Wednesday 1 June 2016

Fans or Fans??




Fans or fans??

Isn't the weather lovely - but what to do when it becomes too stuffy in your office or warehouse - get yourself a fan (and not one in an Ireland jersey!)

The history of office fans starts between the years 1882 and 1886, in New Orleans, when LA resident Schuyler Skaats Wheeler invented a fan powered by electricity. It was commercially marketed by the American firm Crocker & Curtis electric motor company. In 1882, Philip Diehl introduced the electric ceiling fan. During this intense period of innovation, fans powered by alcohol, oil, or kerosene were common around the turn of the 20th century. 
Window and central air conditioning in the 1960s caused many companies to discontinue production of fans. But in the 1970s, with an increasing awareness of the cost of electricity and the amount of energy used to heat and cool homes, Victorian-style ceiling fans became popular again as both decorative and energy efficient units.
In 1998, Walter K. Boyd invented the HVLS ceiling fan. It was a slow moving fan with an eight foot diameter. Due to its size, the fan moved a large column of air and continuously mixed fresh air with the stale air inside. They are used in many industrial and agricultural settings, because of their energy efficiency.
But these are not  the only fans were thinking of this summer as many Irish Football Fans head down to France this summer for Euro 2016 -Good luck and safe travels from all of us here at Office Supplies Ireland- and if its getting too stuffy in your office just call us to order a nice cooling fan 

Wednesday 27 April 2016

WORLD STATIONERY DAY

 



The Power of the Written Word

Writing, and being able to write by hand matters and is as important as ever, even in an increasingly digital world.
92% of adults think that writing by hand is important and 97% think it is important for children to be taught to write.
You can never have too much stationery!
The aim is to get people all over the world talking and writing about stationery, and why writing by hand is important.
Let’s get more people putting pen to paper and writing more often – especially children – and send more letters and cards, especially to those we care for, rather than just text or email. It’s much more personal.

A is for: Archives. Handwritten documents and notes have been passed down through centuries to permanently record some of history’s most important events – not just consigned to a virtual trash bin

B is for: Beauty. A hastily-drawn up email will never capture the beauty of a handwritten letter. 

C is for: Caring, Courtesy, Creativity and Convenience. Handwritten notes, letters and cards are the most personal form of communication. Emails declaring ‘I love you’ just don’t cut it! Think love letters and cards that are treasured for decades. A handwritten letter also shows courtesy. 

D is for: Diaries. Imagine pouring out your innermost thoughts, feelings and emotions and keeping it stored in a computer file to treasure for all time. Doesn’t have the same ring does it? 

E is for: Education. The computer era is upon us but when schools, colleges and universities set a project they still expect it to be completed in legible handwriting. It’s up there with reading and ‘rithmetic as one of the cornerstones of literacy.

F is for: Failsafe. There’s no need to rely on computer batteries or storage space. Handwriting can be enjoyed anywhere, at any time, without the need to rely on technology. 

G is for: Generations. If something ain’t broke then don’t fix it! Generation upon generation has used handwriting to get its message across. It’s as important now as it ever has been in the past. 

H is for: History. We know so much about the rich past of the world we live in because of handwritten documents passed down over time. There were no emails when the Magna Carta was drawn up.

 I is for: Imagination. Crafting a handwritten letter stimulates the brain and imagination, and is proven to heighten the feel-good factor. 

J is for: Jargon. Can you remember the most important documents of all time being littered with LOLs, ROFLs or L8Rs? No, neither can we! Handwriting encourages the correct use of language. 

K is for: Knowledge. They say that knowledge is power. It is proven that the brain takes in far more information when it is being written down. 

L is for: Learning. Evidence suggests that the links between handwriting and broader educational development run deep. Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they also remain better able to generate ideas and retain information. 

M is for: Memory. Handwriting enhances brain activity and memory, helping to keep the mind sharp.

N is for: Nostalgia. Have you ever dug out old school notebooks, diaries and cards from years gone by to relive happy memories from the past? Threads to text messages and emails just don’t provide the same sense of nostalgia.

