Are you tired of binding books and presentations with standard clear covers or single-color card stock? Perhaps you should consider binding your books using special effects poly covers. These covers use a holographic emboss that creates a very unique look. This look has pattern to it with a unique depth that you don’t find in other covers. Let me explain more.

First off, these covers are made from an extremely resilient and durable poly plastic material.  They are rigid, waterproof, temperature resistant (up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit) and won’t tear. They also have a translucent appearance to them, allowing elements of the title page of your bound book to show through. It is a very unique and professional look. The best part about ploy covers is that they cost far less than composite or vinyl binding covers.

We currently offer our holographic style poly covers in blue, clear and smoke colors. These covers are 16 mils thick (0.16 of an inch). We offer them in two sizes. You can buy them in an 8 ½” x 11″ size with square corners or in an 8 ¾” x 11 ¼” size with round corners.

Most binding machines can punch through our special effects poly covers (holographic binding covers). This includes comb binding, wire binding and coil binding. I have even seen people use these covers with GBC Velobind machines.

You can find our entire selection of holographic poly binding covers and other poly-based report covers here. This also includes crystal, sand, leather and stripe poly binding covers.

While you definitely want the inside of your office building looking good, it is also a good idea to promote a clean outdoor entrance as well. One great way to do this is by using an outdoor trash can. These waste bins are designed to stay put, look good and withstand the elements. Many of these outdoor waste bins look great, add to the overall building decor and even include ash collectors for smokers.

There are three types of outdoor trash cans that are especially popular. This includes metallic trash cans, neutral waste bins (brown or black) and natural garbage bins that usually feature organic elements such as stone or rock patterns. The can you use will depend a lot on the outdoor landscaping and the architectural design of the building.

An outdoor trash can should be durable and solid. You don’t want something that is top heavy or features a small base. Remember, these garbage cans will be impacted by the elements, animals and even some people. A garbage can or bin that can be blown over by the wind doesn’t deserve to be outside. A tipped over garbage can creates a mess and can be environmentally damaging. An outdoor garbage can should also be covered, preventing rain from pooling in the bottom.

At ABC Office, we offer several great options for outdoor trash cans. Here are 2 types of outdoor garbage bins that have become classics with our customers, totaling 8 different models.

Best Outdoor Trash Cans:

Canmeleon Outdoor Trash Can – This line of trash cans (4 different versions) feature a fluted panel design that, which has a highly professional appearance. These trash cans are molded from high-density polyethylene as well as UV inhibitors for optimal outdoor use. The design of these trash cans hides the bag. The Canmeleon line of garbage cans are some of the most popular available and we can ship these cans to you in a matter of days. Place 1 or 2 outside the entrance of your building.

Canmeleon Stone Outdoor Garbage Bin – The Canmeleon Aggregate Panel outdoor garbage bins (4 different versions) are extremely durable and feature a design that blends in with the natural environment. The molded-in stone aggregate looks classy and is especially nice in front of buildings with a stone or concrete design. The telescoping base helps hide the contained back. The recessed bottom looks great, yet does not detract from the stability of the bin.

Both of these options are reliable, high-quality options for your building. Both of these lines of outdoor trash cans are Greenguard certified. You won’t be disappointed.

You can find our entire selection of office, lobby and outdoor trash cans here.

Many businesses and organizations are trying to move to a paperless payroll system, with time clocks being a large part of that. Whether you are trying to do your part to help the environment, or simply want to cut down on errors that are systematic with punch cards, there are many paperless systems available. At ABC Office, we offer biometric, card swipe and keypad time clock systems. Which system is best for you? I will answer a few questions and provide a few suggestions in this article.

When it comes to paperless time clock and time management systems, there are 3 major types of machines. You first have the card swipe systems, then you have the keypad systems and finally you have the biometric systems. Some modern time clocks incorporate all 3 technologies, either for added security or for versatility. Here is a brief rundown on what the 3 types of paperless time clocks systems do.

