. A megabyte of data storage can hold a book of approximately 500 pages with 2,000 characters on a page. This means:

• A standard CD (CD-R) can hold about 350,000 pages of data.
• A standard DVD (DVD-R) can hold about 2,350,000 pages of data.
• A standard Blu-ray (BD-R) can hold about 12,500,000 pages of data.

This immense storage capability is why many sensitive documents and data are stored on optical discs. Imagine trying to store millions of pages of data physically in a room when you can put that all on a disc that is about 4.75″ (120mm) in diameter. While convenient, this also means data breaches of optical discs can be far more catastrophic than the loss of physical paper documents. For this reason, optical disc shredders are critical.

While many shredders are capable of shredding optical discs, not all can do this. Be sure to check and see if the shredder is rated for shredding discs or you may end up with a jammed shredder.

While many CD and DVD shredders cut discs into little strips, or crimp them using a waffle pattern, a cross cut pattern is going to be the most secure destruction method. Some devices are used to literally grind the data off of CDs into powder.

A question I frequently get is can a CD or DVD shredder be used to shred Blu-ray discs? While the material that makes up a Blu-ray is a little stronger than your typical CD or DVD, I have found that most CD and DVD shredders can easily handle Blu-ray discs.

Hopefully this information has been useful. You can find our entire selection of optical disc, CD, DVD and Blu-ray shredders here. If you have a question about shredding optical discs, or simply need a few questions answered about a specific machine, please feel free to contact one of our experts at 1-800-658-8788.

High security paper shredders, while not common in offices, are abundant in different makes and models. Most military and government agencies that use Level 6 shredders typically have to sacrifice the ability to shred CDs, DVDs or Blu-rays when using a high security shredder. A new shredder from Formax, the FD 8730HS (found here), has both high security shredding capabilities as well as the ability to destroy optical media.

At ABC Office we currently offer nearly 3-dozen different makes and models of high security paper shredders. While most of the shredders we sell are top-notch products, I am personally fond of Destroyit, Dahle and Formax shredders. Simply put, they are all solid machines. Formax, in particular, is such a great deal right now. Formax paper shredders have one of the best reputations with our customers.

The new Formax FD 8730HS is a unique beast. To begin with, ths NSA evaluated shredder can cross cut shred paper in a Level 6 pattern. This ends up being 1/32″ x 3/16″ (0.8mm x 4.8mm). This is as good as it gets when it comes to shredding top-secret information. A Level 6 cut document cannot be put back together, hence the title high security shredding. This shredder meets NSA/CSS specification 02-01 for Level 6 shredding.

The FD 8730HS has a very nice sheet capacity, capable of shredding 14-15 sheets of paper at a time. Considering the tiny cut pattern and the amount of cutting involved, that is a great sheet capacity. To compliment this capacity, the FD 8730HS is equipped with a generous 31-gallon bin. It takes a lot of shredding to fill a 31-gallon bin with paper. The feed opening measures in at 9 3/8″, which is wide enough to handle most paper.

Most military and government entities that destroy paper also need to destroy sensitive records stored on optical media. An independent slot, which measures in at 4 7/8″ inches, can be used to shred and destroy CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, credit cards and even CR-80 ID badges (30 mils thick). Having this independent slot eliminates the need to have two different shredders. The FD 8730HS even includes an independent 18.5-gallon bin to catch and separate the optical media particles from the paper particles. This is ideal for sorting and for recycling purposes.

The FD 8730HS keeps the operator in the know during the entire shredding process. The control panel lets the operator know exactly how much stress the motor is under by means of load indicator lights. The control panel also has a series of LED lights that let you know when the door is open, bag is full, when a jam occurs and much more.

The feature that I really like, which is uncommon in most paper shredders, is the automatic oiler. An oiler lubricates the intricate cutting blades as needed, which is a very nice feature to have on hand. It is well known and documented that oiled paper shredders last significantly longer than non-oiled shredders.

This shredder is fast, reliable and is a great value. As is the case with all Formax shredders, the FD 8730HS features durable metal construction, pristine cutting blades and the best electronics available for paper shredders.

You can find the Formax FD 8730HS high security shredder here and our entire selection of high security paper shredders here. Please feel free to contact one of our experts at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions.