Plus Fabric are our leading envelopes manufacturer from Hamelin Paper Brands. This range provides high quality envelopes made from brilliant white paper with a distinctive crisp feel for the image conscious business. The un-mistakable red and black boxes and elegant logo give a premium feel which is synonymous with the quality of these envelopes. With features such as Easy Open, Power-Tac and Armour Protection, plus a wide choice of sizes and styles, including wallet, pocket, board backed and gusset envelopes, with us you’ll be spoilt for choice. In addition all Plus Fabric Prestige envelopes are made from paper awarded the EU Eco-label – which are better for the environment.

The Easy Open feature uses a built in tearstrip to allow these peel & seal envelopes to be opened cleanly and easily without damaging the contents or compromising security and their available in 5 different sizes of envelopes in both window and non window variants. Power-Tac adhesive is available on the peel & seal envelopes for an exceptionally strong seal, providing added reassurance that the confidentiality and integrity of your mailing is protected. These are available on 15 lines and in a variety of sizes. The Plus Fabric Armour is a range of Gusset Envelopes which are made from 155 gsm white paper reinforced in a grid pattern with a woven polyester thread, providing exceptional strength. All envelopes in this range have peel & seal closure with Power-Tac adhesive for an exceptionally secure seal. They are ideal for mailing bulky items such as box files and lever arch files and are available in 4 sizes with 50mm, 70mm and 90mm gusset capacities. All Armour envelopes have peel & seal closure.

You can take your pick from our selection of Plus Fabric Envelopes at Office 365 and will find a vast collection, plus surprising discounts throughout. If you’re looking for top quality envelopes and a variety to cover all individual needs, then Plus Fabric are the brand for you.

The Green BitThe EU Eco-label (also known as the EU Eco-Flower) is an independent accreditation that considers environmental factors that other labels do not, addressing the growing demand for environmentally friendly products.

Products displaying the EU Eco-label use less energy, consume fewer natural resources (e.g. water and raw materials), have lower impact on air quality and ultimately contribute to ozone layer protection and environmental safety.

Unlike other labels, the EU Eco-Label covers the following criteria under environmental label accreditation schemes; Scope, recycled fibre use, wood raw material, chemicals, energy use, emissions, waste management and recyclability.

Probably THE most popular brand at Office 365 is our fabulous Nobo. Nobo are the Kings (or Queens) in presentation equipment and so far, nothing and no one has come close to competing. Now we’ve taken a look at Nobo’s rail systems before and recommended an extremely useful wall hanging projection screen. This time however, we’d like to delve a little further into the realms of the entire rail system and other popular accessories and accompaniments to it, namely the white board.

The Nobo Rail System is a product which has become widely used in many offices across the world. The clever mechanism have proven extremely useful in all presentation scenarios, no matter how simple, complex or multi-layered. It could be that you’d like to revisit or incorporate information from previous boards or screens, or maybe multiple boards are needed to perform the presentation, all of which are regular occurrences. Nobo rail systems facilitate all these possible needs quickly and easily leaving even the most particular of users, more than satisfied. You can even chose from the optional double rail system which comes with all accessories, including hanging kits for the front rail or alternatively, the option of an extension kit which may be used for both drywipe and notice boards and allows these boards to be passed over others.

Featured to your right is the Nobo Magnetic Pro-Rail Drywipe Board. The Pro Rail System is the perfect solution for busy training or conference rooms and this white board is the perfect accompaniment. The rail features a white cover which conceals a twin-track rail system that enables you to add various accessories such as the featured drywipe board, flipcharts, shelves, projection screens and notice boards. These components are able to slide along the rails, moving into position, plus if used in conjunction with an extension kit which connects a board to the second rail, the boards are able to slide over each other. Basically, the extension kit is designed for use with the Pro-Rail Notice Board, flip-chart holder and Dry-wipe Boards and enables the boards to pass over one another.

So whether you already have your Rail Systems in place and you’re just looking for accessories or you’re trying for example to find the complete Whiteboard Rail Systems, we will be able to help you. The full variety is available at Office 365 and we offer big reductions across the entire range! If you’re looking for quality and reliability, Nobo are the brand for you and if you’re looking for the right price, then you’ve found it here. Office 365 are the most competitive stationers in the online market and if you find our prices cheaper anywhere else, we’ll match it!