Card Swipe Paperless Time Clocks – These time clocks use either a proximity card or an encoded magnetic stripe (like a credit card) for logging in and out of work. This type of time clock often incorporates the ID badge into the system. This method of tracking employee time worked is effective, accurate and relatively safe from fraud. Card swipe systems require no paper and are extremely easy to set up.

EXAMPLE: Pyramid Technologies PTI Time Trax Pro

Digital Keypad Paperless Time Clocks – These types of time clocks have a keypad, usually consisting of numbers, letters or both. The pin number, unique to the employee, is then entered. This is similar to punching in or out with a time card, but is done with numbers instead, making the entire system paperless. These types of time clocks are extremely easy to set up and makes adding or removing employees easy.

EXAMPLE: David-Link DL-858 Digital Keypad & Biometric Time Clock

Biometric Paperless Time Clocks – Biometric time clocks are extremely popular right now. For one, no badge or number needs to be used. This means you don’t need to worry about lost badges or forgotten pin numbers. All your employee needs to bring with them ins their finger, which usually isn’t a problem. These systems are extremely accurate, very easy to use and completely eliminate buddy punching fraud altogether.

EXAMPLE: David-Link W-1288 Biometric Time Clock

Each of these employee time management systems either store information internally, for later exporting to a computer, or are connected directly to a computer for payroll purposes. Most of the data on these systems can be exported to MS Excel, Quickbooks, ADP, PAYCHEX and many other payroll programs.

A fourth, and less common type of time clock, is what’s known as an Internet or Web-based time clock. These types of time clocks store employee information in the cloud and do not require a server or centralized local computer. An authorized person, or an administrator, can log into the cloud service and download or export reports via the internet. These types of systems are usually accompanied by a low monthly fee. uAttend is a great example of an Internet time clock manufacturer. They offer both Ethernet and wireless versions.

EXAMPLES:

• uAttend CB 1000 Ethernet Internet Time Clock
• uAttend CB 2000 Wireless Internet Time Clock

All of the sytems I have described are paperless. There are no paper reports needed and data can be analyzed via a computer monitor. These systems are tamper proof, easy to use and best of all they are affordable. They will save you money not only by eliminating paper, but also by improving accuracy.

Please feel free to call one of our experts at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions regarding paperless time clocks and time attendance systems. You can find our entire selection of employee time clocks here.

If you’re shopping around for a roll laminator for your school, copy shop, church or business, you may have determined that the 27″ with is the best for your applications. Twenty-seven inch laminators can be used to laminate posters, maps, banners and much more. They can also be used to laminate many smaller documents simultaneously. So which one is best?

At ABC Office, we have been selling 27″ laminators since 1980, so we have a pretty good idea which ones work and which ones don’t. We also have years of customer feedback and history to look back on, which helps us help you to find the best laminator possible. Based on that history, I will be including a list of the top 5 best roll laminators.

Keep in mind that just because a laminator is labeled as “Best” doesn’t mean it will be best at all jobs. A low-volume laminator is still not going to do high-volume jobs. A “Best” label also doesn’t mean that the laminator can handle all types of film. Many of the laminators in my top 7 list can only handle film up to 3 mils thick (3 thousandths of an inch). That being said, these are all solid roll laminators.

Top 7 Best 27″ Roll Laminators

• Banner American Easy-Lam 27″ Roll Laminator – This laminator has been around for well over a decade and is a customer favorite because of its blend of capabilities mixed with a low price. This is ideal for low to medium-volume laminating.
• Ledco Professor 27″ Roll Laminator – This laminator is excellent for high-volume and continuous laminating. This is one of the best laminators we offer, big or small.
• Banner American Easy-Lam School Budget Roll Laminator – This budget laminator is one of the least expensive 27″ roll laminators around. It works great and produces excellent results, however, it isn’t the fastest roll laminator out there and isn’t designed for high-volume use.
• Banner American Easy-Lam II 27″ Roll Laminator – This laminator is a slightly more robust version of the standard Easy-Lam roll laminator and is excellent for school or copy center use.
• Banner American MightyLam 2700HC 27″ Roll Laminator – The MightyLam 2700HC from Banner American is a robust laminator that can be used for daily medium-volume laminating. It also has mounting capabilities (up to ¼”) and can be used with cold film as well.
• GBC Heatseal Ultima 65 27″ Roll Laminator – The GBC Heatseal Ultima 65 is a great medium-volume laminator for school, copy center, church or business use. It is fast, warms up quickly and can be used with film up to 3 mils thick.
• Tamerica TCC2700 27″ Roll Laminator – This laminator, especially considering the price, is a great value. It is fast, can handle film up to 10 mils thick (thickest available) and uses standard 1″ core rolls of film.

