Beyond Folders : writing

Ampad’s New Shot Note Pads and App Gets You From Handwritten to Handheld

Community Manager — Thu, 30 May 2013 15:30:00 GMT

Despite our app happy world, paper pads are still the first choice of many for note taking and drawing. But the modern note taker no longer needs to choose paper over pixels or vice versa. Now, Ampad is introducing Ampad Shot Note Pads, a line of paper pads, and the Ampad Shot Note App, which work together to let users easily save, search and share handwritten notes, memos and drawings.

How Does it Work?

The Ampad Shot Note App is free, user-friendly and makes sorting, organizing and sharing info easier than ever. Simply download the free Ampad Shot Note App to your iPhone. Then chose from one of our six pads to take notes, jot down a memo or sketch a drawing. Next, simply snap a quick picture of your Ampad Shot Note paper using the Ampad Shot Note App and save and tag the file. Presto, you've gone from handwritten to handheld! Sharing your files is equally easy; send it to multiple recipients via email or upload to Evernote, DropBox or Twitter. You can even save it to your camera roll and send it as a message.

The Ampad Shot Note line of pads has something for everyone; the line includes:

5" x 8" writing pad - wide ruled
5" x 8" writing pad - dot graph
9" x 12" sketch pad - blank
8 ½" x 11 ¾" writing pad - wide ruled
8 ½" x 11 ¾" writing pad - dot graph
9 ½" x 7 ¾" notebook - medium ruled

Ampad Shot Note pads are available on amazon.com and staples.com

We want to know how you use the Ampad Shot Note pads and app. Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook page.

Note to Self: Time for a Writing Pad That Offers Better Organization and Customization

Community Manager — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 19:36:00 GMT

Note-Sorting. Evolved.

Ampad® SimpleSort™

The classic writing pad gets a makeover thanks to our new Ampad® SimpleSort™ Crossover Writing Pad, with open-and-close binder clips and repositionable papers that lets users reorganize notes easily.

Why reinvent the writing pad?

We've heard your message: paper pads still rule for note-taking but managing and finding notes in a paper pad can be challenging. You want the ability to reorder and reorganize your notes, again and again. Now, each new pad makes finding and organizing notes easier than ever.

Three dividers make sorting notes simple.
Add and subtract papers as needed.
One pad can manage multiple projects.

The Ampad SimpleSort™ Crossover Writing Pad provides exceptional, personalized organization without sacrificing portability and ease. Finally, a pad that lets you reorder your papers (and your thoughts!) with ease. Note-taking has evolved.

For more intelligent office products evolved to adapt to today's increasingly competitive business environment, visit our Pinterest page for additional products, tips and inspiration.

How to Write Persuasively and Why

Community Manager — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:01:00 GMT

To write is human. To persuade, divine. Writing clear, compelling communications that beguile readers with style and conviction is a must in the modern workplace. Do you want to convince readers of your viewpoint? Or to clearly communicate information or intentions? Of course you do!

Sharpen Your Writing Skills

Writing is a crucial part of the work day-to-day. Consider how many work products are written: e-mail, cover letters, sales pitches, internal memos, presentation and blog posts. Even the 140-character Tweet requires pint-sized punch.

Techniques, Not Talent

Pulitzer Prize writing requires enormous talent. Clear, compelling persuasive writing does not; rather it requires techniques anyone can master. So how to write persuasively?

Employ these techniques:

Create Strong Ideas (Simply state main ideas. To be persuasive, opinions must be understandable.)

Organize Logically (Chose to present your ideas directly or indirectly, don't meander between the two.)

Select an Appropriate Voice (Is a formal or casual tone appropriate? Most businesses writing should aim for a conversation, yet professional tone.)

Precise Words Only (Leave out qualifiers, excessive adjectives/adverbs, long lead-ins, clichés)

Employ Sentence Variety (Vary rhythm. Use a mix of short, punchy sentences offsetting longer ones.)

Correct Copy (There's no place for typos, grammatical errors.)

Polish the Presentation (How does the copy look? Make use of bullets and formatting to create white space. Keep it easy on the eyes, not dense.)

And, most importantly, proof read your work. Many times, when I believe I have done all of the above techniques, I proof my work, and find a mistake, or a better way to communicate an idea.

See what professional writers have to say on the topic:

Really serious about overhauling your writing skills? Invest in two classic references:

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction and Strunk's Elements of Style.

Do you have compelling examples of writing to share? What writers do you find persuasive and why? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Candie Harris