Storing computer paper [off-topic]

[Zak]

I am in the UK.

Sounds silly but I am looking for a good way to store my A4 computer paper.

I have got several reams of different types of paper. However at any one time I might need only a few sheets of one type such as high quality letter paper.

(a) I could store the still-wrapped reams ontop of one another but then I end up crumpling the sheets when I try and slide them out.

(b) I could put the wrapped reams into stacking letter trays like this

after a week or two the paper gets dusty and needs dusting down. Ugghhh.

(c) I have seen offices use similar trays to (b) but this time they putt about 50 sheets of paper in each tray. (EG, they would have letterhead paper, follow-on sheets, plain sheets, etc).

I am not using all me paper quite so fast so 50 sheets of a special type might sit there for ages.

It sounds silly, but what is a good way to store paper?

[Curious]

Flat, on a shelf, in a dry cupboard.

[Lez Pawl]

why not get a box file and put say 15 to 20 sheets of each type in it and keep it to hand near your comp. This will keep the paper dust and damp free. Put the remaining resealed reams somewhere warm and out of the way.

[ajsmith]

i used to have that problem, in the end i just used a normal letter tray type thingy and put a very thin towel over the top.

i suppose you could use anything similar, if it has a piccy of your favourite team/person animal on it as well you might not feel it looks so cheap :-)

[Tx2]

Not silly at all. Many printers can be temperamental when it comes to feeding paper that is damp, or dusty.

I use a slightly bigger than A4 plastic storage box with a 'snap-on' lid. It stores a ream of 500 sheets easily.

The Viking code is H2D-9LC. This is for the smaller one. Just search for "Really Useful Box" if you want the entire range.

[Zak]

I checked the box out at

has a problem of easily getting sheets out from the lower reams.

[NoNeedToKnow]

Not sure what made you select the newsgroups, but it looks like the second in a "how many posts can be made" challenge, from some bunch of kids.

[OG]

You can get drawer sets similar to these -

easily - we've bought from WHSmith (cardboard) and Ikea (wooden) in the past.

each drawer will take a ream of paper.

[Tx2]

So get a box per ream, as I have.

[john]

OMFG, when did they let you out! Store paper in a warm room where it isn't damp. Put them any way you like and only open one packet at a time. Was it a trick question or are you trying to advertise a product?

[john]

That is a classic engineers line, one that hasn't a clue how to fix a printer with a knackered feed system! I hear that all the time. They always turn up and then get on the phone to a friend asking what to do. It doesn't make any difference which way round or which way up you put standard paper either. If you have a cheap printer made by Brother or a Kyocera then it shows - especially when you get through 1000+ sheets per day. They don't last long but out of the two the Kyocera is slightly better. The network variety of course.

[Ian Smith]

Grab the wrapper and tear off the last inch, all the way round, at the end. Stack them anywhere flat.

On the off chance the ends do get slightly damaged, feed the other end first.

Seems to work well.

regards, Ian

[{{{{{Welcome}}}}}]

Thus spaketh john:

Damp paper cause it to curl when through a laser printer and can jam, whether the printer is an el-cheap or a heavy duty one, it is always wise to fan paper too as paper cut with poor / blunt blades can cause the edges to fur and the paper to stick. Also damp paper isn't ideal when printing with inkjets.

Not usually a problem when in a dry warm country, but when in countries like the UK where it is often cold and damp then it is, worth wrapping any unused paper up in a couple of plastic carrier bags.

[Ian B]

FWIW, I use these boxes from Lakeland

are nice and solid to protect the paper, don't take up too much room and hold enough to make them useful.

[Paul]

Probably a little OTT but what about a photography darkroom paper safe, designed to be light proof, which should also be dust proof, have a look on ebay at item number 300059783611to see what i am talking about.

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[Tx2]

If you say so.

The manufacturers of printers would argue otherwise, and my own personal experience of using damp/dusty paper in both domestic and business printers would seem to disagree also.

You hear it all the time? How many printers do you have, and why are engineers always turning up?

Define standard paper, and has it been pre-printed or not, because actually, it can make a difference, particularly at the domestic to lower-end commercial printer.

Do you know precisely how a separator pad works, and why? Do you know why the feed rollers on scoop mechanisms are channelled as opposed to pick rollers being textured? True or False : some printers work on detecting the weight of a sheet of paper to feed?

I'd be interested to learn what printers you use which enables you to use 1000+ sheets a day.

In fact, I'd be interested to learn with what authority you speak about printer repair other than that of a seemingly disgruntled end-user who bought a job lot of the wrong type.

[Tx2]

You of course mean the packaging..... :-)

[JAD]

buy an old nightstand with drawers

[Tx2]

...otherwise you wouldn't have typed wrapper!

[gets coat and exits]

[The Natural Philosopher]

You can get multi drawer stationery cabinets designed to do exactly this.

Google "multi drawer A4 stationery' .Bisley fo some nice 6 drawer units for about 80 quid.. or you can go to 12-15 draers at a commesnurtare height and price.

Each drawer takes a ream or so..

OFTEN to be found in skips and secondhand office clearouts

Or ebay shops..see here?