| Laminator and Laminator Film Guide Content |
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| Introduction to our Lamination Guide |
| Lamination is commonly used to improve the end appearance of printed documents. This product guide will explain how lamination works and the differences between hot lamination, cold lamination and thermal lamination. Euroffice stock popular brands such as Laminator Rexel and GBC Laminators. |
| What is Lamination? |
| Lamination is the process of covering a document or item in transparent plastic and then sealing them together. 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. View all Laminators |  |
| What is Lamination 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 laminator cards, presentations. |
| Types of Laminator and how they work |
| There are two main types of laminator, hot and cold. |
The most commonly used laminators are hot ones. 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. These are also considered office laminators. | Save up to 36% on hot laminators
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| 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. Often times these are considered home laminators. | Save up to 31% on cold laminators 
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| Each of these then comes in different types. |
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 contain between 2 to 6 rollers, 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 cost. |
Roll laminators These are usually used by schools or print shops. 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. |
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. |
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 easier. |
Preservation time As well as hot or cold laminating, the type of film used will also determine the length of time your document stays protected for. |
| Types of Laminating Film |
Standard Clear Film This is the most commonly used type due to its low price. It is suitable for most documents, and is often used for school projects, low cost print runs etc. |
Matte Another commonly used film, this has a non-reflective finish which helps to reduce smudging effects. |
Satin This film helps to reduce glare and reflection, and has a soft sheen. |
Lustre Similar to the Satin film (above) but with a sparkling sheen. |
Gloss This is a clear finish that emphasises colour. It has better definition than regular film. |
Ultraviolet Pouches These are used mostly for outdoor laminating projects, for example, open air art displays. They are specially designed to filter out the suns Ultraviolet rays which helps to reduce fading on the documents. |
| Low-melt films are also available, which makes it possible to use hot laminators on documents which may be sensitive to heat, although cold laminators are still preferred. | 
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| Sizes of Laminating Film |
| Laminating film comes in a variety of sizes to fit different documents. It is often sold cut to size, for example, ID card sized laminator pouches. Film also comes in varying degrees of thickness: |  |
1.5 mil Film This is a cheap film suitable for one time applications where quality is not a big concern. For example, school team sides, lost pet adverts. This film requires a higher temperature to bond the plastic due to its thinness. |
3.0 mil Film This is the most commonly used film, giving good protection and quality to laminated documents. |
5 mil and 10 mil Film These are used when a lot of protection and stability is needed, such as teaching materials which are used every year. |
| Lamination Styles |
Single-sided This laminates just one side of a document. |
Dual-sided This laminates both sides of the document for greater protection. |
Magnetic This plastic laminates the front of the document, and coats the back in a magnetic film. |
Transfer adhesive This laminates the document on both sides, and also coats it in a peel off adhesive. This can then be taken off as required, allowing the document to be stuck to surfaces. |
Over lamination This is a film which is cut to shape and laid out over floors and walls, for example, to cover drawn-on artwork, store fronts etc. |
| Top Selling Laminator Brands: |
| GBC Laminators 
| Rexel Laminators 
| Ibico Laminators 
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| Related Products |
| Euroffice has a wide range of laminator supplies. Improve the functionality of your Laminator with our range of accessories: Laminator Accessories Laminating Pouches and Film |
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| Common Laminator Related Misspellings |
| Laminating -Laminateing Laminater Laminators -Laminaters |
| Further Resources |
| Follow the links below to find more information about Laminators: Laminating-Guide.com - Tips and Tricks on Laminating. Wikipedia - 'The free encyclopedia.' |
| Frequently Asked Questions |
| General Trouble-shooting Types of Film Other enquiries |
| 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. Back to top |
| 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. Back to top |
| 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. Back to top |
| 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. Back to top |
| 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. Back to top |
| 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. Back to top |
| 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. Back to top |
| 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. Back to top |
| 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. Back to top |
| 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. Back to top |
| Other questions and enquiries? |
| If you have any other questions please click here and fill out our online form. We will get back to you within 48 hours with the answer, plus we will also update our website with your question Back to top |
