Flip Chart Easels and Pads

A flip chart easel and a display easel are different things

Flip chart easels hold a large pad at presenting height. Tripod and single-mast types usually fold for storage; the writing board may be melamine for dry-erase use, and some have a rail or tray for markers. Tabletop easels, in wood, metal or plastic, hold a board, menu or picture upright on a desk and are sized by the height they display. Decide whether you need a stand for a pad or a small display stand before comparing.

The pad has to match the easel, and the marker the pad

Easel pads come in standard sheets of about 25 by 30 inches or 27 by 34 inches, in packs of two to four pads with 30 or 50 sheets each, and the easel's clamp must grip the pad's width. Plain, ruled and grid sheets suit different uses, such as brainstorming or charts. Water-based markers can bleed through thin sheets, so slip a spare sheet behind or choose heavier paper. Self-stick versions let you stick sheets straight onto a wall.

Questions about Flip Chart Easels and Pads

What size easel pad fits my easel?

Most flip chart easels take pads around 25 by 30 or 27 by 34 inches. The clamp must grip the pad's top edge, so check the easel's stated pad size or maximum width before buying a carton of pads.

Do easel pad sheets bleed through?

Thin sheets can let water-based marker ink show through onto the next page, while heavier or coated sheets resist it better. Slip a spare sheet behind the one you are writing on, and let ink dry before turning the page.

Can I stick easel sheets on a wall?

Only self-stick pads are designed for that, with an adhesive strip along the top of each sheet. Ordinary pads have no adhesive, so they need tape or clips. Self-stick sheets suit smooth, clean surfaces and may not hold on textured walls.