# Is there a proper way to do this (stapling papers) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 26, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-proper-way-to-do-this-stapling-papers/691729 "2014-06-26T21:33:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-proper-way-to-do-this-stapling-papers/691729/21 "2015-06-10T22:39:45Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > That sounds like the first option, is that what you meant? > > Anyone have an opinion on whether staples should be at 45 degrees to the corner, or should be parallel to either the top or the side of the page? > > I like to dig into these deep, important questions. I used to work for an accounting firm (though in their computer consulting division), and one thing we did was “work papers”, where we’d punch a hole in the upper left corner of every page we needed to store for posterity, then thread them all onto a brass fastener like [these](http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/613827/Office-Depot-Brand-Round-Head-Fasteners/;jsessionid=0000icMrcUY4lTuC2RhK7uX5jp7:17h4h7ceo). The punch would put the hole at a diagonal, like this: ```auto \ \ \ ``` A paper stapled on a diagonal, the way most people would do by default, would have interfered with that. So we all learned to do it at the upper left edge, “vertical”. So the paper would look like this: ```auto | \ | \ | \ ``` To this day, when I manually staple something, I staple it like that :D. Of course, when stapling something that’s going to be flipped like the handout, the diagonal works slightly better: ```auto / / / ``` [Turns out the punches are hard to find now.](http://www.ticketpunch.net/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=33&virtuemart_category_id=13) I’ve still got mine somewhere, at that price I could get some spare cash for it!! Also, I agree with choice # 1 (top sheet’s “top” is to the left, staple is in the packet’s upper left). ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-proper-way-to-do-this-stapling-papers/691729/22 "2015-06-11T01:09:31Z")
Am I the only one that instantly though top sheet horizontal, the rest vertical, and just fold the top sheet so it doesn’t stick out? Generally if it’s horizontal, it’s a table of some sort, so I just do whatever makes it easy to read and won’t stick out if it’s filed. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-proper-way-to-do-this-stapling-papers/691729/23 "2015-06-12T04:41:18Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > I like to think that we on this board are mature and sophisticated enough to rise above name-calling. > > That being said, anyone who votes for anything other than the first option is nothing but a heathen. 😃 Keep your Luddite Imperialism out of this. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-proper-way-to-do-this-stapling-papers/691729/24 "2015-06-12T04:57:19Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > In defense of self, this was a multi-page document in PDF format, organized by someone else (at corporate no less) which I felt obliged to print and keep for myself for frequent reference. Only one copy, and that for personal use? Easy. Take a three-hole punch to the nine pages, and put them in a folder with the bendy clips. Take an X-Acto knife to the title sheet, cut the title out, and glue or tape the title to the front cover (in portrait orientation, of course). ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-proper-way-to-do-this-stapling-papers/691729/25 "2015-06-12T05:23:49Z")
I can’t believe this thread keeps popping back up. Hell, I’ve been retired 7 months now. I actually like **Tabby\_Cat’s** solution the best, when it’s only one copy for myself. If multiples were required for distribution, that would be different. ---
**Author:** ![RickRVH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a5b964/32.png) [@RickRVH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickRVH)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-proper-way-to-do-this-stapling-papers/691729/26 "2015-10-19T17:57:28Z")
I would staple the portrait pages upper left, staple the landscape pages (if more than one) at their upper left, then paperclip then at the lower left of the portrait sheets.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-proper-way-to-do-this-stapling-papers/691729/27 "2015-10-20T05:09:56Z")
Portrait orientation, staple in upper right hand corner, so when read in landscape it operates like normal. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-proper-way-to-do-this-stapling-papers/691729/28 "2015-10-20T05:21:33Z")
I’d fasten them with a wooden stake right through the center. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-proper-way-to-do-this-stapling-papers/691729.md?page=1)