How to choose a laminator and laminating pouches? Buyer's guide
Badges, business cards, posters, signposts, presentation covers, drawings, menus, photos, plans... Some documents and media need or deserve to be laminated. However, it is not always easy to select the right laminator and laminating pouches that exactly match your needs.Here is a complete buying guide to help you make the best choice.
Contents
1 Why laminate documents?
2 The different types of lamination
3 How to choose a laminator?
4 Laminating pouches and rolls
5 How to choose laminating pouches or rolls?
6 Check the compatibility of the laminator with the supplies
1 - Why laminate documents?
- To protect them from from dirt, moisture and damage and thus keep them in perfect condition over time.
- To strengthen them so they can withstand intensive use.
- To secure the information: due to the irreversible nature of lamination, the document cannot be changed.
- To embellish them by giving them relief and brilliance, but also by eliminating folds. The information is thus enhanced.
2 - The different types of lamination
There are two main types of laminating: manual laminating (always cold) and automatic hot laminating.
MANUAL LAMINATING
- Machine: none
- How does it work: you use your hands!
- Consumables: manual laminating pouches
- The advantages: no need to invest in a laminator
- The disadvantages: loss of time, less durable, more expensive consumables...
- Suitable for: very occasional use
- How does it work: you use your hands!
- Consumables: manual laminating pouches
- The advantages: no need to invest in a laminator
- The disadvantages: loss of time, less durable, more expensive consumables...
- Suitable for: very occasional use
AUTOMATIC HEAT LAMINATION
- Machine: heat transfer device (also called laminator)
- How does it work: the rotating heated rollers melt the glue contained in the pouch. The glue spreads over the entire document and then stiffens as it cools. This prevents the pouch from detaching itself from the document.
- Consumables: rolls or pre-cut laminating pouches
- The advantages: fast, practical, economical consumables, beautiful rendering, some models also offer a cold function
- The disadvantages: preheating time
- Suitable for: standard or heavy office use
- How does it work: the rotating heated rollers melt the glue contained in the pouch. The glue spreads over the entire document and then stiffens as it cools. This prevents the pouch from detaching itself from the document.
- Consumables: rolls or pre-cut laminating pouches
- The advantages: fast, practical, economical consumables, beautiful rendering, some models also offer a cold function
- The disadvantages: preheating time
- Suitable for: standard or heavy office use
3 - How to choose a laminator?
In order to make an informed choice, it is essential to first consider the materials you intend to laminate. This will allow you to deduce the size and thickness of the pouches you need. Also consider the preheating and laminating times. Your productivity depends on it!
THICKNESSES OF MATCHING POUCHES
To make the right choice when investing in a laminator, you should also consider the maximum thickness you want for your documents. Bear in mind that the thickness of a laminating pouch is measured in microns (µ) and varies between 2 x 75 µ and 2 x 250 µ. A laminator that is compatible with 2 x 250 micron pouches will therefore work with all thinner pouches. However, the reverse is not possible.
PREHEATING TIME
- For frequent use: opt for a laminator with a warm-up time of between 1 and 3 minutes.
- For occasional use: a laminator with a warm-up time of 5 minutes or more should be suitable.
LAMINATION TIME
- For frequent use (10 documents or more): choose a laminator with a preheating time of between 1 and 3 minutes.
- For occasional use (less than 10 documents): choose a laminator with a speed of 60 seconds per A4 document.
Tip: if you want express lamination, choose an A3 laminator to make A4 and use high-speed laminating pouches (sealed on the long edge).
THICKNESS SENSOR
This is a very practical feature: the thickness sensor allows you to use your laminator without having to make any adjustments. Simply insert the pouch of your choice and the laminator does the rest.
If the pouch is inserted incorrectly, note that some models of laminator will trigger an alert and automatically remove the consumable.
If the pouch is inserted incorrectly, note that some models of laminator will trigger an alert and automatically remove the consumable.
NUMBER OF ROLES
The heated or unheated rollers are among the elements that guarantee the quality of the lamination as well as its speed. For a fast, flawless result without air bubbles or folds, choose a laminator with several rollers.