With all these recent explanations of the ISO paper sizes, their measurements and corresponding envelopes, we’ve failed to explain to you one of the most basic pieces of information; the difference between A4 and Foolscap.

Foolscap paper is cut to the size of 8.5 by 13.5 inches or 215.9 mm by 342.9 mm as opposed to the A4 alternative which is 8.3 by 11.7 or 210 by 297. Foolscap paper was a traditional size used in Europe and the Commonwealth, before the adoption of the international standard A4 paper in 1975, which is the most common standard size outside the United States and Canada. Foolscap is a common size for ring binders and lever arch files used to hold A4 paper as it is slightly larger than A4 and therefore offers greater protection to the edge of the pages. Foolscap was named after the fool’s caps and bells watermark commonly used from the fifteenth century onwards. The earliest example of such paper that is firmly dated was made in Germany in 1479.

A4 paper is part of the ISO 216 paper series and is the most widely used size all over the world today. The ISO standard paper size system covers a wide range of formats, but not all of them are widely used in practice. A4 is clearly the most important one for daily office use and some main applications of this size could be; letters, magazines, forms, catalogues, laser printer and copying machine output.

To order your next batch of A4 Paper and Foolscap Suspension Files, take a look at the selection we have to offer at Office 365. If we can be of any further assistance or if you have more questions regarding paper sizes, please so not hesitate to contact us, we’re always happy to help.

Today’s blog feature is the Office 365 Rubbish and Recycle bin collection….someone has to do it…As I’m sure you are already aware, we have a vast range of high quality recycling bins, waste bins and wheelie bins for all your recycling and general waste needs and you can choose from rubbish bins for office, domestic, kitchen and out door use. However, because of all this choice, we are finding that our customers need further help in selecting the right one for them. So we’ve decided to make the feature of today’s blog our favourite waste bin and our favourite recycle bin.

The best option for your recycling (in our opinion) is the Addis Recycle Bin Kit featured to your right. The kit consists of three 54 litre flip-top bins with colour coded flaps for easy identification of recycled rubbish types, plus the labels attached to the flaps offer content choice such as; paper, card, aluminium cans and plastic. They are ideal for office segregation of waste and are accredited by ‘Re-Cycle Now’. Recycling bins give you all the flexibility for under desk recycling or a recycling banking system, with bins available for recycling cans, paper, plastic and glass to name a few. At Office 365, our bins are available in different colours allowing clear identification of different waste streams. Our recycling bins can be used in all areas including kitchens, fax machine locations, canteens and more.

It is a little more difficult to pick out a general rubbish bin as a recommendation as they are all so similar and have the same function, however we have come up with one. The Addis Smart Bin with Rotating Lid is an unbelievably affordable option considering it’s benefits. It features a rotating lid, which if your anything like me, you will understand how valuable this is! In my home, cleaning the lid of the bin is a daily and thankless job and frankly quite disgusting, however with a rotating lid, it can’t get mucky! This is ingenious and I’ll be buying one for my house at this price! The Innovative and stylish two part rotating lid also conceals and holds the bin liner whilst the foot plate allows for easy liner removal. With a 50 litre capacity, this bin has it all and with our heads held high, we proudly and comfortably recommend this bin to you.

Hopefully now, choosing your recycling bins and your rubbish bins won’t be such a chore and we hope this blog has helped to take the strain off a little.

Fast Paper are a brand by PaperFlow, a company who manufacture their products in France. Paperflow are an office supply company who design and manufacture their entire range of “paper management” office furniture. Following the companies disposal of Multifiche, it has reached staggering sales of roughly €16 million, illustrating their success and unique, higher quality product portfolio.

At Office 365, we have a great selection of Fast Paper Literature Holders, each one with a different number of compartments and able to hold various quantities of paper and pamphlets. Literature holders provide a popular way of displaying company information whether you’re distributing information to clients, selling magazines in a newsagents, handing out timetables and information to staff or hold public forms in the post office. You will at some stage come to depend on literature holders, think of all those times you’ve picked up a holiday activity leaflet from the service station, a magazine, a taxi card or even a newspaper, they are a popular choice and it’s easy to see why.

