Flipcharts, Easels, and Pads 

While tech-driven presentation aids such as PowerPoint, tend to rule the roost in the 21st-century office, flipcharts still have a role to play. Analogue, in the old-school sense of the word, they don’t require plugging in and there aren’t any passwords to remember. On top of that, you don’t have to worry about power outages bringing your presentation to an unwelcome halt. 

Flipping good 

However, flipchart pads aren’t confined to the world of presentation. They also work as a valuable aid in brainstorming sessions. With the sheets of paper secured at the top of the page, you can evolve ideas together and, once the page is full, flip it over to continue their development. Should you need to reference an earlier comment or suggestion, it’s merely a case of flipping back to the previous page.  

Using flipcharts in presentation or brainstorming environments makes your session a much more intimate and engaging affair, treating your flipchart easels and pad as an aid, as opposed to being the sole focus of the meeting. Contributors and students can write on the pad, so there’s a mutual exchange of opinions and viewpoints, making for a more memorable and interactive experience. 

Portable and convenient 

On a practical level, moving a flipchart stand and pads is much more convenient than unplugging a laptop, projector, and putting away a screen. Fold away your flipchart easel, close up your pad and you’re ready to set up in the next conference room or venue. 

While there’s plenty to be said for paper and pen flipcharts, not everyone knows how to make the most of them. If you’ve been tasked with a presentation or a brainstorming session, there here are a few tips that can take yours to the next level. 

Making the most of your flipchart 

• Know your tools. Some charts allow you to hang flipchart pads from a small clamp at the top, while others allow you to prop your pad up on a small shelf. Inspect your flipchart easel before your meeting, to be sure how it works. At Avansas, we sell both kinds of flipchart stand, allowing you to choose the one that best suits your style of presentation. All the information you need is set out clearly beside the photo of each of our products.
• Check that your easel is the right height for the job. To make things easier, we sell adjustable flipchart easels, so you can set it to the perfect height for you and your audience.
• If you’ve got pre-written notes in your pad, it can be worth slipping in a blank sheet of paper over anything you don’t want your delegates to see in advance. That way, you can still maintain the element of surprise or ensure that your students or colleagues only focus on one topic at a time.
• It’s far better to use flipchart markers than any other kind. These are designed for use with flipchart pads and won’t blot or bleed through the paper, keeping your text and diagrams crisp and easy to see.
• Be sure that your pads are the right size for your flipchart stand. Too small and they’ll be dwarfed by the easel and look downright daft. Too large and they may not fit on your flipchart easel at all. You’ll find all the necessary measurements in the descriptions on the Avansas website.

Beyond paper and pen 

While there’s plenty to be said for paper and pen flipcharts, there are situations where they simply won’t work or are not practical. For example, you may be working in a space where there isn’t enough room for an easel, or you want a more permanent fixture. 

If you’re tight on space, check out our range of ‘magic’ whiteboard sheets. Made from thin yet durable sheets of whiteboard material, these can be hung from any wall or flat surface, using static. Combined with whiteboard markers, they serve much the same purpose as flipchart pads, with perhaps the only exception being that once the sheet is full, the notes need to be wiped away and can’t be referred to. However, as makeshift emergency charts, these are a close second to the original. 

Wall-hanging whiteboards 

Should you need something permanent, whiteboards make another good substitute. Secured to the wall with hidden fixings, they look professional and remove the need for setting up and taking down a flipchart stand every time the meeting room or classroom is in use. Browse our collection and you’ll even find tabletop flipchart easels, which act as the perfect backup when you need all the benefits of an old-school pad, but with all the space-saving benefits of a 21st Century office essential. 

As Europe’s leading provider of office accessories and supplies, we can offer outstanding products at outstanding prices. Whether you’re buying in bulk for your business or making a one-off purchase for yourself, we’ve got a range of delivery options to ensure your order is delivered as soon as you need it.