So there you have it! My list of the top 7 best thermal roll laminators. Having used most of these laminators myself, I feel confident in saying you won’t be disappointed. If you need a quote, need shipping prices or simply have some additional questions, please feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788. You can find our entire selection of roll laminators here.

If you own a roll laminator and need to keep it up and running, you are going to need to roll lamination film. Roll laminators use two separate rolls of film. One is used to coat the bottom of the document and the other is used to coat the top of the document. Combined, the finished results look great and can be used with posters, signs, banners, maps and much more. So what are the most common roll widths, core diameters and thicknesses used today?

Roll laminators come in dozens of different sizes, however, the most common width is 27″, followed by 25″. These sizes of roll laminators are popular because they are affordable, can be used to laminate posters as well as multiple letter-size documents. You will find both 27″ and 25″ roll laminators in schools, churches, copy centers and businesses.

Being that 27″ laminators are extremely popular, most people looking for roll film need it in a 27″ width. The 27″ width is by far the most common and popular size with customers. This film comes with 1″ and 2 ¼” core sizes. The core is what slides onto the laminator’s mandrel. The mandrel is the metallic bar that the roll film slides onto. The 1″ core size is by far the most common size.

Now that we have determined the width an core size, what is the most common roll film thickness? While film comes in 1.5, 3, 5, 7 and 10 mil thicknesses, the 3 mil thickness is the most popular. This is because 3 mils (3 thousandths of an inch) is accepted on most laminators. Thicker 5, 7 and 10 mil sizes require laminators that are a bit more robust and capable of heating up the thicker film.

Most Popular Roll Laminator Film Specifications

• Roll Width: 27″
• Roll Core Diameter: 1″
• Roll Laminator Thickness: 3 mils

At ABC Office, we offer a great selection of roll film in a 27″ width. We also offer film with a 1″ core and 3 mil thicknesses. We also offer a great selection of 25″ film, 12″ film, 18″ film and much more. You can find our entire selection of 27″ roll laminating film here and our entire selection of roll lamination film here.

If you have a roll laminator, but don’t know the core size or the thickness it can accept, please feel free to give us a call at 1-800-658-8788. We are very familiar with most laminators including those made by Ledco, Banner American, Tamerica, GBC and many others. You can find our entire selection of roll laminators here.

If you have photographs that you would like to protect, enjoy scrapbooking or would like to create your own at-home signs and banners, you may want to use a home laminating machine. These small devices are easy to use, are extremely affordable and come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Which machine should you use? Here are a few questions you may want to ask yourself prior to buying a laminator.

Laminating machines, that used to cost hundreds of dollars only 10 years ago, are now far more affordable, making it possible for more people to use and own a home laminating machine. These machines, sometimes referred to as pouch laminators, can be purchased for $110 or less for home and entry-level use.

