Use legal-size folders as the default for all material that fits within them. Oversize material is foldered and boxed separately.
The amount of material in a single folder depends on the type of material. Very fragile or valuable items should be foldered at a fine level while up to one inch of material in good condition can be foldered together.
Take the following into consideration when determining the level of foldering:
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expected amount of handling
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the level of preservation deemed necessary or appropriate
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exceptional physical condition
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exceptional security considerations
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amount of material and how much fits in a folder
Multi-page items: Letters or drafts of writings can be enclosed in a wrapper of acid-free bond paper in order to keep the pages together if it is not otherwise possible to tell where one item ends and the next begins within a folder that contains other material.
Lengthy items: If a document, manuscript, or other item is too large to fit in a single folder, divide it at a logical place, e.g. a chapter break.
Bound volumes: Bound volumes are generally foldered individually. Volumes that are fragile or have particular artifactual value are boxed or wrapped individually. In some cases two or three volumes can be foldered together (e.g. address books or pocket diaries in good condition). Custom folds may be created as necessary with a bone folder to accommodate volumes greater than one inch thick.
Oversize material: Folder oversize material according to the size of the largest piece in a box or broadside drawer.