Large Capacity Folders vs. Standard Folders: Which Is Right for You?
Forecasting the correct type of folder for your business is tricky, especially in an era of plentiful variation. Spend more than a handful of hours looking for a presentation folder or something of the kind, and the two most popular options tend to be ‘large capacity’ and those without large capacity.
Recognizing that not everyone possesses experience in custom folder builds or knowledge of what their paper needs call for, this guide will do the heavy lifting—no capacity folder pun intended—and translate concepts used in the print industry to everyday language you can understand, helping you decide whether capacity or standard folders are suitable for your situation when the time comes.
What is a standard custom folder?
To clarify definitions, the term ‘custom’ simply refers to folders designed and tailored specifically to meet the branding, organizational, and presentation needs of businesses—rather than the generic kind you can buy at the store.
Standard presentation folders are go-to options for businessesregarding presentations and professional document storage, and for good reason. They’re typically used for smaller, more concise materials that take up little space: a standard custom folder might hold a few contracts, company literature, or promotional flyers. Depending on your paper needs, most standard folder pockets will carry limited documents, which vary with factors like stock weight.
Exploring large-capacity custom folders
On the other hand, high-capacity folders are made differently. If you’re dealing with multiple sections of materials, thick reports, or anything needing more space, these folders provide the structure and durability standard folders simply cannot.
Do you need a folder that holds several stapled packets in one pocket? A folder to organize complex project proposals in a way that looks simple and clean? Whatever one’s aim, there are several large-capacity folder builds that fit the bill. Some include:
3-Pocket Folders
● These folders like to play the contrarian; they offer three distinct compartments rather than the conventional two. Three-pocket folders are ideal for separating materials by categories, such as contracts, client proposals, and marketing collateral. This helps avoid lazily stuffing like-minded documents behind each other when they should sit in different sleeves altogether. The result is a neatly divided and easily accessible folder.
Reinforced Folders
● When capacity and durability are a concern, these folders tack on reinforcement strips on both panels for a sturdier design, which is particularly useful along the edges where dog-earring is common. Entrepreneurs needing to transport or store essential materials, like legal paperwork or training manuals, benefit from a folder that won’t warp or weaken over time—often the case when passed around or gripped one too many times.
Expanding/Conformer Folders
● Known for their unique ability to stretch without compromising structure, expandable capacity folders are fitted with a conformer technology that allows pockets to expand comfortably to accept voluminous material yet permits the cover to lie flat—offering a sleek, unburdened appearance. It’s not just that the pocket is expanding but the whole side panel, thanks to the folder’s expansion scores (these, for instance, allow conformer folders to snuggly fit roughly four times the paper of standard folders).
This is hardly an exhaustive list, with capacity folders that store heavier material available in several types to fit your specific needs. They’ll also fit your specific industry, with a list of potential candidates as follows:
Healthcare and Medical
● In healthcare settings, capacity folders provide a streamlined way to organize bulky patient files, including medical histories, lab results, and consent forms—crucial for when information needs to be easily pullable during patient consultations.
Legal and Accounting
● Legal and accounting firms, like medical facilities, accumulate extensive documentation, such as multi-page contracts, financial statements, and detailed reports.
Corporate Training
● You’ve probably seen a beefy employee training manual in your time. Onboarding materials like packets, schedules, and educational information add up, making a way to store them all the more important.
Why opt for a standard custom folder?
Standard custom folders, above all else, are reliable. You know exactly what you’re getting when you’re designing a presentation folder, as they provide a seemingly perfect recipe of features for your average situation: enough space for your typical paper needs and a customizable design for branding; they typically sell at a cheaper rate due to there being less moving parts in crafting them; and if you need to store them, many can fit into carton boxes and moved out of the way.
When the goal is simply organizing your work day, these folders are easy options for businesses that frequently distribute limited documents—and they can even be cost-effective when ordered in larger quantities.
When are large-capacity folders a better fit?
Large-capacity folders perform well in a world where businesses are constantly scaling up operations. As businesses grow, so does the volume and complexity of their documentation. A marketing firm presenting to a major client might need to include detailed proposals, campaign plans, case studies, and creative samples. Standard folders would struggle to fit all these elements without buckling, whereas large-capacity folders maintain a neat, flat-looking appearance despite the increased load—and that’s not even mentioning the varied media formats they carry, like USBs and CDs.
If you’re a part of any of the industries listed above and your daily operations call for a sturdier folder, a large-capacity option should certainly be in the cards.