O is for: Opulent. It’s not just artists that get to go wild with creativity. Beautiful handwriting brings a page to life. 

P is for: Personal. There’s nothing more personal than a handwritten letter or card to say thank you, sorry or congratulations, or simply that you are thinking of someone. It means a lot, which is why handwritten letters and cards will always be opened first. 

Q is for: Quill. Take a moment to step back in time! The quill was used to write with ink before the invention of the dip pen. Shakespeare’s world-famous plays would have been written down using a quill – and the literary masterpieces have certainly stood the test of time. Many of today’s authors still write their first drafts by hand. 

R is for: romance. Great love stories tend not be to rooted in the foundation of a text message or email! Think instead of soldiers in battle taking hope from letters sent from their loved ones back home or cards filled with soppy scribblings and cherished for years. 

S is for: Signature. Even if you’re never intending to become a scribe, everyone should practice their signature. Some of the most memorable moments in history have come from people signing on the dotted line….think treaties, marriages, births, autographs – or even football contracts! 

T is for: Text Messages. Texts are a handy way of quick communication but they’ll never beat a carefully crafted handwritten message. 

U is for: Unique. Nobody wants to follow the crowd so handwriting is a perfect tool to express personality and individuality. Every person’s handwriting is unique and says something about them. 

V is for: Vision. Our vision is for writing by hand to co-exist in perfect harmony with technology in this digital age. 

W is for: Writing. Writing by hand matters….worldwide.

X is for: X Factor. Handwritten notes have that extra little something that makes them super special! 

Y is for: You. Just like fashion sense and choice of hairstyles, handwriting says a lot about who you are. 

Z is for: Zeal. It’s what people feel for writing and stationery

Friday 22 April 2016

World Earth Day




9 ways to travel more sustainably


1. Pick destinations based on their commitments to sustainable practices
Take some time to research travel companies before booking your trip, and choose organisations that have a proven record in environmental best practice and that support local communities, suppliers and artisans in the destinations that they serve.

2. Travel with a refillable water bottle
Knowing that you can’t take liquids through airport security, many people buy expensive bottles of water in terminal departure lounges, which then need to be thrown away on, or after the flight. Instead, clear security with an empty refillable water bottle in your bag, and top up from a water fountain or ask a coffee shop or restaurant to fill it for you when you get airside. Not only will this save you money, but it will reduce plastic consumption, as well as giving you a reusable water bottle to keep filled when exploring your end destination. Plastic consumption is a very real problem; every single piece of plastic ever created still exists today.

3. Avoid using hotel amenities
Using the single serving shampoos and shower gels offered in hotel bathrooms creates a lot of wasted plastic. By bringing your own products from home in refillable bottles, you can significantly decrease the volume of single serving containers consumed

4. Don’t brush your teeth with the water running
Leaving the water running wastes six litres per minute, so taking this simple step can save up to 12-18 litres per time and, cumulatively, can have a big positive impact on water preservation.


5. Reuse towels and turn off air conditioning
Turning off lights, appliances and, most importantly, air conditioning units when you leave your room can have a big impact on the amount of energy consumed. Hanging your towels once you’ve finished with them will signify to the housekeeper that you are happy to use them again.

6. Buy locally
Shopping with local vendors, eating in locally-owned restaurants and hiring local guides are great ways to financially support the communities that you visit.

7. Choose low-impact recreational activities
Engage in low-impact activities on holiday. These are sports and excursions that don’t disturb the environment or local communities, and that avoid using a lot of fossil fuels. 


8. Don’t disturb the flora or fauna
It’s important to keep a respectful distance from wildlife and to avoid making loud noises or using motorised equipment in close proximity; animals don’t like to be disturbed and it can disrupt their natural habitats. Don’t pick flowers and definitely don’t remove shells from the beach, tempting though they may be. Shells stabilise beaches, anchor sea grass, and provide homes and hiding places for creatures such as hermit crabs and small fish, so reducing shell abundance can disrupt aquatic ecosystems. And, of course, don’t litter! Make sure you take your rubbish with you, and find somewhere suitable to recycle it.


