Letter Trays for a Desk: Single or Two-Tier Document Tray
A letter tray is the piece that decides whether paper on a desk is a stack or a system. It goes by several names, desk tray, paper tray, document tray, in-tray, and they all mean a shallow open tray that holds sheets flat. On our product pages it is called a document tray, and it comes in two forms: single and two-tier. This guide helps you pick between them and shows which sets include which.
What a desk tray is for
A tray is not storage. It is a waiting place for paper that still needs something done to it: a form to sign, a letter to answer, an invoice to approve. Used that way, one look at the tray tells you how much is outstanding. Used as storage, it fills in a week and stops meaning anything.
The test is simple. If a sheet has been in the tray for a month, it belongs in a file, a scanner or the recycling, not on the desk.
Single or two-tier
| Choose a single tray when… | Choose a two-tier tray when… |
|---|---|
| most of your work is on screen and paper arrives now and then | paper arrives daily and leaves daily |
| you want one "to do" pile and nothing else | you need to keep two states apart: in and out, or act and file |
| the desk is shallow or shared with a monitor stand | the desk has a free corner and vertical space above it |
| other people do not drop paper on your desk | colleagues or an assistant leave and collect documents |
A two-tier tray takes the footprint of one tray and holds two piles, which is why it suits a busy desk better than two single trays side by side.
How to assign the levels
- In and out. Top for what has arrived, bottom for what is ready to leave. Best where someone else collects.
- Act and wait. Top for what you can do today, bottom for what is waiting on someone else.
- Yours and theirs. On a desk two people use, one level each.
Pick one scheme and keep it. A tray whose levels change meaning is no better than a pile.
Where a tray belongs on the desk
- On the far corner of your non-writing side. Paper should be reachable without leaning across your work.
- Beside the desk pad, not on it. The pad is the working surface; the tray stands next to it.
- Where a visitor can reach it, if other people deliver to it. An "in" tray at the back of the desk invites people to drop paper on your keyboard instead.
The full layout method, with reach zones for every piece, is in how to organize your desk.
Which of our sets include a document tray
Every set with a tray is an executive set of ten pieces or more. Compact sets, which have four to nine pieces, do not include one.
Sets with a single document tray
- The Luna 10-Piece Desk Set with Single Tray ($200)
- The Star 11-Piece Desk Set with Single Tray
- The Pulsar 10-Piece Desk Set
Sets with a two-tier document tray
- The Luna 10-Piece Desk Set with Two-Tier Tray ($225)
- The Vega 14-Piece Desk Set with Nameplate
- The Star 11-Piece Desk Set with Two-Tier Tray and the Star 14-Piece Desk Set
- The Galaxy, Elegance and Chester sets
- The Cloud 10-Piece Desk Set
- The Prestige 14-Piece Desk Set with Clock
- The 17-Piece Executive Desk Set
The two Luna 10 sets are the same set with one difference, the tray, so they are the easiest pair to weigh against each other. Some executive sets have no tray at all, the Venus and Vesta sets among them, so check the What's included list on the product page. All of them are in executive desk sets, and the compare page puts up to three sets side by side.
A tray on its own
A document tray can be ordered without a set through Build Your Desk Set. Choose a model, add only the tray, then pick a color. A Two-Tier Document Tray is offered on most models. A Single Document Tray is offered on Luna, Star and Pulsar, and Luna and Star offer both, so you can choose. Venus and Vesta have no tray piece. Each piece shows its own price in the tool.
This is also how to add a tray to a compact set you already own: order the tray in the same model and color. What else can be bought singly is on the page about desk accessories by the piece.
What to check before you order
- Paper size. We do not list tray dimensions on the product pages. If you need to know whether a particular paper or folder size lies flat in a tray, contact us before ordering.
- Desk space. A tray needs a clear corner of its own. Measure that corner against your largest sheet before you decide.
- The lining. The inside of a tray is velvet-lined in some families and lined with faux leather in others. Where it is confirmed, the Specifications on the product page say which.
- Paper is not included with any set, whatever the photos show.
Letter tray questions
Is a letter tray the same as a document tray?
Yes. Letter tray, paper tray and document tray are names for the same piece. We use document tray.
Do I need a tray if I work mostly on screen?
Probably a single one, or none. If paper reaches your desk less than once a week, a memo holder and a drawer may be enough.
Can I get a tray in the same color as my set?
Order it in the same model and color through the tool. Finishes can differ between versions of a color, so if an exact match with a set you already own matters, contact us before ordering.
How do I keep a tray from overflowing?
Empty it on a fixed day each week. A tray is a queue; anything that has stopped moving should leave it.