FORMATS SUPPORTED
The machine that can handle large formats can also handle smaller formats! In other words, an A3 laminator can laminate A3 (29.7 x 42 cm) and all smaller formats; in the same way, an A4 laminator can laminate A4 (21 x 29.7 cm) and smaller formats than A4.
Can laminated documents be cut or trimmed?
Yes, wait until the document has cooled down and make sure there is a border around the document to preserve the lamination.4 - Laminating pouches and rolls
LAMINATING POUCHES
Standard heat laminating pouches are available in A4 and A3 format and offer optimal protection against dust and moisture.
View heat laminating pouches
View heat laminating pouches
LAMINATING POUCHES AND ROLLS FOR MANUAL USE
The standard laminating pouches are available in A4 and A3 format and offer optimal protection against dust and moisture.
See pouches and rolls for cold lamination
See pouches and rolls for cold lamination
PERFORATED POUCHES
If you intend to file your laminated documents in a binder, it is best to use pre-punched hot laminating pouches.
See perforated pouches
See perforated pouches
ADHESIVE-BACKED POUCHES
If you want to hang laminated documents on the wall or use them to identify a carrier (file, package, pallet), heat laminating pouches with self-adhesive backing (self-adhesive strip) are available. They adhere to all smooth surfaces (walls, windows, doors, showcases, etc.) and are very easy to attach.
See adhesive-backed pouches
See adhesive-backed pouches
HIGH-SPEED LAMINATOR POUCHES
To save time when laminating, you can use ultra-fast A4 heat laminating pouches in an A3 laminator. What makes these pouches so unique? The closing part is on the long side (instead of the short side) so they can be fed on the long side to save time. You can laminate up to 40% faster with this trick!
See high-speed laminator pouches
See high-speed laminator pouches
LAMINATING POUCHES WITH ARROWS
To avoid misdirection when inserting the pouch into the laminator, some heat laminating pouches come with an arrow. This arrow vanishes as the pouch passes through the machine.
See laminating pouches with arrows
See laminating pouches with arrows
5 - How to choose laminating pouches or rolls?
Format, use, finish ... In order to pick the right supplies, it is necessary to study their different characteristics.
THE FORMAT OF THE DOCUMENTS TO BE LAMINATED
Choose between many formats:
- credit card (5.4 x 8.6 cm)
- business card or name tag (5.9 x 8.3 cm and 6 x 9 cm)
- luggage label
- A7 (7.4 x 10.5 cm)
- A6 (10.5 x 14,8 cm)
- A5 (14.8 x 21 cm)
- A4 (21 x 29.7 cm)
- A3 (29.7 x 42 cm)
FINISHING, PROTECTION AND USE
By acting as a UV filter, lamination helps reduce (without completely preventing) the effects of the sun on documents. For the preservation of your documents, it is important to adjust the thickness of the cover to the desired use.
| Pouch thickness | Appearance | Durability | Use | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Document | Photos | Art | Diplomas | Menus | Outdoor poster | |||
| Very supple | Very supple | + | X | X | ||||
| 2 X 105 micron | Supple | ++ | X | X | X | |||
| 2 X 125 micron | Semi-supple | +++ | X | X | X | X | ||
| Semi-rigid | Semi-rigid | ++++ | X | X | X | X | X | |
| 2 X 250 micron | Rigid | +++++ | X | X | X | X | X | X |
THE FINISH: MATTE OR GLOSSY
The intended use will also determine whether you need glossy or matte pouches. Most pouches have a glossy appearance and are suitable for most applications. However, for use in sunny or brightly lit areas, it is preferable to use "matte" sleeves as they are non-reflective. This makes reading easier and fingerprints are less visible. It is also possible to write on them with a felt-tip pen and to wash them. They are recommended for laminating menus and photos.
In which direction should the cover be inserted?
The sealed side of the pouch should always be inserted into the laminator first.Some pouches are marked with an arrow to indicate the insertion direction to avoid mistakes. This arrow disappears when the pouch is passed through the machine. Clever!
6 - Check the compatibility of the laminator with the supplies
Of course, it is also important to ensure that the consumables are compatible with the machine. Take your time to check which pouches or rolls are compatible with the laminator: the thickness in microns, the format, the lamination method (hot or cold), etc. If you try to insert a thicker pouch, it may get stuck in the machine, damaging your document and not adhering perfectly to the document.