9. Contribute something to the place you’re visiting
Supporting local businesses and spending money in lesser-visited communities helps to give something back to the places that you visit, but there are many things you can do to make a more significant impact


Wednesday 20 April 2016

No Paper Clip? DO NOT PANIC Here's What To Do

No Paper Clip? DO NOT PANIC Here's What To Do

1. Align the papers. Here we’re using 5 sheets of letter-size.
2. Fold a triangle on the left-hand corner and crease. The fold (the longest part) is about 5.2cm long, however measuring is not necessary.
3. Make a 1cm-long slit using a scissors , about 2cm from the edge, then cut another about 1cm away from the first one.
4. Fold and crease the flap as shown.
You could stop at Step 4, which is officially the end. The next 3 steps seek to hold the flap down.
5. Lift up the flap from Step 4 and create that little hollow space.
6. At the top of the flap, press it down to flatten.
7. Fold down the 2 halves.
Finished!
This is how it looks after you’ve completed all the steps, except for the triangle (Step 2), which has been folded over to the back of the stack instead of forward.
Tips
The heavier the paper, the bigger the triangle fold and the deeper the slits. The maximum is 15 sheets.

Wednesday 6 April 2016

How to clean your screen and your keyboard


It is springcleaning time, but today we would like to give some advice in an activity that needs to happen more than once a year!.

Cleaning your screen and your keyboard is a boring job, it takes time and, expecially for the keyboard, it seems a hard operation.

Furthermore, all electrical devices are pretty delicate, and a wrong cleaning operation might damage them.

But, with the right equipment, you will reach an excellent result in no time.

FOR THE SCREEN


  • Use a specific detergent for screens. Common detergents for glass are not really suitable, because their composition is many times too aggressive for special surfaces like LCD screens.
  • Don't spray the detergent directly on the screen. It is preferable a soft antistatic cloth, previously wet with the cleaning solution, and to use a light touch during the cleaning operation.
  • Pay attention to the cloth. Wrong materials might scratch the screen.
  • Use a small brush for the frame's angles.
  • If you are cleaning your laptop screen, before closing it wait a complete drying.
FOR THE KEYBOARD

  • Use an air duster for removing  the dust present between tastes. Start from the center and then, slowly, move towards the sides.
  • Use a small brush for eliminating eventual residues.
  • Clean the entire keyboard surface with an antistatic cloth and a suitable cleaning solution.



We have a wide range of specific computer cleaning products. For all your necessities, visit our website. You will find the right solution!

Wednesday 30 March 2016

A paperless society - Is it a myth


It was 1978 when Frederick Wilfrid Lancaster made a theory which said in coming years that society would have been paperless.

After almost 40 years, we can say that Lancaster's concept is still utopian.

By and large, more than half of European families claims to use a printer or a photocopier at least twice per week.

If we look companies behaviour, a recent study has revealed that, despite the digitization of a significant amount of documents, in the most part office workers prefer to use printed sheets.

Paper is an important resource for the environment, and we recommend not wasting it.

But we also offer a wide range of different kind of papers, and if you have a particular necessity, visit our website! You will surely find the solution!

Tuesday 22 March 2016

Easter Rising

Irish Republic flag that flew over the GPO during the Easter Rising.
This weekend will see the Easter Rising being commemorated in Ireland. 
 
We remember all those who lost their lives fighting for this country.
 
The Easter Rising was a transformative event for modern Ireland which paved our way for our independence, 1916 set Ireland on the road to independence! 
 
It was a significant event in seperate but overlapping histories of Ireland and Britian.
 
The past century has seen many ups and downs in British-Irish relations! But seeks to look ahead to the future relations between our two countries.

We hope you all have a wonderful Easter!

Thursday 10 March 2016

Inkjet or laser printer: which is the best choice?

The answer is: it depends.

