How Does a Paper Folder Work?

Protecting

Paper folders usually are made out of thick card stock, and protect the documents inside. They are better able to withstand being stuffed into a backpack or bumped about in a briefcase, being opened and closed many times, and shielding the documents inside from spills and splatters.

Attaching

Folders can be plain, or have two pockets and brads along the seam to hold paper. The pockets sometimes have perforations to slip a business card into. The pockets can hold 10 to 20 pages each without compromising the integrity of the folder. The brads allow for permanent and secure attachment of documents. Pages can be removed and added to the brads as needed.

Organizing

A paper folder organizes documents. For example, recipes can be arranged in a certain way inside a folder and separated by tabs, such as appetizers, main dishes and desserts. Or, one folder can represent a specific category, such as a cooking file that contains one folder for casserole dishes, another for sauces and dressings, and one for vegetarian recipes. Either way, a folder gives order to loose papers.