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About This Quiz
Are you an expert in identifying office supplies? Let's try it with this quiz!
But first, let's be clear about our definitions. When we say office supplies, we will include many consumable items in this quiz. Consumables include materials used often and their supplies run out within a week or even a day. They're the ones that the administrative department replenishes regularly.Â
These consumables also have various categories. Most of them are paper products, though. Yes, no matter how hard we try to go paperless, certain offices find it impossible to do so. Certain official requirements really need paper.
Aside from paper products, many consumables are writing supplies, too. Even if an office is well-equipped with computers and digital devices, "analog writing" still saves the day in certain cases. Technically, small office appliances or equipment also count as office supplies. But for this quiz, we'll leave out this stuff and include universally known small devices only.
People who plan to set up a home office can enjoy knowing the different categories. A Staples expert recommends making a checklist to help people monitor their office supplies needs. Their recommended categories include desk supplies, filing supplies, paper products, computer-related supplies, time tracking materials, mailing supplies, binding needs and identification supplies. You'll find many examples of these materials in the quiz.
So, are you ready to clock in? Let's get to it, then. Happy working!
Puncher
Stapler
No matter what business they're involved in, companies need staplers in their offices. The first stapler patents appeared during the 1860s and 1870s. Different inventors worked on their own versions for their respective patents.
Shredder
Laminator
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Planner
Legal pad
Sticky notes
Our digital sticky note apps for computer desktops owe a debt of gratitude to paper Post-its. It's the known 3M brand of sticky notes that now come in colorful designs and shapes. The original Post-it, though, looked like a small block of legal ruled yellow pad.
Journal
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Scissors
Your office scissors may look snazzy, but this tool already existed during antiquity. Records and artifacts show that Egyptians were using their own kind of scissors a long time ago. Ancient Romans followed suit and created scissors of their own design.
Push pins
Thumbtacks
Glue gun
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Highlighters
Permanent markers
Whiteboard markers
Whiteboard markers are easy to erase using a soft cloth or even tissue paper. No matter the brand, these writing instruments dry up easily when their caps are not put back on them. Some brands also emit a pungent, offensive smell; choose what to use wisely.
Fountain pen
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Fastener
Push pin
Push pins differ from thumbtacks, so don't mix the two up. Push pins have longer heads, which make them easier to grab and pin to a surface. Thumbtacks have flat heads that make removing them frustrating and challenging, no matter what IQ level you have.
Bulldog clamp
Binder
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Ballpoint pen
In Scott Adams' humor book "Build a Better Life by Stealing Office Supplies," you can see Dogbert carrying a bunch of ballpoint pens on the cover. You can't see which brand his office uses, though. But for real-life reliable brands for office use, there's Bic and Pilot.
Notebook
Marker
Stamp pad
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Masking tape
Ring binder
Paper clip
We're all familiar with the two-loop design style of paper clips today, thanks to its ancestor named Gem clip. This Gem clip kind is the earliest prototype of this paper clip design; it appeared in the market during the early 1890s.
Glue
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Telegraph
Paper request
Letter envelope
The prototype of the modern-day letter envelope came after the invention of postal stamps. Before the invention of the envelope, people just folded their letters and used special seals to keep them private. Since stamps were costly then, only the rich could afford to send letters in envelopes.
Courier pack
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Armrest
Stress ball
Mouse pad
Aside from making the mouse move better, a typical mouse pad also helps workers lessen muscle stiffness or pain in their wrists. It's advisable to have one if the mouse you're using still has a rubber ball. If you're using an optical mouse, the mouse pad still serves as a good wrist assist.
Mini-pillow
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Laptop
Storage box
Flash drive
You can hear the term "USB" thrown around offices sometimes, but that's not the proper word for it. USB stands for universal serial bus, which refers to the computer port. A flash drive is the one that's inserted inside the USB; you can call it "USB flash drive" to be more accurate.
