how do i choose a laminator

^{Factors to Consider When Choosing a Laminator}

1. Document Size Think of the documents you’ll be laminating. Will they all be standard size? Or will you be laminating a range of sizes, from business cards to banners? ...
2. Number of Sheets Consider how often you laminate and the amount of documents you will run at a time. ...
3. Film Thickness Laminating film is measured in mil. The larger the mil number, the thicker the laminate will be. Smaller mils retain more flexibility, while larger mils are rigid. ...
4. Number of Users The number of people using the machine is a major factor to consider when choosing a laminator. ...
5. Cost

What should I consider when buying a laminator?

• Enhancement and preservation of colour and contrast to images
• Professional, quality-looking documents
• Long-term protection of documents that need frequent handling
• Quick and easy, with immediate results
• Avoid creases, wrinkles, sun damage, abrasions, tears, smudges, fingerprints and grease marks
• Protection from spills, rain and mild chemicals

What are the hazards of using a laminating machine?

Laminator Safety Most safety rules and procedures are just plain common sense. Laminators are enclosed mechanisms for the most part, so the possibilities of harm come from malfunctions, sticking things in holes, and environmental issues.

What are the functions of a laminator?

• Rear windup. Rear take-up is a must, particularly for car wrap clients. ...
• Document and paper feed guides. Document guides or paper feed guides are also a must. ...
• Versatility and settings. Not all laminators are created equal, says Tony Caruso, AGL Inc. ...
• Laminator rollers and splitters. ...

How to foil with and without a laminator?

Foiling Tips:

• Always adhere your foil pretty side up. Meaning if you bought blue foil and your decorative foil is shiny blue on side and dull silver on the other side, place ...
• If you’re using adhesives and your foil missed a spot, go back over that spot with more foil to see if you can cover that spot up. ...
• Make sure it’s not too breezy where you are working. ...

What should I look for in a good laminator?

The key factors that you need to look at when buying a laminator are:Input Size. Most home laminators are designed to laminate A4 size paper. ... Warm up and Preheat Speeds. ... Lamination Speed. ... Heat and Run Time. ... Brand Name. ... Sheets vs Pouches. ... Quick Jam Release. ... Weight and Carry Handles.

Whats the difference between 3 mil and 5 mil on a laminator?

The higher the mil, the thicker and more rigid the laminating will turn out. Pouch films generally come in 1.5 mil, 3 mil, 4 mil, 5 mil, 7 mil, and 10 mil. Thicker laminating pouch films, such as 7 mil and 10 mil, will often be very stiff and sturdy. 5 mil and under pouch films will be more flexible and thin.

What is the best brand for laminating machine?

The best laminator in 2021: USFellowes Laminator Saturn3i 95. The best laminator overall. ... Amazon Basics 9-Inch Thermal Laminator Machine. The best laminator for home use. ... Scotch Pro Thermal Laminator. ... GBC Thermal Laminator Machine Fusion 7000L. ... Fellowes Laminator Saturn3i 95. ... Crenova A4 Laminator. ... Texet A4 Laminator.

What type of lamination is best?

Matte-finish laminates are one of the most preferred laminate finishes that are used for the kitchen and other carpentry works. These laminates have a moderate reflective surface, and good resistance to scratches and dust, which makes matte finish laminates easy to clean and maintain.

What is the best micron for laminating?

1.5 Mil (38.1 microns) – This thickness is commonly used in schools because it provides the most economical laminating solution: a large amount of film at a low price point.

What does 125 MIC mean on a laminator?

The higher the number of microns the higher the level of protection each pouch can provide. Fellowes® laminating pouches are available in 80, 100, 125, 175 and 250 microns to suit a wide range of levels of document protection.

Which is better hot or cold laminator?

Hot laminators provide a better quality, more durable lamination that is more resistant to wear and tear. This is the preferred method of laminating for materials that are not effected by heat.

Should you laminate stickers?

When it comes to protecting your vinyl stickers – laminating is the key. Whether you printed your own vinyl sticker, want to protect a bumper sticker, or waterproof a label you can instantly place a clear laminate sheet over top and seal it for years to come.

