Standard file drawers have minimum depths of 14 5/16 inches for letters and 17 1/4 inches for legals (bars facing the front).
A basic vertical file cabinet in an office is 28.12 inches deep and can hold files that are up to 27 inches long. There are also shallower cabinets, such as 25-inch-deep cabinets with 23-inch-deep drawers and 26-inch-deep cabinets with 25-inch-deep drawers. When uninformed customers compare prices, they often compare units with shallow and deep drawers by accident.
If you already have a drawer that is the right size, you can use it instead of making a new one. Follow my simple drawer instructions if you want to make a new one, but change the size to fit the files. My drawer is 14″ wide by 10″ deep. When building your cabinet, make sure to leave 1″ of space above the top of the file drawer so that the hanging file tabs can clear the faceframe or drawer above the files.
The depth of a vertical file cabinet is 591mm (23.26 inches). The average depth of a vertical file cabinet drawer is 568.65mm (22.38 inches), which is much less than the average. A lateral file cabinet has a depth of 514.16mm (20.24 inches). lateral file cabinets have drawers that are 501.66mm deep (19.75 inches).
Letter-size vertical cabinets are 15 inches wide, while legal-size vertical cabinets are 18 14 inches wide. A standard office file cabinet is 28.12 inches deep and has a drawer that can hold files up to 27 inches long. Some cabinets, like a 26 1/2-inch-deep cabinet with a 25-inch-deep drawer, are shallower. There is also a file that is 25 inches deep and has 23 12 inch drawers.
The width of a legal sheet is 18 14 inches, and the width of a letter size page is 15 inches. The overall depth of a standard vertical file cabinet is 28.12 inches, and each drawer can hold up to 27 inches of files. Some vertical file cabinets are only 26.12 inches deep, and the drawers are only 23.12 inches deep. So, before you buy a new vertical file cabinet, you should think about what you need.
The wide but shallow drawers of a lateral file make it a good choice for filing a lot of papers. Because lateral files have short drawer extensions, they are great for hallways and other places where a lot of filing needs to be done in a small space. Most lateral files are between 32″ and 36″ wide, which is big enough to hold letter- and legal-sized papers that can be put back to front or side by side. Most units with two drawers are thin enough to fit under a work surface. There can be as few as two drawers or as many as seven drawers in a lateral file.
How deep should a file drawer that slides out be?
There are many different sizes and styles of lateral files on the market today. Most of them have two to three drawers and are about 20 inches wide.”
Overall, lateral files are a great and efficient way to keep your office, no matter how big or small, clean and organized. They can be 30″ to 42″ wide and 12″ to 18″ deep.
How big is a lateral file’s drawer?
Most lateral files are between 32″ and 36″ wide, which is big enough to hold letter- and legal-sized papers that can be put back to front or side by side.
How deep is a two-drawer file cabinet?
18 “The Deep 2-Drawer Metal File Cabinet is built to be used at home or in a small office.
A vertical file cabinet or a lateral file cabinet?
Unlike lateral file cabinets, vertical file cabinets are not as big. Even though vertical file cabinets are common because they take up less wall space, most paperwork is kept in lateral file cabinets.
What’s the difference between a vertical file cabinet and a lateral file cabinet?
Folders are stored in systems that run parallel to the front of the drawer and are called “lateral storage.” So, the depth of a lateral file cabinet is almost the same as the length of a standard file folder. In vertical storage systems, folders are stacked vertically on the same plane as the front of the drawer.
How deep is a side-by-side file cabinet?
For letter or legal size folders, these cabinets are usually 12 inches (300 mm) or 18 inches (460 mm) deep. They come in widths of 30 inches (760 mm), 36 inches (910 mm), 42 inches (1,100 mm), and 45 inches (1,100 mm), but they are usually only used in applications with 5 or 6 shelves.
How long are legal documents?
You can use these folders on their own or as a part of a filing cabinet system. They put documents into groups and organize them. Dimensions Guide says that the length and height of a legal-size file folder are 8 5/8 inches and 14 3/4 inches, respectively. The width of the front panel, from front to back, is 9 5/8 inches.
How many different kinds of file cabinets are there?
The most common types of file cabinets are vertical and lateral. The vertical file cabinet has drawers that stick out from the shorter side of the cabinet. On the other hand, the drawers on a lateral file cabinet stick out from the longer side of the cabinet.
What are the problems with the side-by-side filing system?
It might be hard to figure out how to use lateral files. When using lateral files, you have to look at the files from the side, which can make you stand in an awkward way. In a normal file cabinet, the file folders face out. Also, lateral files are heavy and hard to move, especially when they are full of papers.
How do you keep files in a filing cabinet standing up straight?
The best place to keep and sort your papers is in a file cabinet. Put your files in folders or dividers so they stand up straight in the cabinet. Labels are another way to put the sections in the right order.
What are the benefits of filing on the side?
Since vertical files take up more space than lateral files, you can store more files in the same amount of space. In general, it is easier to use and find things that are filed on the side. Since there are no drawers to open, lateral files are easier to see because they are more open.
Are file cabinets safe against fire?
Even though there are fire-resistant options for metal storage cabinets that can help keep your documents as safe as possible in the event of a fire, metal filing cabinets are not fireproof.