There are several differences between these two different types of printing, but the biggest difference is the cost.

An inkjet printer has a low start upcost and is less expensive than a laser printer. They are great for photos and heavy image documents.

A laser printer is more expensive, but can give you an average cost per copy lower than an inkjet printer, better reliability and longer life. Laser printers use "toner" cartridges, a particular powder which doesn't dry out and can also produce up to thousands of different prints.

Other differences among inkjet and laser printers are the speed and quality.

An inkjet printer is generally slower than a laser printer, but the results in printed pages are better, with a higher precision and brighter colours. On the other side, if you need to print a massive quantity of text pages or documents, the choice of a laser printer is definitely the best one.

The choice depends on what you need - if you are unsure, just contact us! We have a wide range of printers and can give you the right advice!

Thursday 3 March 2016

Great Irish Writers

Great Irish Writers

Ireland is very proud of its literary heritage.
We've produced a huge number of talented writers over the years such as William Butler Yeats, Seamus Heaney, Flann O'Brien and Oscar Wilde and more recently Maeve Binchy, Roddy Doyle and Colm Toibin. Irish literature is one of the great literatures of the modern world. We have the gift of the gab and the gift of the quill.

Here at Office Supplies Ireland, we have a great range of high quality pens, notepads and paper to cover all your writing needs! So if you fancy yourself as the next Great Irish Writer pop in to see us !





Monday 29 February 2016

Leap Year 2016 –Weird facts about 

29 February

                                 
  1. The 29th February is called Bachelor's Day in Ireland, when women are allowed to propose to men. Queen Margaret of Scotland began the tradition in 1288. If a man refused the proposal, he would be fined a kiss, a silk dress or 12 pairs of gloves.
  2. Julius Caesar introduced the idea when he ordered his astronomer, Sosigenes, to simplify the calendar. Sosigenes opted for the 365-day year with an extra day every four years to scoop up the extra hours. But he created too many leap years. Every 400 years, there are an three extra days, so to compensate, centuries must be divisible by 400 to count as leap years. Years like 1700, 1800 and 1900 are only 365 days long, rather than 366.
  3. The chances of having a birthday on a leap day are about one in 1,461.
  4. The Henriksen family from Norway had their children on leap days in 1960, 1964 and 1968. Most recently the family to tie the record is the Estes family from Utah. Their children were born in 2004, 2008 and 2012.
  5. The eighth premier of Tasmania, James Milne Wilson, was born on a leap day and died on a leap day in the 1800s.
  6. In order to gain the trust of the indigenous people of Jamaica, Christopher Columbus used the lunar eclipse on February 29, 1504, to trick them. The local chiefs had stopped helping his crew with the food and provisions they had been supplying. Columbus warned them that God was going to punish them by painting the moon red. During the eclipse, Columbus said God would end the punishment if they cooperated. The chiefs capitulated and agreed to give them supplies, and saw that the lunar eclipse had ended.
  7. The first warrants of the Salem witch trials were issued on February 29, 1692. The trials continued until early 1693 and resulted in the execution of 20 people and the death of seven others in jail, History.com reported.
  8. In Greece couples avoid getting married in a leap year. They believe it is bad luck.
  9. In Russia it is believed a leap year is likely to bring more freak weather patterns and a greater risk of death all round.
  10. In Taiwan, married daughters traditionally return home during the leap month as it is believed the lunar month can bring bad health to parents. Daughters bring pig trotter noodles to wish them good health and good fortune.

Thursday 18 February 2016

A list of good reasons why going to office by bike is a good idea

Now that spring is coming, why not change your commuting habits and get out your bike - it will be good for your health and for your piggy bank.
  • Using the bike is healthy, for your heart, for your lungs and, if you are a little bit overwight, to help you get fit
  • It is free (almost!)
  • It makes you happier. It is demonstrated, in fact, that starting the day with exercise stimulates the production of serotonin, the hormone of humour.
  • It gives you a sense of freedom, avoiding spending time stuck in traffic, in overcrowded carriages, or waiting a bus that doesn't arrive.
While on your bike don't forget to be safe and be seen. Remember your helmet, wear your high visibility vest and use bike lights for showing your presence.