The literature holder featured to your right is the Fast Paper Maxi System Wall Display. It offers total visibility of the whole front document and 4 compartments of 23mm thickness for added durability. This polypropylene document display feature has a sliding system within the structure which allows for quick and easy assembly and offers housing for A4 sized documents, or smaller of course! The products dimensions are (WxDxH): 250 x 85 x 695mm.

So if you’d like to transform your workplace from cluttered and un-organised to professional and sophisticated and make some extra sales while you’re at it, then Fast Paper are the way to go. Take a look at our full range and make the most of the fantastic saving Office 365 have to offer.

Being big fans of the Artline brand of pens, we may appear a little bias is todays blog. These beauties have caused many an argument in the office, resulting in certain individuals pens being labelled! You will find a range that have the thinnest finest line and also pens that have the thickest boldest print. You will find an Artline solution for every creative writing, drawing and marking challenge there is. These pens are known for their comfort, their precision, their high performance and their practicality, that’s why they always go missing!!

The company are an international brand that are made by the Japanese organisation, Shachihata. They started business in 1925, when their range included a selection of stamping products. Shachihata is now renowned across the globe for making premium pens, markers and stamp pads while continually aiming to set high quality standards for their products. All this, plus they still maintain their concern for our environment. In 1999 Shachihata obtained the ISO 9001 Quality Assurance System Certification for their marking pens and stamps and in 2000 was also awarded the ISO 14001 Certification for their environmental management system. There’s no questioning that Artline customers can feel safe in the knowledge that they are purchasing responsibly manufactured products of the highest quality and standards.

What makes Artline Better than the rest?

We all know and recognise the smell of a marker; it’s that strong aroma that reminds you of paint or even varnish that can leave you light headed. That recognisable odour is caused by the colourless liquid, Xylene which is commonly used as a solvent in some pens and markers. This solvent is known to help the ink flow from the barrel to the page, and will evaporate into the air once it is exposed. You may be happy to know that Artline have stopped using Xylene in most of their products and have instead substituted this traditional yet harmful solvent with an alcohol. The only difference that is obvious is the smell; where the Xylene has a strong scent, the alcohol has a more neutral one. But why have Artline stopped using this solvent? The reason behind the move is the increasing concern amongst some community members that the product could cause negative health effects. For example, in 1996 the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry found that if a person were to be exposed to a high level of Xylene, in a paint factory for example, there would be a risk of symptoms such as “irritation of the skin, eyes, nose and throat.” Shachihata who are the manufacturers of Artline, have removed Xylene from most of its Artline-branded products, with the main exception being the Industrial Marker series (EK-17 and EK-19). You are able to check whether your Artline product is Xylene free by referring to the packaging, looking on the actual pen or marker itself or by calling one of our team who will be able to tell you. Always remember however, you should never deliberately inhale or concentrate the fumes of any pen or maker for the same reason you should be careful using paints, aerosols and cosmetics.

For a closer look at our selection of Artline products visit their very own brand page on our site including items such as Artline Dry Markers, Artline Permanent Markers and Artline Fineliners.

Artline also have an Eco Green range. These are recycled, general purpose markers made using a unique dry safe ink formula. Why not do your part to help the environment – These pens are made using at least 74% recycled material, the Eco-Green Permanent Marker is suitable for all types of permanent marking.

Franking is a quick and easy way to manage your businesses mail and by far the best solution for a busy mailroom. It is a method which save’s you time and money whilst giving a good impression for your company. Franking is cost effective and easy to use and if you shop at Office 365, there is a flexible range of products available. You can pay for credit as and when you need it so you’re always in complete control of your postage and your finances. So many companies these days, including large corporate companies, government organisations and universities as well as small and medium size businesses and even sole traders use franking machines. Another plus is that there are no minimum or maximum postage volume restrictions and postage discounts for franked mail are applied per item so you will qualify for discounts on your post regardless of how many items you are sending.

At Office 365 you will find franking machine labels for both automatic and manual machines. The auto franking labels are dispensed from a cassette feeder designed to ensure the print dries quickly and the label has a grip tab to help speed up the application. The manual franking machine labels are boxed in 1000′s with two labels per sheet.

