At a meeting, one of the design engineers opened a 3-ring notebook and ripped open the Velcro closure of a Smead 3-Ring Clear Poly Envelope. He then proceeded to pull out an assortment of different-sized documents. Until that time, I had never seen one of these organizers. Once I saw it, though, I knew I had to have some!


Description

Each 3-hole punched polypropylene envelope measures 9 5/8” wide x 11 1/2” high (this includes the measurement of the 3-ring tab). The envelope is designed to hold 8 1/2” x 11” or smaller documents and larger papers can be folded to fit inside.

Looking at the envelope, the long side closest to the notebook rings is pleated as are the two shorter sides, allowing the envelope to hold up to a 1 1/4" stack of documents. On the side of the envelope opposite the 3-ring holes is a Velcro flap. The Velcro strips are 1 1/2" long to allow easement, depending upon how much material is inside the poly envelope.

The see-through envelope is constructed from very durable polypropylene. The envelope is smooth, almost slick to the touch. It will fit into any standard 3-ring notebook.


My Experiences

I always thought there should be an easier solution that allowed different sized papers (everything from business cards and photographs to larger-than-normal paper) to fit into a 3-ring notebook. In the past, I had tried fitting these odd-size items into interior notebook pockets, but the smaller items usually disappeared from sight.

Imagine my surprise when the design engineer ripped open the Velcro flap on one of these poly envelopes and proceeded to pull out assorted-size documents. It was like watching clowns tumble out of a circus clown car. The papers kept coming out of the envelope, all neatly stored and ready to reference.

I later learned that the design engineer had an assortment of notebooks for different projects. Each notebook held several of these poly envelopes, and each envelope contained different aspects of the project.

At the time I saw these poly envelopes, I was in the middle of a project, organizing material into 3-ring notebooks. Most of the papers were letter-size (8 1/2" x 11”). However, there were some smaller papers that I wanted to include. Ta da! The poly envelope was the perfect solution.

It is great that these poly envelopes are clear. I can easily see their contents. If I wanted, I can type a coversheet listing the contents of the envelope (and insert the list into the see-through envelope), so at a glance I would know exactly what papers it contained. The poly envelopes work exactly like a 3-hole-punched piece of paper, too. They fit neatly over the rings of the notebook. With the flap on the right side of the envelope, its contents are easily accessible. All I need do is open the envelope and pull out whatever papers are needed.

I store my notebooks on end. So far I have had no problem with the papers inside the envelopes curling. The pleated sides act as a holder to keep the paper straight and in place.

Since these envelopes are constructed from polypropylene material, they are also water resistant. By water resistant, I mean that if you are carrying one of these envelopes through a light rain shower, the rain sprinkles won’t penetrate the poly envelope. However, if someone spills a cup of coffee on the envelope … well, the envelope flap is only held in place with a piece of Velcro, so it is possible that the coffee could find a way inside


Purchasing

These poly envelopes come with three envelopes to the package. They sell at Staples for $6.99.


Summary

I am glad I discovered the Smead 3-Ring Clear Poly Envelopes. They present a professional way to keep information organized. If you need a solution for separating information for a large project, or if you need a way to store papers of varying size … then I recommend you try this product. It certainly helped me.

I hope you have found this review useful.

Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com


Please read more of my reviews:

Swingline Electric 3-Hole Punch

Avery Durable Ring Binder -- 1” Capacity

Avery Durable Slant Ring Binder -- 2” Capacity

Acco Binder Clips

Pendaflex Hanging File Folders with Info Pocket

Oxford Twin-Pocket Folder with 3-Tang Fasteners

Smead Slash Jacket Pocket Folder

Duraclip Clear-Front Vinyl Report Cover

Avery Big Tab Notebook Dividers

Avery File Folder Labels – Assorted Colors

Avery File Folder Labels – White for extra writing room

Avery White Business Cards


Copyright 2006 Dawn L. Stewart


Recommended: Yes