Prior to purchasing your laminating machine, consider answering the following 5 questions:

• How large an item are you laminating? Try to determine the maximum width that you will need to laminate and use that to determine the width of the laminator you will purchase. Be aware that you will probably want something slightly larger that the maximum width you will be laminating to allow for some wiggle room. If you will be laminating 8 ½” x 11″ documents, I recommend going with a laminator that is at least 9″ wide or wider.
• What are you laminating? If you are only laminating basic copy paper, just about any laminator will work for you. If you will be laminating thicker items, such as cardstock, or perhaps photos, I recommend using a laminator with at least 4 rollers (versus 2).
• How many documents are you laminating per day? Volume can play a big determining factor in your purchase. If you are laminating a few dozen items per day, which is typical for home or small business use, most entry-level laminators will work for you. If you will be laminating dozens to hundreds of items a day, you may want to consider a commercial-grade laminating machine.
• Where will you keep your laminator? While laminators have varying capabilities, they also come in different sizes. Determine where you will be storing or using the laminator and make sure you have ample room. Most laminators will specify, on the product page, their length, width and height.
• What thickness of film would you like to laminate? Laminating pouches come in 3, 5, 7 and 10 mil thicknesses. A mil is a thousandth of an inch, which means the higher the number the thicker the pouch. While most people don’t use anything thicker than 5 mils, you may want to use 7 or 10. Most laminators will handle 3 or 5, but not all will handle 7 or 10. Be sure you know the laminator’s capabilities and the film you want to use.

Now that we have covered a few important questions, I would like to recommend a few nice “all around” good laminators. These machines have a proven track record, are designed for home or small business use and are affordable.

Recommended Home Laminating Machines:

1. Intelli-Lam IL300 Pouch Laminator
2. Intelli-Lam IL200 Pouch Laminator
3. Banner American QuikFinish PL100 Laminating Machine
4. Fellowes Cosmic CL-125 12″ Pouch Laminator
5. SircleLam SG-230 Pouch Laminator

While I have tried to answer all the important questions in this article, I understand that you may still have a few questions. If you need an answer to one of your questions, please feel free to contact one of our laminating experts by calling 1-800-658-8788.

You can find our entire selection of pouch laminating machines here.

If you need to staple 50 or more of sheets of paper together, you probably need a heavy-duty stapler. With dozens of models out there to choose from, it is difficult to find one that is up to the task of stapling on a frequent basis. At ABC Office, we offer a great selection of heavy duty staplers that are ideal for stapling stacks of paper, with many able to staple far into the paper for even packaging purposes. We have compiled a list of the top 5 best manually-operated heavy-duty staplers.

Heavy duty staplers come in two different configurations. This includes flat staplers, which is stapling paper horizontally, and saddle staplers, which staple paper (usually folded) along the spine. Some heavy-duty staplers can even do both. Regardless of the type of stapling you need done, we probably have a stapler for you. Our 2 most popular stapler brands are Staplex and Skrebba.

This is our list of the top 5 best heavy-duty staplers:

1. Staplex HD-350 Heavy-Duty Manual Stapler – This heavy-duty stapler can stake through up to 185 sheets of paper at a time and features a 4 ½” throat depth. An adjustable side guide and backstop makes alignment easy.
2. Skrebba W115 Heavy Duty Flat / Saddle Stapler – This stapler is great for flat or saddle stapling with a 55 sheet stapling capacity. It can be mounted to the side of a bench or table and is extremely affordable. It is excellent for frequent stapling operations.
3. Staplex HD-150P Heavy-Duty Stapler – This stapler can be used with 6 different sizes of staples and has a 140 sheet stapling capacity. It also features a nice 4″ through depth and an adjustable side guide for alignment purposes. Best of all, the price is affordable.
4. Skrebba W117L Long Reach Stapler – Skrebba  has developed a name for reliability and the W117L is no exception. This stapler can handle 150 sheets at a time and has an impressive 10″ stapling throat depth. Dual stops adjustfrom 1/8 inch up to 10 inches.
5. Staplex HD High Capacity Stapler – This heavy duty stapler is easy to use and offers a nice blend of capacity and price. It can handle up to 80 sheets of standard copy paper at a time and has a 5 ¼” deep throat depth.

All five of these staplers have developed an excellent reputation with our customers. We have been selling them for years and I can attest to the fact that they are made from high-quality materials and are all designed to last. These staplers can be used for packaging purposes, paper stapling and much more.

