FAQs
Answers to frequently asked questions about our archival enclosures can be found below. If you can’t find the answer to your question here, feel free to contact us for more information. We are always happy to help!
Our enclosures are archival because we use high-quality materials. More about the specific boards and cloths we use are available on the individual product pages, but the short answer is that we use acid-free boards and adhesives. The cloths we use are durable and made for the library binding industry. Our enclosures are custom fit to your measurements, so the items inside don’t rattle around.
It is important to invest in archival storage because acid can leach into your items from the boxes in which they are stored! A good, tight-fitting box also shields sensitive materials from light and creates a micro-climate which buffers the item inside against fluctuations in temperature and humidity.
We have a wide selection of cloths, papers and leathers to decorate your enclosures with. We also offer blind and foil stamping. We have a range of more deluxe enclosures that feature rounded “book” spines and premium materials.
All of our boxes are custom made to your specifications once an order is received. Average turnaround time for our economy and mid-range enclosures (KASEBoxes, case with pocket and phase boxes) is 4-6 weeks. For our deluxe enclosures (deluxe clamshells, hinge boxes, portfolios and slipcases), it is 6-8 weeks. Turn times do vary based on special requests and current workload, but we also offer RUSH services for urgent requests.
Library Summit is a latex-saturated cellulose and nylon blend cover material with an aqueous acrylic coating. It is a durable and water-resistant substitute for buckram cloth. Library Summit is our new standard cover material, but we may still have buckram available as we use up our stock.
We don’t really have them. While there have been boxes that are too big or too small for us to make, we rarely run into that problem. Even items that are larger than our sheets of board can be pieced together. Additional fees may apply for these monster boxes, but we love a challenge!
None of our enclosures have a maximum thickness restriction. The minimum thickness restriction for each enclosure type is as follows: Deluxe Clamshell: 1/2″, Hinge box: 3/8″, Portfolio: 3/16″, Case with Pocket: 3/8″, Slipcase: 3/8″, Phase box (hook & loop button closures): 3/8″, Phase box (ties): 1/2″, KASEBox clamshell eflute: 3/4″, KASEBox clamshell bflute: 1 1/4″, KASEBox telescoping lid box eflute: 1 1/4″, KASEBox telescoping lid box bflute: 1 7/8″, KASEBox portfolio: none, KASEBox phase box: none.
If your item is below the minimum thickness, we can make the box to the minimum thickness. We can also make a buildup to support the item inside the box.
Each enclosure has a base price that pays for a box up to 12″ H x 9″ W x 2″ D. Additional fees apply per inch for items larger than those dimensions. Cloth and print upgrades may also affect pricing. You can download a pdf of our current price list, and we are always happy to quote the cost for you. We’ll need to know dimensions of your item(s) to do so, though, so have those handy!
Download the order spreadsheet for the enclosure type you want to order and fill it out. Each spreadsheet has an instruction sheet with more information on how to complete the information, but we are always happy to answer any questions you might have. Once your order is complete, email it to cthomis@hfgroup.com. We will contact you with the total cost of your order once we have received the spreadsheet.
For more information on how to measure, check out our Tips on How to Measure page. We can also do the measuring for you, just contact us to arrange delivery of the materials to our facility.
We accept cash, check, money order and credit card. We accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover. There is a 3% convenience fee added to all orders paid by credit card. Credit Card payments can be made over the phone. All other forms of payment can be delivered in person or mailed to our facility. Contact information is located on our about page.
We use UPS and FedEx to ship our boxes, and we charge shipping based on real-time quotes. Shipping costs can vary significantly based on the number of boxes in the order, the sizes of the boxes, and their destination. A single box typically ships for $10-15, and we offer free shipping on orders of 125 pieces or more. We are happy to provide an order estimate with shipping based off a completed order form. We can also use a customer’s account with UPS and FedEx upon request.
If you want to visit North Manchester, Indiana, absolutely! You can find our location, hours, and contact information on the about page . With a little forewarning, we also offer tours of the facility.