Keychain
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Shipping label
Manila envelope
Those brown or tan-colored envelopes in your office supplies closet are manila envelopes. They're made from manila hemp known as abaca; it's harvested from a banana species endemic to the Philippines. The name comes from the Philippine capital city of Manila.
Memo pad
Journal
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Pay slip
Checks
ID
Time card
Offices that haven't gone digital yet still use time cards for their employees. All workers need to insert these heavy cards on a time clock or punch clock. The card will make a time stamp of the employee's arrival and departure time at the office.
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Ink adapter
Toner cartridge
An inkjet printer uses liquid ink for its printing needs, while a laser printer uses a different device. Its ink version is in powder form, contained in a toner cartridge. Sometimes it's also called a laser cartridge, to differentiate it from an inkjet cartridge.
Charger
Casing
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Rolodex
Calendar
An office won't survive without a calendar, since schedules and deadlines are huge in this world. Offices that streamline their schedules online use calendar software that's accessible to all employees. A popular example is Google Calendar, which employees integrate into their email systems.
Journal
Itinerary list
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Tape
Adhesive tape comes in many forms that address various needs. Scotch tape is the common clear tape used in offices, but "Scotch" refers to a specific 3M brand. Another common office tape is masking tape; this one's easier to tear and handle.
Paste
Glue
Office bandage
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Document gatherer
Marker
Paperweight
Employees who can't get enough of artistic paperweights can join a club for this hobby. There's an American nonprofit organization called Paperweight Collectors Association Inc., which holds conventions every two years. They offer different membership types for paperweight enthusiasts.
Snow globe
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Mechanical pencil
Highlighter
Thank the Japanese for thinking of how to mark paper without ruining the ink already printed on it. Credit goes to Yukio Horie who combined a felt-tip pen with water-based ink to invent the highlighter. American manufacturer Carter's Ink picked up this early '60s invention and mass-marketed it.
Tab marker
Ball point pen
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Photo paper
Glossy paper
Printer paper
Before loading that office printer with paper, check which kind of printer you have. Inkjet printer paper comes in varied types which depend on what you'll be printing. Laser printer paper suits office paperwork better.
Vellum board
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Fasteners
The prong kind of paper file fasteners are still popular for office filing use. Effective workers use these to secure loose paper documents inside a file folder. They then store the folders inside filing cabinets or on office shelves.
Clippers
Bulldog clips
Tacks
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Shading stick
Technical pen
Fountain pen
Pencil
When the pencil first came about, it wasn't all round like what we use today. Carpenters used square ones since the round ones would roll off their tables. You can see this pencil type in Faber-Castell's private collection; they own the oldest known pencil, discovered in a 17th-century house.
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Clipboard
Digital natives might be more familiar with the clipboard concept found in mobile technology. But we still use the actual masonite or acrylic clipboard in various industries today. On media production sets, you can see people holding clipboards to check attached script pages, shooting schedules or checklists.
Bulldog clipper
Binder board
Folder board
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Glue
Mother nature was our first glue supplier, thanks to flora and fauna products. In ancient Egypt, hieroglyph records show that they used animal glue during that time. In the 1800s, manufacturers experimented on rubber tree extract to produce a natural kind of glue.
Rice stick
Duct tape
Clipper
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Tape binder
Tape puncher
Tape dispenser
Only the very Zen office mate has the power to get a piece of Scotch tape without a tape dispenser. The rest of us mere mortals have to thank the 3M employee named John Borden for inventing the first tape dispenser.
Tape cutter
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Mechanical pencil
Technical pen
Permanent marker
In case a sleepy office mate used permanent markers to write on your office whiteboard, don't fret. Write over the permanent mark using the whiteboard markers, then erase them. You can also ask around if someone has nail polish remover; acetone works, too.
Fountain pen
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Shredder
Thumbtack
Puncher
Calligraphy enthusiasts might be familiar with Friedrich Soennecken because of his round writing method. This German guy also invented the office puncher with the two holes. He also invented the ring binder folders.
