A Beginner's Guide to Document Laminating - Binding101

If you are new to laminating, the guide below will walk you through the key points of laminating that you need to know, including the benefits of lamination, the different kinds of laminating machines, what questions you need to ask yourself before you buy a machine, and some common FAQs and troubleshooting tips to help you ensure you get the perfect lamination, every time.

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Document Lamination Benefits and Drawbacks

First, let’s discuss the benefits that laminating your documents will offer. The most important trait of lamination is its protective properties. The plastic-like material bonds your documents securely on all sides protecting is from damage such as finger prints, scratches, dents and bends, liquid spills and even the harmful rays of the sun. In addition to these protective assets, lamination also adds an attractive finish to your document or print. For example, if you get a gloss lamination, then your print will feature a pristine glossy sheen once laminated, increasing the vibrancy of the colors. If you don’t want the sheen because of high-lighting or glare situations, then matte lamination is also available. Used properly, laminating your documents will keep them vibrant and protected for years to come.

Something to consider, however, is that document lamination is permanent and cannot be removed, so it is always important to test an unimportant document or print before laminating the actual piece. This will help you determine the proper heat and speed settings on your laminator without ruining the product you wanted to protect in the first place.

Kinds of Laminating Machines

Next, we should discuss the different kinds of laminating machines available, and what applications and customers they suite best. There are four basic kinds of document laminating machines: 1) pouch laminators, 2) roll laminators, 3) cold laminators (also known as pressure sensitive laminators) and, 4) wide format laminators.

① Pouch Laminators:

A pouch laminating machine is the most popular and least expensive method of laminating. These machines are compact, tabletop units designed for laminating applications up to 13" wide. There are three types of heating configurations that pouch laminators use: heat plates, heat shoes and heat rollers. Older models of pouch laminators use heat plates. These work best for simple black and white copies. Heat shoes are commonly found in roll laminators as well as pouch laminators. The heat shoes provide a better quality than the heat plates, however heat shoes in pouch laminators can cause paper jams. The most consistent and dependable heating method is the heated silicon rollers. This feature is always recommended when laminating photographs. Pouch laminators offer the protection of lamination for an economical price. Some common applications are restaurant menus, book covers, photos, cookbook pages, ID badges, small signs and displays. Something to consider, however, is that the maximum length for standard laminating pouches is eighteen inches.

How to Choose a Pouch Laminator:

In today's market, there are hundreds of laminators to choose from. When searching for the perfect pouch laminator for your specific needs, you should consider the following:

1) What is the largest size sheet you will be laminating? Pouch laminators are available in a variety of sizes. Binding101 offers pouch laminators capable of laminating product up to 11-1/2" x 17-1/2". Applications larger than this will require a Roll Laminator. Be sure to consider not only the size you will be doing immediately, but any sizes you might need to use in the future as well.

2) What mil (thickness) will you be using? Many Pouch Laminators are limited to running thinner lamination film, usually up to 3 or 5 mil. This film produces thinner, more flexible product. For thicker, more rigid results, a 7 or 10 mil film is necessary. Make sure that the Pouch Laminator you choose is capable of handling the mil thickness you prefer for your documents.

3) What is your volume? Speed is an important factor when choosing a Pouch Laminator. For example, if you are laminating high-volumes of documents at a time, then you don't want a laminator that only goes 12 inches per minute. Instead, you would want one than can do over 100 inches per minute. Production speed may not matter as much for low volume output, however with higher volumes; saving seconds per unit can make a significant difference and help keep costs down.

4) What is your application? Many Pouch Laminators are designed for specific applications. Some are designed specifically for basic copy paper with only light-coverage black print. For applications such as these, a heated-plate lamination system (typically the least expensive) will work fine. Other Pouch Laminators work well with photographs and specialty paper with full-coverage printing. For applications such as these, a heated-roller lamination system is the optimum choice. Many pouch laminators also offer the ability to do Foiling; an increasing trend that allows you to add attractive foil accents on your documents.

② Roll Laminators:

A roll laminating machine is designed for laminating larger graphics as well as mounting on foam board. For two sided laminate, two rolls of laminating film are used. And for one sided laminate, one roll is used. There is a wide variety of lamination film available on the market today, however the most frequently used is thermal film. Thermal film is constructed of two layers; a polyester layer and an adhesive layer. During the laminating process, the adhesive is warmed and melted. It is then pressed into the document acting as a bonding agent. As the adhesive cools, it hardens and creates a permanent seal between the document and the film.

