How Many Sheets of Paper Will A Binder Hold?

In an effort to provide the best possible information and content to our readers/customers, we are trying to answer some of the questions that are most commonly asked of our customer service team. Well, here’s a great one:

“How many sheets of paper will a 2″ (or any other size) binder hold?

Great question, and here’s the answer:

The amount of paper that a particular binder will hold is dependent on the type and size of the ring inside the binder. For the most part, the ring in the binder is the same size as the binder spine, so a 2″ binder will have a 2″ ring. The two most common types of rings are O ring and D ring.

O Ring – O rings are the most popular type of ring, and generally come in diameters ranging from 1/2 an inch up to 4 inches. With O rings, the diameter of the ring will determine how much paper the binder can hold.

D ring – D rings get their name because they are somewhat shaped like a D. With D ring binders, the amount of paper that the binder will hold is dependent on the length of the straight portion of the D ring. For most D ring binders, the diameter of the D ring itself is really the length of the straight portion of the ring. A 3 inch D ring binder will have a straight shank that is very close to 3″ long.

Some data floating around the internet, indicates that a 1/2 binder will hold approximately 100 sheets of paper so a 1″ binder will hold 200 sheets, while a 2″ binder should hold 400 sheets. Unfortunately, this data isn’t exactly correct.

The data below comes from our friends at Binders, inc., who are recognized experts at all things binder. These numbers are based on the assumption that standard 20 lb paper is being used. For thicker paper, these numbers will need to be adjusted down.

Hopefully this information will be useful the next time you get ready to purchase a binder.

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Office Max & Office Depot Merger – Why and How?

Chances are, you’ve probably seen something about the pending merger of Office Max and Office Depot in the news or on TV. This is a big deal as there are two of major players in the office supply industry, and the story has made both national and international news.

So exactly what is happening?

Unless the latest publicly announced merger deal changes, here’s what will happen: OfficeMax shareholders will receive 2.69 shares of Office Depot stock for each OfficeMax share they own. The entire deal is based on stock and no money will change hands. At the time of this post, a new CEO and potential company name have yet to be announced.

Most industry insiders feel that it’s attempt to gain ground on industry giant Staples, and online superstore Amazon, which has be gaining a foothold in the office supply industry. Once the merger is completed, the new, yet to be named entity will be the “largest” office supply company in the US with 2,000 brick and mortar stores compared to the 1900 stores owned by Staples. Interestingly enough, the combined sales revenue from both only accounts for about 70% of Staples reported earnings.

If you jump back in time to 1997, a similar proposed merger between Office Depot and Staples was blocked by the Federal Trade Commission with a decision that was loosely based in popular anti-trust rhetoric of that time. Since the current merger isn’t completed, it’s possible that the FTC will take some action against this merger as well.

Here are some other resources with information about the proposed merger:

Office Depot, OfficeMax to merge – CBS News

Office Depot, OfficeMax merger is about survival

OfficeMax, Office Depot Talk Merger – Struggling firms seek boost against, you know, Amazon

Twitter talk about the merger:

@HuffPostBiz
Report: Office Depot, Office Max merger announced prematurely http://t.co/f3xXfaOB

@USRadioNews
Plz flw @PatriotRadioNet: Office Depot And Office Max In Serious Talks About A Merger – http://t.co/TQjLZK4be2

@gregrocs
Simple #infographic on the Office Depot-Office Max merger compared to Staples http://t.co/2r9IxSiFPN

The jury is still out on the actual merger being completed and who the real winner is? Many industry analysts are reporting that Staples may be the real winner is this deal as it’s expected that the new merger company will begin closing unprofitably or under-performing stores, which leaves Staples as the only standalone “big box” OP retailer in those locations.

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Our First Monthly Kids In Need Foundation Donation (Drumroll please)

Last month, we announced a partnership with the Kids In Need Foundation (KINF), a non-profit who provides free school supplies to economically disadvantaged school children and under-funded teachers. For every order placed at Business Supply, we pledged to donate one item to KINF.  Today, our first donation will be delivered Classroom Central in Charlotte, NC, who is part of the KINF National Network of Resource Centers.

The January tally: 33,000 pencils. To get a different perspective on the donation, check out this infographic we created:

Pretty cool, huh?

We’re extremely excited about how our customers and employees have embraced this partnership.  The results for the first month were spectacular, but we can’t stop there.  The more we share this story, the more children we can eventually help.  There are millions of children who go to school without the core school supplies they need to succeed. So if you can share this post, please do.  The social buttons are below.

We’ll have an update on Friday with pictures, quotes, and (hopefully) video of the delivery.

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Understanding the Weight of Paper

One question that the Business Supply customer service team routinely comes across has to deal with paper “weight” and how to choose the best weight for a customer’s particular needs. Based on that, we thought we’d take a crack at explaining what paper weight really is, and how it plays a role in your shopping decisions.

Hammermill Copyplus Paper

For starters, the “weight” of a paper isn’t actually the physical weight of the paper itself, but refers to the thickness and sturdiness of the paper. Many customers get confused about buying paper by the case as they mistakenly believe that the case of paper actually weights 20 lbs, when the 20 lbs refers to the paper weight classification (which has absolutely nothing to do with the actual weight of the paper). The smaller weight numbers refer to thinner or lighter grade paper, while the larger numbers refer to a heavier or thicker paper. Most copy papers are available in the following weights:

• 16 lb.
• 20 lb.
• 24 lb
• 28 lb
• 32 lb

The most popular weight in copy paper is 20 lb as most any copier/printer will accept a paper sheet of that weight. The higher weights (24 to 32 lb) are significantly thicker than the standard 20 lb paper, and not every copier or printer will be able to successfully print to a paper of that weight. For business uses where professional documents (contracts, resumes, etc.) are required, the heavier 24 lb paper is a popular choice. Our top selling 24 lb paper is the Hammermill Premium Multi-purpose paper.

A few things to keep in mind:

• While the 20 lb paper is the most popular, it’s also very thin, and isn’t the best choice for double sided copies.
• The lowest weight for double sided printing is usually a 24 lb paper.
• A heavier weight paper typically costs more money and may not always offer a better or cleaner printing result.

In most cases, the 20 or 24 lb paper is a great choice for most all around printing or copying needs.

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Keeping the Flu Out of the Office

With the Flu season being in full swing, keeping it and other nasty illnesses out of the office can be a major challenge. According to a study by the Commonwealth Fund, an estimated 55 million U.S. employees miss work annually due to an illness with a an estimated economic value loss of $260 billion dollars.

Ever wonder how the flu actually gets into your body? Here’s a great video from NPR:

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