There’s no longer any reason for you to waste time waiting for stamps and processing mail, you’ve found your answer in the form of a franking machine. There’s no longer any need for individual departments to buy stamps, all your post can be sorted from one central location. Our Avery Franking Labels are great for automatic franking machines. Not only do they have space for the postal mark but you can also fit advertising messages on. So you get double the benefit from just one label. We also have Avery Manual Feed Franking Labels which are great for hand-fed franking machines and give the same space for messages! Our manual feed franking labels are available in two sizes to allow for postal franking and advertising messages; 140 x 38mm and 162 x 38mm. They come in packs of 1000 and have 2 labels per sheet. Please note; they are a permanent adhesive. Take a look at our full selection of Franking Labels and don’t let our massive saving’s slip away!

The Green Bit

We are all becoming increasingly aware of the effects that our actions have on the planet, and the amount of people taking care to recycle products at home is on the increase. But what about in the office? Avery believe that using eco-friendly products is a great place to start, which is why they have brought out their range of Avery® EcoFriendly labels. Why not make a difference in your work place and change things for the better now? Avery’s EcoFriendly range of labels (addressing, mini and removable labels) are certified by the internationally renowned Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). They use only paper that is manufactured from trees sourced from well-managed forests, plus the packaging is made from recycled cardboard. The Avery Recycled QuickPeel Labels are natural white recycled addressing labels which are made from 100% recycled paper. Reduce your impact on the environment by selecting labels responsibly. It’s another small way to protect our future. Choose from Avery’s FSC-certified EcoFriendly range, or their recycled range!

Avery campaign, ‘Help Plant 100,000 New Trees’ is helping to bring everyone together with the same economical values. Planting trees can help to combat climate change and provides sustainable living in poor rural communities. So, let’s all plant 100,000 trees together! When you purchase labels by the Avery band you will see a promotional code on the pack. Simply log into the Avery Site and enter the code. Every code you enter means that 2 trees will be planted, One from you and Avery match it with another.

Understanding or even explaining these ISO paper sizes is proving trickier than we first thought with confused customers popping up all over the place. Let’s give it another go and start at the beginning.

Firstly, the international paper size standard (ISO 216) is based on the German DIN 476 standard for paper sizes. ISO sizes are all based on quite simply, the single aspect ratio of square root of 2. The base format is a sheet of paper measuring 1 m² in area (or A0 size paper to you and me). A1, A2, A3, A4 and so forth are the successive paper sizes in the series and are defined by folding their preceding paper size along its shortest side. A4 (210 × 297 mm) is the most frequently used paper size.

The ISO 216 definition of the A paper sizes is based on the following basis:

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

For a look at our selection of A4 Paper and A3 Paper, why not visit our site. You can also find more information about A Series Paper Dimensions here.

Below is a chart which illustrates the actual measurement of all the ‘A’ sizes available.

It seems that no matter what time of year it is, the demand for a decent office lamp is always great. With an increasing number of pleas for help, we’ve decided to gather together our now favourite lamps, compare them and let you decide. You have a choice of two different kinds of lamps; your standard desk lamp which normally has an adjustable or folding arm that can be positioned so that it directs it’s light at one particular spot, a very popular choice. Alternatively, you have your lamp stand which is a floor standing or Torchiere lamp. These also portable lamps, will light up a section of a room, often shining light down onto a particular area. You will find some with the option of a second and lower bulb which instead of being an uplighter, can have it’s beam directed at an individual spot.

Option No.1 – For those with a bit of cash to flash. Hansa EasyFlex Desk Lamp with Two-jointed Arm.

This sophisticated ‘bright idea’…eh hem…has two flexible joints of the aluminium arm allowing optimum positioning of it’s bright daylight light (6400 kelvin). The intensity of the 24 watt compact fluorescent bulb and the robust engineering make EasyFlex the ideal desk or table lamp while the electronic lamp ballast ensures a non-flickering constant light. It comes supplied with a heavy base and the honeycomb shaped reflector ensures an even distribution of light on the working desk, with a reflector made of metal finish ABS. With a height of 70 cm and it’s specialist bulb included, we’d say that this is perfection is the form of a lamp. Definite thumbs up from Office 365. When you buy from us, you take that pinch away and save a fantastic 26%. This lamp is now only £70.30, reduced from £94.99.

Replacement bulb (Daylight Fluorescent 24W) for the above.