Roll lamination is a process that involves two laminating rolls, a top and a bottom roll, and is placed on the machine with the glue sides facing each other. As the rolls are "uncoiled" a document is placed between the two pieces of laminate and are sealed as they travel through the rollers and the heat is applied. It is important to leave a small edge around the document to allow the lamination to adhere to itself. Some form of trimming is usually required with roll lamination. This lamination process is generally used for larger volume items as it can run at higher speeds and in a continuous roll.

Roll laminators operate by pulling film with a thermally-activated adhesive over a heat source and into a set of laminating rollers. Film from a roll passes over heat shoes to activate a polyethylene adhesive layer on the film. It then passes through rubber rollers to apply pressure and bond the film with the item being laminated. The film will actually fuse into the item.

Some great things about roll laminators are that you can add durable and protective laminate to your documents are high production rates, greatly increasing speed and efficiency. Roll laminate film is also available in a huge variety of sizes, finishes and thicknesses to choose from. There are models that are easy-to-use for schools and small offices to heavier-duty machines for the on-demand printing market.

How to Choose a Roll Laminator:

With the huge variety of roll laminators on the market, how can you choose the right one for your specific needs? Before you choose a laminating machine, it is important to consider several factors. Our experienced sales specialists have put together the most important questions to ask yourself before choosing a roll laminating machine. Review the questions below to help determine what you need. Once done, feel free to browse our selection of roll laminators or contact us at (866)537- for details on specific models to meet those needs.

1) What is your application? Different applications will call for different laminating machine solutions. Think about what you need your laminator to do... will you be laminating posters, graphics and signs? Will you be mounting prints to foam boards? Will you be creating pop-up displays? Will you be applying vinyls, tapes or adhesive films? Will the applications be used outdoors, such as outdoor signage and displays? You may need to do just one application, however some systems offer money saving multi-functional capabilities. Once you have determined what you want to achieve with your laminating machine, then we can start discussing the best machine to help you achieve those goals.

2) What is the largest size sheet you will be laminating? Roll Laminators range in size from 25" to 65" wide. Before investing in a roll laminating machine, be sure to consider not only your immediate width needs, but also any possible future needs. You will want to get a machine that has at least an inch or more extra space on each side to ensure proper encapsulation. It is always better to have a machine that can handle larger documents to ensure you are covered.

3) Do you need heat? Some roll laminators have the capability to do both heated lamination and cold lamination (also known as pressure sensitive laminating). Cold Laminating is required when the paper or ink is too sensitive to withstand the heat that thermal laminators apply.

4) What is your volume? Speed is an important fact when choosing a roll laminator. For example, if you are laminating high-volumes of documents at a time, then you want a machine that can laminate at high speeds, and be heavy-duty enough to power-through these large jobs. When laminating at high-output, saving seconds per print can make a significant difference and help keep costs down. On the other hand, if you are a school laminating in small intervals, then speed might not be an issue so you can invest in a slower (usually less expensive) laminator.

5) How much space do you have to work with? Roll Laminators are usually able to sit on desk-tops or stands, so it is important to determine the space you need to work with ahead of time, and compare it to the dimensions of the machine you are considering. You should also keep in mind that you will be inserting the print on one side and it will come out of another side, so additional space on both sides is required.

③ Cold Laminators:

Cold Laminators, also known as pressure sensitive laminators, are required when the ink or paper used for a print is too sensitive to withstand the heat of a thermal laminator. Often cold lamination is also used for one-sided laminating. This type of laminating machine applies a film or adhesive to the application using high pressure rollers. This process requires no electricity, eliminating warm-up and cool down time and confusing adjustments to tension and temperature. The cold laminators are extremely user friendly; perfect for home, schools, offices, and more. Pressure sensitive (cold) laminate is sticky to the touch, and features a removable release liner that covers and protects the adhesive.

With Pressure Sensitive Lamination you can create either flexible display graphics, or rigid display graphics. Flexible display graphics are perfect for retail stores, grocery stores, trade shows, hotels, etc. They are very popular as pop-ups and directional signs for hotel events. Rigid display graphics are prefect for when you want to laminate and mount in one easy step, creating a firm and durable graphic that is sure to last.

