FOLDERS

Folders are the basis of filing because records are kept in the folders first. It is creased at the bottom to hold papers , letters and other records . Several types of folder are designed for special needs . They are made of manila papers or some other strong flexible substance. Now a days , plastic folders are being widely used. The front of the folders is slightly lower than the back. The extended back or the tab is used to write the caption .It also provide the necessary details about the contents. Folders tabs are obtainable in nearly any cut or position desired. In the cabinet when folder are kept , the tabs or extended edges are visible in a sequence so that captions can be read easily ,quickly and promptly. The folders may be of two kinds, in one the papers are held by clip or holder or punched hole device and in the other the papers remain loose.

GUIDES

Guides are the key to efficient filing. It helps in filing and locating folders accurately and quickly. Without them , records will not stand up right properly in the drawer. Guides are usually made of heavy cardboard or press board. This materials is strong enough to last a long time,and also to help hold the records in an upright position.
guides also serves as signpost to speed finding and filing folders. Records are always fled behind the guides, which indicates their position. To make visible all the tabs of the guides, these tabs are often staggered so that the second tab is at the right of the first, and so on. Without guides we would be wasting a great deal of time in finding records. The number of guides , the tab size and position , and the quality of construction depend upon the filing system being used . Guides can be alphabetic guide , geographic guide , numeric guide , out guide etc.