Buyers Guides

Laminators are used to improve the end appearance of printed documents. it is the process of covering a document or item in transparent plastic and then sealing the item. This product guide will explain how lamination works and the differences between hot lamination and cold lamination. Euroffice stock popular brands such as Fellowes Laminators and GBC Laminators.

There are several types of laminators available, as well as different materials which can be used with each type. This can make choosing a laminator for your office seem complicated, but this Euroffice guide will try to simplify it for you by outlining the main things you need to look for.

What are laminators used for?
Laminator machines are most commonly used to protect documents from dirt, moisture, colour degradation etc, as well as helping to increase the strength of the item, protecting from tears and creases. Common uses include posters, ID cards, presentations and name cards at events.

There are two main types of laminator, hot and cold.

Hot laminators

The most commonly used laminators are heatseal laminators. These work by using heat (up to 300°F) to seal the plastic around the document. The laminator is first pre-heated, and the document placed either inside a pouch, or covered in a roll of plastic. The document is then placed inside the hot laminator which seals the plastic around it. Most office laminators are heatseal laminators. Some of the top of the range heat seal laminators also have a cold setting for sealing self seal items.

Cold laminators

These use a sticky adhesive which seals itself to the document when pressure is placed on it by the laminator. They are considered to be safer to use than hot laminators, although they are less durable. Cold laminators are more commonly found in the home.

Laminators can also be differentiated by their specialist purpose

Pouch laminators

This is the most common type of laminator seen in the office place. They usually come in either 4 or 12 inch sizes, and can be moved between desks easily. They usually contain 2 rollers but sometimes have up to 6, over which the lamination film is fed. The rollers then distribute heat evenly over the plastic, allowing for a smooth finish. The more rollers the laminator has, the better the finished quality will be, although the more expensive the machine will be.

Roll laminators

These are usually used by schools or print shops and in most offices. They are good for high volume runs or for covering large documents. Roll laminators use two rolls of film, one for either side of the document. One side of the film is a sticky adhesive which bonds with the document when heated or when pressure is applied.

Foliant laminators

These provide single side laminations for items such as books and posters, as opposed to the double sided ones most other types do. For this reason, they are widely used by publishing houses and copy shops. They use conveyors to move thin film and documents through the laminator, ensuring a smooth coating.

Laminator Attributes

Heat

It is recommended to use a hot laminator where possible, since the result will last longer, the quality will be better and the document will be better protected. Cold lamination is usually only used in cases where the document would be damaged by heat, for example, if it contained ink that would run or if you are laminating items with an adhesive that is already applied.

Size of documents

Laminators can range from anything between about 4 inches to 63 inches depending on the make and model. Ensure that you choose a laminator that will be suitable for all your needs. We have a wide range of A3 laminators and A4 laminators.

Microns

Microns is the measurement used to determine thickness. 1 micron is 1000th of a millimetre so when you read that a laminator can laminate up to 200 microns it means that it can cope with thicknesses of the laminate up to 0.2 mm (this is just the max thickness of the lamination film that the machine can take).

Output rate

Some laminators have a faster output rate than others, although a faster output rate can mean a lower quality. A lot of laminators allow the user to change the speed so that they can achieve the balance they require.

Space

Laminators usually take up a lot of space. Roll laminators are bulky and are best if placed on a sturdy work top. Pouch laminators can be used on desks and moved around far more easily.

If you want to know more, check out our laminating film and laminating pouches buyers guide

We regularly get questions from our customers regarding laminators and the problems that you are likely to encounter when using laminators. This is a quick quide to some of the most frequent queries that we have. if you have an issue that is not covered here  then please submit your query below and we will update the guide with a response to your question.

Does it matter which way I load laminate film?

The short answer is yes. Because seal laminators work by melting a sticky adhesive to bond the laminate to the document, one side of the film has the adhesive on and the other will be smooth. If you load the film the wrong way round you will still have separate document and film, but you will have hot glue all over your laminator which can damage the machine.

What's a pressure-sensitive laminator?
A pressure-sensitive laminator is also known as a cold laminator, and is where the document is laminated by applying pressure to the film, which forces a sticky adhesive to bond with the document. This is opposed to heat laminators which melt a glue to do this job.

Many pressure-sensitive films and pouches will have a sticky back as well, which allows you to stick the finished document onto things.

Can I stick laminates directly to walls etc?
Yes. Some laminators, especially cold ones, come with a sticky (usually peel-off) border on the back which allows the laminated document to be attached onto walls, lampposts etc.

Will my laminator switch itself off if it isn't used?
Most laminator machines will switch off the heating mechanism if it is left on without use for 60 minutes. However because of the heat generated by these machines, it is strongly recommended you do not leave a heated laminator turned on and unsupervised.

How do I stop dust getting under my laminate?
Try to avoid leaving the laminate film lying around once it is removed from its packet. It should be used as soon as possible. A quick wipe of the document with a dry cloth can also help. If this is a troublesome and constant problem, you can buy a tool called a particulate cleaning roller, which will pick up dust and particles found on the document or laminate film.

How do I stop bubbles or grease appearing when I laminate?
These are two common effects of having the heat set too high on the laminator. This can cause the film to distort, causing wrinkles and creases. The grease appears because the glue on the laminate melts too quickly and drips into the machine. This then gets on the rollers and coats your document as it moves through the machine. Try turning the heat down to a lower temperature setting. You can always start at a lower temperature and work up, since this type of re lamination will not harm the document.

How do I stop my film being cloudy after laminating?
This is caused by the laminator being too cold, meaning the laminate adhesive does not melt properly, but instead causes this cloudy affect. You can fix this by laminating again at a higher temperature, or run it through at the same one until the cloudiness is gone. The thicker your laminating film is, the higher you will need the temperature.

What type of film do I use to laminate maps?
3.0 mil film is best for this sort of  laminating, since it leaves the maps protected whilst still allowing them to be folded and stored away. The majority of  laminating is done with this size of film due to its dual benefits.

What type of film do I use to laminate general office documents?
General office documents are usually laminated in either 1.5 mil or 3.0 mil film. This is dependant on usage. For documents intended solely for personal use, 1.5 mil film offers basic protection, whilst for documents which will be shared around the office, 3.0 mil film is best to ensure lasting protection.

What type of film do I use to laminate posters?
This depends on the type of poster you are producing. For basic ones intended for one-time usage, 1.5 mil film will do. For posters intended to be on general show for a period of time, 3.0 mil film will leave them better protected from general wear and tear. For posters which will be used over a long period of time and on many occasions, a much larger size such as 5.0 mil or even 10.0 mil film offers a lasting protection.