| ating equipment has many uses in the office and the | | | | damage the images. |
| home. Laminating documents or pictures protects | | | | 4. How large are the documents you will cover? If |
| them from tearing, smudges or other damage. | | | | you will be doing mostly smaller projects, a pouch |
| Machines come in small sizes to laminate identification | | | | laminator is sufficient. For larger projects you will |
| cards or single pictures all the way up to large, wide | | | | need a machine built to handle size. Pouch machines |
| format machines for bigger projects. The machine | | | | are labelled to show their capacity. An 8 X10 machine |
| you should choose depends on several factors. | | | | can handle paper up to 8 X 10. Most pouch laminating |
| An Overview of Lamination Equipment | | | | equipment doesn’t exceed 11 X 17, but a few |
| Pouch laminators use film pouches to cover | | | | go to 20 inches. |
| documents. They are compact and easy to operate. | | | | 5. How thick are your projects? If they are very |
| You can find this machine in sizes ranging from an ID | | | | thick, you will need laminating equipment that is built |
| tag up to 20 inches wide. These are available in hot, | | | | to handle it. This includes projects that are mounted |
| cold or combination machines. | | | | on a mounting board and then laminated. Look for a |
| Roll laminators are larger and require space to | | | | spring loaded roller that can automatically adjust for |
| operate. These are also available in both hot and cold | | | | the thickness of the project. |
| formats. Rolls are best for bulk work or for larger | | | | 6. Where will you store the machine? A smaller pouch |
| projects that won’t fit in a pouch machine. | | | | machine can be stored on a desk, in the office supply |
| These laminators ( ) are often found in schools, | | | | closet or under the copy machine. A large roll machine |
| offices and print shops. | | | | is a big piece of office equipment that is more |
| Wide format machines are used for larger projects. | | | | difficult to store. You will need to purchase a |
| These are very expensive, with some priced at | | | | laminating stand to hold it. If your office is full of |
| nearly $40,000. This type of machine is most often | | | | furniture with little empty space, this may not be |
| found in print shops. They are great for custom | | | | practical. |
| lamination. If you do a lot of laminating, this machine | | | | 7. Do you need any extra features? Some machines |
| is a great investment. If you only have the occasional | | | | come with features like a cutter to trim documents |
| need for wide format, it is more economical to buy a | | | | or a combined laminator/binding machine to bind |
| smaller machine and send larger projects to a printer | | | | projects in book form. |
| for lamination. | | | | Film for Laminating Equipment |
| Before you start shopping for a laminator, there are | | | | A variety of finishes are available in laminating film. |
| some questions you should ask yourself. | | | | You may choose different films for each project. |
| 1. How much will the laminator get used? If you will | | | | Most machines can handle any finish, but check to be |
| laminate under 50 pages each day, a pouch laminator | | | | sure the film you are using is compatible for your |
| will be sufficient. For bulk work, a larger, roll model is | | | | machine. For a high gloss look, chose a clear film. This |
| needed. | | | | is the most commonly used film. For a slightly less |
| 2. Do you want a hot or cool machine? A hot | | | | glossy finish, a satin film is the best choice. |
| laminating machine uses heat to seal the document | | | | Other films are available, but are less commonly used. |
| inside the pouch. A cold machine uses adhesive inside | | | | A matte film has a surface that is slightly opaque. |
| the pouch, similar to contact paper to secure the | | | | These are a good choice for photographs. Scratch |
| document. | | | | resistant film is great for projects that will need to |
| 3. What will you be laminating? If you will be working | | | | stand up to heavy use. Crystal film has a granular |
| with a lot of photographs or graphics, you may not | | | | texture. The film you choose will depend on the |
| want a heated machine. High temperatures can | | | | document you are laminating. |