You can find our entire selection of staplers here.

If you have been shopping around for a manually operated stack paper cutter, you have probably noticed that many of them, especially those by Intelli-Cut, Triumph and Dahle, have massive sheet cutting capacities. Many of these cutters can handle up to 700 sheets in a single pass. So how is it that a manually operated cutter is able to handle so much paper? There are a few factors that make this possible.

I have used many stack paper cutters. I remember years ago shooting a video demo of the now discontinued MBM Triumph 3905 . For fun I placed half ream of paper in the cutter and pulled the handle down using nothing more than my pinky finger. I was able to cut several hundred sheets of paper using nothing more than my pinky finger and a little effort. German stack cutters, like Triumph, are nearly effortless to use.

There are 3 main points that make a stack paper cutter so effective. These points, in my opinion, are all factors that your stack paper cutter should have (especially if you cut paper every day).

• Angle – To begin with, a stack paper cutter should be comfortable to use, especially if you will be making multiple cuts every day. For this reason, the cutting arm on a stack cutter should be reasonably easy to access. Most stack paper cutters have an arm that comes up at an angle, but then turns at about 45 degrees to make the grasping handle easier to access. While this is usually the case, I have used stack cutters that had handles that were awkward and difficult to use.
• Leverage – One of the biggest factors that allow a stack cutter to handle so much paper is leverage. Have you ever noticed how long the handle is on a stack paper cutter? This long handle (or lever) is pivoted on a point that allows you to apply a significant mechanical force on the cutting blade. This leverage allows you to apply little manual force, while applying hundreds of pounds of pressure on the cutting blade. Not to get too technical, but this leverage (by means of a long lever) is expressed by using this mathematical formula: M=Fd. F is the force, d is the perpendicular distance between the force and fulcrum (in this case the lever) and M is the turning force (aka moment or torque).
• Gears - The torque, force and length of the handle are further enhanced by a series of pivoting points, mechanical linkage and gears (depending on the design of the cutter).

This blend of engineering expertise and design allows you to cut hundreds of sheets of paper in a way that you could never do with a pair of scissors or a knife. Stack paper cutters are used to cut down copy paper, report covers, card stock, plastic sheets and much more.

At ABC Office we offer a great selection of paper cutters. You can find our entire selection of stack paper cutters here. This selection includes manual, electric and hydraulic-powered stack cutters.

If you were to ask me which brand of rotary paper cutter is the best, I would have to say that Rotatrim is easily in my top 3 favorite brands. Rotatrim paper cutters, made in the UK, have taken the opposite approach of many other paper cutter manufacturers. While many companies out there are looking for ways to trim costs and replace metal with plastic, Rotatrim has kept their same high-quality process for decades.

While Rotatrim has literally a dozen or more different models of cutters, they are ultimately lumped together into 4 different categories. These are the Rotatrim Mastercut MC Series trimmers, Rotatrim Professional M Series cutters, the Rotatrim Technical T Series and the Rotatrim Powertech PT line of cutters. I will explain what these different lines of cutters are and why they may be what you need.

Rotatrim was founded in 1966 and is currently the largest specialist manufacturer of rotary action cutters in the world. These British paper cutters are internationally renowned for their durability, versatility and safety. Their cutters utilize extremely tough Sheffield tungsten steel and are known for their excellent build quality.

Types of Rotatrim Paper Cutters:

Rotatrim Mastercut MC Series Rotary Cutters – The Rotatrim Mastercut MC series cutters, formerly known as the Monorail series, is Rotatrim’s entry level cutter. A cutting wheel sits in a housing that slides along a single square-shaped bar. The base features a grid of common cutting patterns as well as a ruler for alignment purposes. This paper cutter is ideal for home or small business use. While it is Rotatrim’s entry-level cutter, it is still far superior to other brands when it comes to quality. You can find our Rotatrim Mastercut MC series cutters here.

