Sleeves

On this page we will try to explain the differences between the various sleeve types, however if you would like any more advice please Contact Us.

Click to go to our sleeves section

Please note that for the sake of convenience, each size listed on this site indicates the size of work that can be put into the book or sleeve.

Sleeve Types

There are three types of sleeve we offer. The type of sleeve you can choose will depend on your portfolio, so please check the product page for more information.

Polyester Sleeves
Polyester sleeves are an ultra-clear type of sleeve, especially suited for photography and have a more professional feel to them. They have a slight gloss finish.
Polyester sleeves are open on three sides. This means that they are made from a single sheet of polyester which is folded on the 'outside' edge. The rings form the 'inside' edge and any work is held in them by the static on the sleeve. However it is not a good idea to simply rely on this as they may fall out at an inconvenient time, so we advise mounting images before putting them in.
Because they are shaped this way there is no margin for the holes which makes the sleeves more streamlined.
Polyester sleeves are archival quality and can be used for long term storage.

Cristal Laser Sleeves
Cristal Laser sleeves are made by Prat for their portfolios. They are clear without any texture on the sleeve, but are not a clear as the polyester sleeves. They have a more matt finish to them.
They are more robust and better suited to frequent handling than the polyester sleeves and do not show up fingerprints as much.
These sleeves are only open at the top, where you can slide your work in. This means that the holes are slightly reinforced and are on a margin on the side.
Cristal Laser sleeves are archival quality and are suited to long term storage.

Vinyl / PVC Sleeves
These sleeves are the most robust of all and made from thicker PVC to withstand frequent handling. They have a slight texture on the surface and are not as clear as the other sleeves.
They open at the top where you can slide your work in.
These sleeves are not usually archival and so not suited to long term storage.

Side By Side Comparison
The pictures below show the same photograph in polyester sleeves (left) and Cristal Laser sleeves (right).

The same image in polyester sleeves (left) and cristal laser sleeves (right).

As you can see, the image is slightly clearer in the polyester sleeves. Blacks show through better and there is more contrast between the shades. The surface is also more glossy, so there is slightly more reflection.

You can also see the difference between how the holes are constructed. On the Cristal Laser sleeves you can see that the holes are on a black strip on the left of the image, whereas on the polyester sleeve the holes are on the sleeve and there is no separate strip.

Archival Quality

If a product is listed as is archival it means that it is as close to being acid-free as is possible. This also means it will have a neutral PH.
Almost nothing can be 100% acid free because as soon as it is touched some acid will be introduced to the product.
There are no industry standards for defining archival or acid free.
The benefits of using products that have a neutral PH are that they will have a longer permanence, this means they will not discolour or become brittle over time.
It also means that the product is suitable for longer term storage and presentation.

Open on 3 Sides v. Open on 1 Side

Polyester sleeves are open on three sides. This means that they are made from a single sheet of polyester which is folded on the 'outside' edge. The rings form the 'inside' edge and any work is held in them by the static on the sleeve. However it is not a good idea to simply rely on this as they may fall out at an inconvenient time, so we advise mounting images before putting them in.
Because they are shaped this way there is no margin for the holes which makes the sleeves more streamlined. You can see this in the comparison above.

All other sleeves are open at the top. Work will not fall out unless you hold it upside down. This has two disadvantages.
The first is that to get work out you need to reach inside the sleeve to slide it out. With sleeves open on 3 sides the sleeve can simply be folded over the work.
The second disadvantage is that the holes are on a separate strip, which resembles traditional ringbinder sleeves and some people do not like.

However on the whole, sleeves open at the top are more robust and suited to more frequent handling, whereas sleeves open on 3 sides give a more streamlined professional look.

Which Sleeves Fit Which Portfolios?

On each product page we list which sleeves the portfolio can take.
Also on each sleeve page we list the portfolios they can be used in.

However, for the sake of convenience we have also provided the following guide:

Portfolio	Polyester Sleeves	Other Sleeves
Tech Sales Agency Books	Tech Sales Polyester Sleeves	Tech Sales PVC Sleeves (A5 only)
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Prat Screw Post Binder	Prat Polyester 908 Sleeves	Prat Cristal Laser 904 Sleeves
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Panodia Ialta Printibooks	Panodia Polyester Printibook Refills	N/A
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Panodia Texas Printibooks	Panodia Polyester Printibook Refills	N/A
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Prat Pampa Spiralbooks	Prat Polyester 508 Sleeves	Prat Cristal Laser 502 Sleeves
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Prat Modebook	Prat Polyester 508 Sleeves	Prat Cristal Laser 502 Sleeves
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Prat Classic Easel Binder	Prat Polyester 908 Sleeves	Prat Cristal Laser 904 Sleeves
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Prat Classic Ringbinder	Prat Polyester 908 Sleeves	Prat Cristal Laser 904 Sleeves
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Artcare Premier Display Portfolios	Tech Sales Polyester Sleeves (A3 and A4 only)	Artcare PVC Sleeves
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Mapac Ebony Display Portfolios	Tech Sales Polyester Sleeves (A3 and A4 only)	Artcare PVC Sleeves
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Mapac Valisette Portfolios	Tech Sales Polyester Sleeves (A3 and A4 only)	Artcare PVC Sleeves
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Mapac Quartz Portfolios	Tech Sales Polyester Sleeves (A3 and A4 only)	Artcare PVC Sleeves
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Display Boxes (non-Prat)	Image Pockets	N/A
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Prat Display Boxes	There are no sleeves which fit these boxes
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Card Portfolios	Image Pockets	N/A