First Class School & Office Supplies' Blog

Product Spotlight: PaperMate® InkJoy™ Pens

First Class School & Office Supplies — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:30:32 +0000

Papermate’s newest member of their writing product line are their InkJoy Pens. Ultra-low viscosity ink and optimized writing tips allow for a super smooth, effortless writing experience. The introductory product line includes 7 different styles and 10 different ink colors, all available at great price points. Put them in a safe place because they’re soon-to-be the “World’s Most Stolen Pen”.

Ink Joy Offer

Tagged: New Products, PaperMate, pens

Product Spotlight: The Mighty Badge®

First Class School & Office Supplies — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:18:27 +0000

Are you in a business where you hire temporary staff, experience a high turnover rate, host events, or looking for flexibility when creating name badges? This professional name badge system offers a quick, easy way to create and customize reusable name badges. These versatile badges feature a metal plate, elegant domed lens cover and printable transparency that you can replace again and again. The stationary kit contains everything you need to get started, including 10 reusable badge plates (silver or gold); 10 Lens covers; two crystal-clear, printable insert sheets for 40 badge inserts; two bright white, printable insert sheets for 40 badge inserts; 10 magnet fasteners; 10 pin fasteners; and name badge design software. Letter-size, insert sheets are compatible with inkjet and laser printers. Simply print and peel off the nonadhesive label to apply to the metal plate. The software gives you the flexibility of printing only what you need when you need it so you can reuse the same insert sheet. Choose from a magnetic fastener or pin fastener to hold the badge in place. They are available in both rectangular or oval shapes. Once you have the name badge holders, insert refills are available to update your name badges whenever you like.

Promote a new product
Acknowledge an employee-of-the-month
Create holiday-themed badges
Great for temporary employees
Update the last name of a recently married employee
Advertise store promotions
Promote your website
You’re only limited by your imagination!

We’ve got The Mighty Badge in stock and ready to ship to your desk tomorrow. Visit our website at www.FirstClassSOS.com for more information.

Tagged: Employee, Name Badges, New Products, Office Products, office supplies, Productivity

Mops 101

First Class School & Office Supplies — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:05:31 +0000

You can download your own Mops 101 Guide to hang as a reference guide in your janitorial supply closet or to assist you in your buying decision the next time you’re in the market for a new mop.

Tagged: Cleaning & Breakroom, JanSan, Selection Guide

Optical Media Prices On The Rise

First Class School & Office Supplies — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:24:31 +0000

We recently received this information from one of our wholesalers and wanted to pass it along to you…

All media vendors have been increasing the pricing on optical media (CD & DVD discs). So far increases are exceeding 30% and it is believed that they will go up again after the 1st of the year.
There are many reasons for these increases:

Petroleum costs fluctuation

Transportation costs are escalating

Manpower costs are increasing overseas

For some, licensing fee increases

Japan has some effect as they sell the special coating for some folks.

Demand has dropped significantly as we all choose to store data/music/pictures/movies on flash media and using the “cloud” storage which allow us to stream data directly to our devices.

Please keep this in mind as you consider your options for data storage.

Tagged: office supplies, technology

Product Spotlight: Speedy Spine™ by Samsill

First Class School & Office Supplies — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:52:25 +0000

click image for more information

Nominated in the category Best Product – Core Office Products of the 2011 North American Office Products Awards is Samsill’s newest innovation in 3 ring binders: The Speedy Spine™ Binder.

If part your job requires that you prepare presentation materials, this product is just what you need to save you time and (more importantly) frustration!

These binders are available in round-ring and D-ring formats. Sizes available include 1″, 1½”, 2″, and 3″ in either black or white.

There are also templates available to customize the spine of your binder.

Speedy Spine™ Ring Binder Features:

Patent pending spine channel construction for the fastest and easiest spine label insertion.
Save money and be more efficient by loading spine inserts in seconds.
5 times faster than traditional view binders on the market.
No more damaging spine labels by wiggling, pushing or forcing them down the spine.
Clear overlay to customize front, spine and back cover.
Ring mounted on back lid to reduce wear on paper.
A Binders for Life™ product – Guaranteed for Life.

See it in action:

View this new product when you place your next order with us at FirstClassSOS.com

Tagged: binders, New Products, office supplies, Samsill

Office Wellness Checklist

First Class School & Office Supplies — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:53:50 +0000

As we enter the time of year when sick days are more frequent, we thought we would share a few quick tips for keeping your office healthy. Click on the images for more information about the products and how they’ll help keep sick days to a minimum.

Provide Hand Sanitizer: Reduce germ transfer by encouraging workers to use anti-bacterial gels, foams, or wipes.

Choose Antibacterial or Antimicrobial Supplies: File folders, staplers, and pens are just a few office essentials that are available with antibacterial or antimicrobial protection.

Have Remedies Ready and Available: Be prepared with a well-stocked first aid kit and over-the-counter remedies for minor injuries and illnesses.

Be Prepared for Emergencies: Provide safety equipment and be sure workers know where to go and what to do in emergencies.

Disinfect Your Desktop: Phones and keyboards are prime spots for germs, so clean and disinfect them often with wipes and sprays (or get a washable keyboard for the ultimate in bacterial protection).

For these and other health and wellness products, visit us at FirstClassSOS.com

Tagged: Cleaning & Breakroom, Office Wellness

2011 Breast Cancer Awareness: Pink Office Products

First Class School & Office Supplies — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:02:56 +0000

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and there are plenty of pink office products that support the cause.