Rotatrim Professional M Series Rotary Cutters – This is the most popular line of Rotatrim paper cutters. The Professional M series cutters, formerly known as Mastercut, are increadibly popular with photographers, copy centers, graphic artists and other people that require absolute precision when cutting material. This cutter has been around for over 40 years and features a solid laminated MDF gridded baseboard, as well as twin chrome plated steel guide rails and a hand-finished tungsten steel blades.

Because the Professional line of rotary cutters uses 2 rails, precision is about as good as you can get in a rotary blade style cutter. A self-sharpening blade keeps the blade sharp and a grid / ruler pattern on the base makes it easy to line up cuts. You can find our Rotatrim Professional M Series rotary cutters here.

Rotatrim Technical T Series Industrial Rotary Cutters – The Technical T series of Rotatrim paper cutters are designed for heavy-duty use and come in lengths up to 99″ long. These cutters feature a stainless steel 1 ½” square guide rail and a self sharpening Sheffield tungsten steel cutting wheel and counterblade. A built in transparent clampstrip keeps material in place during the cutting process. Most of the Technical cutters can handle up to 4mm of flexible sheet material. This includes pop-ups, posters, vinyls, banners and more. You can find our Rotatrim Technical T Series cutters here.

Rotatrim Powertech PT Electric Rotary Cutters – The Rotatrim Powertech PT electrically driven precision trimmers are some of the most powerful and capable commercial rotary cutters available. These cutters utilize a Sheffield tungsten steel blade that is powered by an electrically driven steel reinforced belt. A pneumatic foot pedal allows for easy hands-free operation. The longest Powertech cutter is 99″, which can be used to cut posters, banners, vinyls, maps, blueprints and much more (up to 4mm thick). You can find our entire selection of Rotatrim Powertech PT Series cutters here.

Regardless of the type of Rotatrim paper cutter you decide to use, you will be happy with it. I personally love it when a customer purchases a Rotatrim paper cutter because I know there won’t be any customer service issues later down the road.

You can find our entire selection of rotary paper cutters here.

If you laminate a lot of letter-size documents, you may be thinking a 9″ pouch laminator is exactly what you need. While a lot of pouch laminators can be used to laminate 8 ½” x 11″ documents, there are a few tips to keep in mind that will help cut down on jams and bad results. Here are just a few of those tips.

To begin with, while a 9″ laminator may be technically wide enough to laminate a letter-size document, you end up with only ¼” wiggle room on each side of the document. From what I have seen, that can result in a serious jam if you are not extremely careful.

If you feed the film in at an angle, even off just 1/8″, the document begins to get more and more crooked as it progresses through the machine. What will happen, as the error becomes more pronounced, is the side of the laminating film will begin to touch the side, creating tension and pressure. This will often cause stress on the laminator’s motor and can cause a jam.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t ever consider a 9″ laminator. Laminating letter-size documents can be done, and may even be feasible for many of you, but I recommend going with something a little wider.

I personally like the 13″ width for laminating 8 ½” x 11″ documents. This gives you ample room. The wider 11″ width also allows you to laminate smaller ID cards, multiple smaller objects and more. You can even use it to laminate 11″ x 17″ and 12″ x 18″ documents.

Here are a few 13″ pouch laminators that I personally recommend:

• Intelli-Lam IL400 13″ Pouch Laminator
• Tamerica TCC330 Pouch Laminator
• Tamerica C-Lam 3306 Pouch Laminator
• Akiles ProLam Plus 330 Pouch Laminating Machine
• Banner American PL135-4 13 ½” Laminator
• Akiles iLam 340 13″ Pouch Laminator

Here are two great 12″ wide laminators, which are still great for letter-size documents.

Fellowes Jupiter JL 125 12.5″ Laminator

Banner American PL12a 12 ¼” Pouch Laminating Machine

These laminators should all perform well and produce professional results. I have personally used all the laminators on this list and consider them to all be great machines. You can find our entire selection of pouch laminators here. If for any reason you are having trouble deciding on a specific make or model, feel free to call one of our experts at 1-800-658-8788.