What is a thermal laminator for?

Thermal or hot laminating is the process of using heat to melt the adhesives on the plastic to seal the document. The other type, cold laminating, doesn't involve heat. The laminating film used in cold laminating has a self adhesive that will stick to the document on its own.

What are the different types of laminators?

Laminating Types ExplainedHot Pouch Laminators. ... Cold Pouch Laminators. ... Cold Roll Feed Laminators. ... Single Hot Roll Feed Laminators. ... Double Hot Roll Feed Laminators. ... Cold Basic Roll Feed Laminators.

What does mil mean in lamination?

Lamination film is measured in mil thicknesses. One mil is equal to . 001" or 1/1000ths of an inch (a mil is not the same as a millimeter). Hence, a lamination film measuring 1.5mil would be . 0015" thick.

What thickness can you laminate?

They range from 3–10mm and cover all paper sizes. As a general rule, the more the document is handled, the thicker the laminate should be. For roll laminators, the film ranges from 1.5–3mm and comes with an enhanced glossy finish.

Pouch Laminators

Pouch laminators are the most commonly used laminator type worldwide. You take your document, put it in a pouch, and the machine does the rest.

Roll Laminators

Roll laminators excel in speed and flexibility. If you deal with larger volumes, odd sizes and demanding deadlines, it might be your best choice.

Size

Not all laminators cover every format. And while other aspects are important, document size is critical. If you laminate standard dimensions – like letter-sized documents – a pouch laminator is probably right for you. Roll laminators cover larger sizes, from 27" down to 9", giving you more flexibility.

Thickness

Laminating pouches are measured in millimeters (mm). They range from 3–10mm and cover all paper sizes. As a general rule, the more the document is handled, the thicker the laminate should be.

Number of Users

The number of users has a significant impact on choice. Pouch machines are ideal to keep at your desk or at reception, while a roll laminator is best suited for a shared work space.

Ease of Use

Pouch laminators are popular, and are simple to use, but roll laminators can be simple, too. We’ve developed our own film and features, making laminating a quick and painless process.

Cost

A laminator is an investment. When choosing, consider its frequency of use and also factor in laminating accessories. These are often overlooked when considering overall cost.

1. Input Size

Most home laminators are designed to laminate A4 size paper. Honestly, I do wish I had an A3 size laminator, and they exist out there. But they’re just a little bit expensive and the lamination sheets are expensive, too, so it’s an ongoing cost. If I had to get a new laminator today, I’d probably get one that can take both A4 and A3 size sheets.

2. Warm up and Preheat Speeds

When you turn on your laminator, you need to give it a while for the rollers to warm up. Usually, this isn’t a big deal. You’ve got plenty of stuff to do. You just need to remember to turn the laminator on about 5 minutes before you need to use it. That’s because the industry standard for a laminator warm up time is about 5 minutes.

3. Lamination Speed

Laminators are slow. You slowly feed the sheets through the laminator and it cautiously draws the sheets in to prevent creasing and cause that nice slow, smooth lamination. So, it’s hard to speed up the lamination too much. But to be honest, a slow laminator is really annoying.

4. Heat and Run Time

When they’re running, laminators are very hot. So they can’t run for too long until they need to turn themselves off and cool down again. Most laminators recommend that you run them for a maximum of 20-30 minutes before turning them off. But overall, I’d strongly recommend keeping a very close eye on the laminator and make sure it doesn’t overheat.

5. Brand Name

This one’s a no-brainer. The biggest brand in the lamination space is Scotch. Other brands are great and good enough, but if you really want a great brand name, then Scotch is the brand you need to go for.

6. Sheets vs Pouches

You can get a laminator the operates using lamination sheets, or lamination pouches. The larger the laminator, the more likely it will be sheets that you’re using and not pouches. All commercial sized laminators are sheet style, because you can buy sheets for much cheaper and in bulk.

7. Quick Jam Release

Laminating pouches jam all the time! And it’s such a pain trying to rip the jammed pouch out of the laminator. It’s also a pretty big fire hazard. So I’d always recommend looking for a laminator that has quick jam release.