Staple gun
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Abacus
Calculator
You can find a calculator in any typical office; but do you know which kind? The most common one is the basic calculator; it does the simple math calculations you need on a daily basis. But your finance department might also have a financial calculator for more complicated needs.
Protractor
Smartphone
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Thumbprint marker
Counterfeit detector
Stamp pad
Delivery people know this stamp pad system all too well. Whenever they hand out a document for delivery, they need to make sure it's officially received. The receiver will use a stamp pad and mark the paper accordingly, adding in a signature and the date.
Ticket puncher
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Receipt
Invoice
Shipping label
Certain office supplies stores call it different names. There's shipping label, return address label or parcel label. No matter the term, it has one clear aim: to state the sender's name and address. There's another label that also states the recipient's name and address.
Petty voucher
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Eraser
Offices usually buy rubber or gum erasers to supply erasing needs. But these types often leave particles and can damage the paper. If you want an eraser that won't leave particles, buy the kneaded eraser type used by artists.
White out
Corrective tape
Liquid Paper
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Small catalog
Mini-brochure
Business card
During the17th century, before the invention of the business card, sellers and advertisers used trade cards. These looked more like pretty postcards; they had product illustrations on the front and the sellers' or product details on the back. These trade cards eventually gave birth to business cards.
Portfolio summary
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Adhesive bandages
Offices have mandatory emergency kit supplies as part of office supplies, too. They should have basic medical supplies, like gauze, hand sanitizer, thermometer and more. Adhesive bandages like Band-Aids should be there, too.
Medical tape
Gauze
Cleansing wipes
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Cutter
Staple remover
Office mates with ninja moves can remove staples without the aid of staple removers. The rest of us need to thank William Pankonin for patenting this invention in the '30s. His proposed style for removing staples was to snag it from the whole staple side, not the folded ends side.
Protractor
Staple gun
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Rubber bands
Pre-Columbian populations like the Aztecs and Mayans already discovered rubber during ancient times. In modern times, other inventions paved the way for the rubber band's discovery. Vulcanized rubber and the rubber eraser came first before making the rubber band's existence plausible.
Electrical tape
Copper wire loops
Ribbons
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Mini-ledger
Mini-envelope
Paper wallet
Card holder
Employees in charge of business development need card holders on their desks. They're handy to use for safekeeping those important business cards from potential clients. The office can provide the plastic kind, the metal or mesh wire kind, the wooden kind or the leather kind.
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Bookends
When bookends were invented in the 1870s, the patent didn't label them as such. Patent records show that they were called "book support" instead. While they're clearly called book support, the patent mentioned that we can also use them for holding up photographs, cards or engravings.
Ring binders
Bulldog clips
Magazine stand
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Journal pages
Memo sheets
Notepad
Did you know that a notepad comes in different ruled kinds? They typical wide-ruled pads are the white ones, while legal pads come in yellow. For those who don't like ruled paper, there's also an unruled version for the free-flowing writer in you.
Phone message notes
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Packing tape
Bubble wrap
There's a Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, people; this is not a drill! It's celebrated every January, specifically during the last Monday of that month. If you run out of actual wrap to pop, you can buy a Mugen Pop-Pop keychain that simulates the experience. You're welcome!
Stylized styrofoam
Paper bedding
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Storage box
Did you notice that they also call these storage boxes "banker's boxes" sometimes? As its name suggests, banks were the original customers of these sturdy cardboard boxes. Today, these boxes are reliable enough to store more than bank records.
Wagon
Parcel box
Office luggage
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Soup
Water
Any office that treats employees as valuable humans should have a water cooler setup in their premises. Thirsty workers can drink cold or hot water whenever they want. There's a water cooler option now that dispenses sparkling flavored water, too.
Soda
Tea
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Flavored water
Soy milk
Energy drink
Coffee
No office is complete without a running coffee supply. Offices may offer different ways to fill this need. An office pantry usually has one coffee maker, but some offices prefer having coffee-dispensing vending machines for variety.
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