: MIIPINK6075

Medline is, once again, raising awareness through dance with their Pink Glove Dance Competition. It started with one hospital in Portland, Oregon showing their support for breast cancer awareness…now it has grown into a national phenomenon. Their Pink Generation Exam Gloves help increase breast cancer awareness. Latex-free exam gloves are made with patented third-generation stretch synthetic vinyl technology. This innovative polymer formulation provides outstanding sensitivity, softness and comfort. A portion of the proceeds from these exam gloves will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation to help fund free mammograms for those who cannot afford them.

: Sanford BCA Promo

Now through December 31, 2012, when you purchase these Pink at Work products, you will help Sanford® reach their goal donation of $1,000,000 or more to City of Hope, an innovative center for breast cancer research, treatment and education. Products include Sharpie® markers and highlighters, Liquid Paper®, Expo® dry erase markers, pens, and more. Visit PinkatWork.com for more information.

: Smead Pink Duck offer

Smead® will donate $1 for every redemption of their special offer to receive this, very cute, pink duck. All you have to do is purchase 2 packs of qualifying presentation products between now and October 31, 2o11.

These are just a few of the manufacturers that support Breast Cancer Awareness all year long. We’ve created a full list of this year’s pink office products that are available now for your office.

2011 BCA Products Flyer

Make a Difference…Think Pink!

Tagged: "Think Pink", BCA, Breast Cancer Awareness

Remanufactured Cartridge Myths and Truths

First Class School & Office Supplies — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:53:14 +0000

We offer remanufactured equivalents to most OEM ink and laser cartridges. Remanufactured cartridges have received a bad reputation over the years, but today’s cartridges have come a long way from the old ‘drill and fill’ days. While they still offer dramatic savings over manufacturer’s brands, today’s remanufactured cartridges go through a series of steps that are monitored by dedicated Quality Control experts. Each step in the production process undergoes regular and spot inspections to guarantee that the products meet the expectations of the consumer. There is an 8-step inkjet remanufacturing process and a 10-step laser remanufacturing process to ensure quality and reliability.

So why do so many companies still purchase OEM cartridges for their office machines? According to ConsumerChoice.info, a site sponsored by the International Imaging Technology Council, here are some of the major myths and misconceptions regarding remanufactured cartridges:

Myth #1: Use of A Remanufactured Cartridges Will Void Your Printer Warranty
Truth: Fair Trade Laws forbid making use of a specific product a condition of a warranty unless the product is provided at no cost to the user. That means that it is illegal for manufacturers to mandate the purchase of OEM cartridges. See the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and Magnusson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act for more information on this.

Myth #2: Remanufactured Cartridges Are Inferior To New Ones
Truth: As stated above, the process to produce these cartridges is monitored and tested for quality assurance to certify that they will perform as well as those made and sold as new by OEMs.

Myth #3: Defective Toner Cartridges Damage Printers Causing Expensive Repairs
Truth: Elite Image Cartridges are backed by a “No Risk Quality Guarantee” for the product AND the printer that it goes in. Because cartridges are generally self-contained, they make limited contact with printer parts. All cartridges (remanufatured and OEM) will deposit some toner inside a printer over time. Removing toner deposits is part of the routine maintenance required to maintain most printer warranties.

Myth #4: Remanufacturers Reuse Toner In Their Cartridges
Truth: All cartridges are cleaned and any ink or toner residue is removed as part of the remanufacturing process. They are then filled ink or toner that is formulated to produce premium print images and minimize spreading or feathering, so reproduction is crisp on most popular papers.

Myth #5: Remanufacturers Just Replace the Toner In Cartridges
Truth: This is a misconception left over from the ‘drill & fill’ days. As stated previously, today’s cartridges go through a multi-step process before they are filled and ready to be sold.

One final reason to consider remanufactured cartridges: they’re good for the environment! The remanufactured toner process emits 60% fewer carbon equivalents than manufacturing a new cartridge. Each remanufactured toner helps save 2 quarts of oil. Elite Image® has partnered with EcoPath Recycling to provide environmentally responsible programs to recycle empty inkjet and toner cartridges as well as cell phones, iPods, and small electronic devices.

For more information on Elite Image and EcoPath Recycling, visit us at FirstClassSOS.com

Tagged: EcoPath Recycling, Elite Image, GoGreen

Creating Virtual Post-it® Notes

First Class School & Office Supplies — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:33:43 +0000

Available for iPhone and iPad now, with Android and Windows Phone versions coming soon, this app allows you to create a note on a Post-it on-the-go.

With this app you can:

Create notes by typing and/or drawing.
Choose from nine different Post-it note colors.
Invite friends to share notes only you and your friends can see.
Control who gets to see the notes you post – just yourself, your friends or everyone.
View notes posted by you and others within 500 yards of your current location.
Set reminders that include date and time with the option to tie your note to a location.
Set location-based reminders anywhere in the U.S.

Ways you could use this app might include:

Create notes and reminders for yourself.
Leave a note at the store that reminds you to pick up milk when you get there.
Share reviews at theaters, recommendations at restaurants or tips at fishing holes.
Leave a sweet note for that special someone at the airport when they land.
View notes at the local salon so you can make an appointment with the best hair stylist.
Explore new cities by finding notes with advice and recommendations left by others.

Think of it as a cross between Notepad + Twitter + Foursquare + Yelp.

For more information and to download the app, visit the Post-it website.

Tagged: Apps, Post-it, Productivity

How To: Sharpie® Tye-Dye

First Class School & Office Supplies — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:49:48 +0000

Tagged: Crafts, How to, Sharpie