Option No.2 – For those who are feeling the pinch during these difficult times. Merit Hobby Table Lamp Adjustable. This modern hobby lamp made by the respectable and very reputable company, Merit could be an asset to any office. It’s sleek modern design and colour would complement any existing style and at less than half price, it’s price would suit every pocket! With a height of 53 cm and an adjustable arm, it can accommodate any requirement. It requires a B22 60W bayonet bulb which is not included, but is available separately. With 51% off, this lamp can be purchased for just £15.86, that’s £16.23 off, another great bargain at Office 365.

Replacement Bulb (Energy-saving Bayonet Fitting 10000hr 11W [Equivalent Old 60W]) for the above.

Last but by no means least is our No.3 contender. The Idelec Angled Floor Lamp featured to your right.

This tall sleek elegant design will add a touch of sophistication to your workplace. While in use it has a low energy output and features a toggle on/off switch. It’s angled upper body means that the beam can be directed at specific targets and  with a choice of black or chrome, you will find the right one for your current decor. The lamp comes complete with a GX53 9W low energy light bulb and it’s complete height is 157.5cm. At the moment you can receive 30% off this lamp which takes it down to a reasonable £94.91.

So there you have it, our fabulous three. If however you’d prefer to browse our entire selection of Office Lamps and Office Lamp Stands, you’ll find a full and varied selection with us, all with fantastic discounts.

Prices valid as from 17/02/2010

No matter what business you’re in, you will always have the need for a ‘never ending’ supply of business and office books. You’d be surprised at the amount of times we’ve heard how people swap and change brands, purchasing some items from one brand and others by another, all in search of a company who can provide the stationery they are after, the quality which is essential and the right price. Challenge have put a smile on many faces, providing the solution for all of these needs. They are a brand who manufacture high quality business books for long lasting records, featuring the distinctive blue marble cover design. Challenge are brought to us by Hamelin Paper Brands who are a company that are fully committed to the ongoing training and development of their employees. The Hamelin Paper Brands Group uphold a strong reputation for quality and due to the vast levels of  importance they place on this renowned product quality, Hamelin Paper Brands have also achieved accreditation to BS EN ISO 9001:2000.

Our most popular Challenge stationery includes the Challenge Duplicate Books which all contain carbonless paper for constant copy quality throughout, without the mess of carbon. The pre-printed layouts include ruled, invoice, order and delivery with colour coded sheets. Sequentially numbered in sets of 1-100 in taped format or 1-50 in wire format.

Another Popular range from this brand is the Challenge Message Pads. These administrative books offer a clear and accurate solution for recording different daily tasks. They are available in a variety of pre-printed layouts; telephone messages, while you were out, etc.  These books are also carbonless and are headbound so that messages can be torn out easily.

The Green Bit

We are big fans of Hamelin Paper Brands at Office 365. Their portfolio appears never ending and so many of our products seem to stem back to Hamelin Paper Brands. This is something we find very pleasing to know as the ethical beliefs and morals of the company are something we aspire to and are proud to be part of. The company pride themselves on their use of ethically sourced raw materials and strives to reduce the impact of their products on the environment. This is something which can be seen in the ongoing development of their product portfolio. The Hamelin Paper Brands always use paper from sustainable sources and they are increasingly manufacturing options from quality recycled papers. Plus, on some of their other brands, namely the envelope brands, they are able to show EU Eco-label accreditation for the paper from which they were made. This is not only guaranteeing the sustainability of the source but also a reduction in emissions during the manufacturing process.

The Books & Pads division of Hamlin Paper Brands has always favoured long term development rather than short term results. It was therefore a very natural step for them to incorporate sustainable development into all its decision-making, and signing the Global Compact with the support of the UN at the beginning of 2003. In practical terms, their product specifications are continuously reassessed to ensure conformity with the most stringent ecological demands, from demanding the highest environmental-friendly specifications of raw materials to manufacturing processes and beyond, with waste material treatment and personnel training. The brand will only use suppliers that can guarantee traceable supplies and that have a policy for sustainable management of forest resources, not use paper made from tropical wood and will refuse paper made from primary forests or from wood taken from sensitive areas or areas sheltering threatened species. Hamelin Paper Brands only dream that in doing this, they will be encouraging other companies to share these critical values.