And then enjoy!

Thursday 11 February 2016

Valentine's Day

                                                      Love is in the air!



It's coming up to that time of year again. Valentines day. A day to show those closest to us exactly how much you love them. And it's only around the corner!
We are giving away a lovely valentines day hamper! If you havent entered yet, you still have time!
All you have to do is retweet our valentines day competition tweet over on our twitter or like and share our facebook post!

Good luck everyone!!


Thursday 4 February 2016

It's election time!

The general election was called yesterday,

And the election is approaching. Signs are popping up everywhere. All politicians will be needing envelopes, forms, signs, seals and paper in abundance in the next few weeks.

We do our very best to ensure all politicians have the necessary supplies to run a successful election.

Also if you are looking for some furniture for your temporary campaign headquarters give us a call or stop in and take a look at our second hand furniture and see what we can do for you.

So vote Office Supplies Ireland!!



Thursday 28 January 2016

Second hand office furniture

Buying second hand furniture can save you time and money and its very environmentally friendly

Here's a few tips when looking at buying second hand furniture

-Make sure it is in good condition and it is clean
-Make sure that Chairs are working properly (arms, height adjustment etc) and that they won't fall apart
-Make sure there are keys for filing cabinets or lockable cabinets or drawers
-Ask about delivery - we can deliver most items for you at very good rates

We will only offer you the very best of quality items at the great prices - we get new used furniture stock in every week so check into our Ballymount store or our Facebook page for the latest offers

Have a look at our second hand furniture - we have great deals that are sure to catch your eye!!


Thursday 21 January 2016

New HP DeskJet 3630 Printer

                                                                         

Keep it simple with an affordable sleek and stylish all-in-one HP DeskJet 3630 printer!

This device covers all your printing needs. Printer, scanner and copier complete with wifi connectivity.

Start printing and get connected quickly with easy setup from your smartphone, tablet or pc!

Print high quality documents and photos in black and white and in colour.

Compact all-in-one designed to fit on your desk, or anywhere you need it!

Here is a link to the printer on our website to find out more:


Thursday 14 January 2016

The history of the eraser

Down the ages, people have made mistakes writing. During the Roman Empire, writers scratched their own wax tablets.

But after Americas discovery, Christopher Columbus brought back to Europe rubber balls made by Indians. At that time, rubber was produced from gum trees; Indians used that to make balls for games, shoes, hats, tools and many other things.

At the beginning, Columbus didn't understand the versatility of the new material, he only used the rubber balls to play with, just like the Indians did. But, the difference in temperature in Europe made it difficult. The rubber balls got hard in Winter and sticky in Summer. Columbus's idea was quickly given up.
.
Shortly after in 1770, Joseph Priestley noticed that rubber erased pencils writing. It was a huge success.

And finally in 1858 the last step was to put the eraser on the end of pencils, made by Imeneo Lipman

We have a wide range of erasers in our catalogue. Find the right one for you!


Wednesday 13 January 2016

Cold weather

The recent weather has been shocking and there is more cold weather on the way too. It is important to be prepared.

Stay warm in your office, with a cosy office heater, and some tea and coffee.

And always have a torch with extra batteries and a high vis vest when out for a walk in the dark evenings.

Watch out for ice and frost on the roads in the mornings - use a de-icing spray to clear your windscreen. 

Make sure to stock up on all the essential supplies.

Cheer up - it will be Spring soon!!

Thursday 7 January 2016

New Years Resolutions

  


Happy 2016 everyone! It is the time of year that many of us start making New Year's resolutions. Here are a few resolutions you might want to make.

It is a brand New Year! Start the year off with a new diary, calendar, and year planner !

Setting up an office in your house, you will need a desk, chair, printer and files etc.

And getting organised by organising your papers, we have all the files, folders and bits you will need

We all hope the New Year will be full of joy and happiness!