Benefits of cold laminators include the fact that they are often very user-friendly and easy to operate. They require no electricity, which not only saves you money, but eliminates the risk of burns as well as those accidents when machines are left on after you leave the office. There is no warm-up time, which means it is ready to go as soon as it is set-up for quick operation. In addition to all these benefits, cold laminators require little to no maintenance to keep them running smoothly.

Something to consider, however, is that most cold laminating is usually more expensive than thermal laminating film.

How to Choose a Cold Laminator:

Our experienced sales specialists have put together the most important questions that need to be answered before purchasing a cold laminating machine. Review the below questions to help determine what you need. Once done, feel free to browse our selection of Cold (Pressure Sensitive) Laminators or contact us at (866)537- for details on specific models to meet those needs.

1) What is your application? Different applications will call for different laminating machine solutions. Think about what you need your laminator to do... will you be laminating posters, graphics and signs? Will you be mounting prints to foam boards? Will you be creating pop-up displays? Will you be applying vinyl, tapes or adhesive films? Will the papers or inks you use in your prints be damaged by heat? You may need to do just one application; however some systems offer money saving multi-functional capabilities. Once you have determined what you want to achieve with your laminating machine, then we can start discussing the best machine to help you achieve those goals.

2) What is the largest size sheet you will be laminating? Before investing in a pressure sensitive laminating machine, be sure to consider not only your immediate needs, but any possible future needs as well. You will want to get a machine that has at least an inch or more extra space on each side to ensure proper encapsulation. It is always better to have a machine that can handle larger documents to ensure you are covered.

3) What is your volume? Smaller cold laminators are usually built for low-volume users with small applications, while the larger machines are meant for use with higher production and larger posters and signs.

4) How much space do you have to work with? Cold laminators are available as desktop models or floor-standing models with stands. It is important to determine the space you need to work with ahead of time, and compare it to the dimensions of the machine you are considering. You should also keep in mind that you will be inserting the print on one side and it will come out of another side, so additional space on both sides is required.

④ Wide Format Laminators:

Wide Format Laminating is most commonly used by the printing and trade-show industries where large-scale prints need to be laminated or mounted. They are available in widths up to 65", giving you a huge range of product size opportunities. Wide Format Laminators are floor-standing models, however, some can be placed on a stand or workstation. They are built for heavy-duty and daily users who create large promotional signs, banners and more.

Wide Format Laminating advantages include the allowance for high production rates, a protective and durable finished product that can be wiped clean, and a wide variety of lamination choices. However, you should consider the fact that some wide format laminating machines require set-up and training, which can be costly.

For more information, please visit Soft Laminating Rolls Film.

How to Choose a Wide Format Laminator

With the large variety of wide format laminators available, how can you choose the right one for your? Before we dive into selecting a laminating model, we should first determine the best kind of laminator for your needs. Our experienced sales specialists have put together the most important questions that need to be answered before choosing a large format laminating machine. Review the questions below to help determine what you need. Once done, feel free to browse our selection of Wide Format Laminators or contact us at (866)537- for details on specific models to meet those needs.

1) What is your application? Different applications will call for different laminating machine solutions. Think about what you need your laminator to do... will you be laminating posters, graphics and signs? Will you be mounting prints to foam boards? Will you be creating pop-up displays? Will you be applying vinyl, tapes or adhesive films? Will the applications be used outdoors, such as outdoor signage and displays? You may need to do just one application, however some systems offer money saving multi-functional capabilities. Once you have determined what you want to achieve with your laminating machine, then we can start discussing the best machine to help you achieve those goals.

2) What is the largest size sheet you will be laminating? Wide Format Laminators are available in widths up to 65". Before investing in a large format laminating machine, be sure to consider not only your immediate width needs, but also any possible future needs. You will want to get a machine that has at least an inch or more extra space on each side to ensure proper encapsulation. It is always better to have a machine that can handle larger documents to ensure you are covered.

3) Do you need heat? Many wide format laminators have the capability to do both heated lamination and cold lamination (also known as pressure sensitive laminating). Cold Laminating is required when the paper or ink is too sensitive to withstand the heat that thermal laminators apply. Cold lamination is usually a process in which only one side of a document is laminated.

4) What is your volume? Speed is an important fact when choosing a wide format laminator. For example, if you are laminating high-volumes of documents at a time, then you want a machine that can laminate at high speeds, and be heavy-duty enough to power-through these large jobs. When laminating at high-output, saving seconds per print can make a significant difference and help keep costs down. /p>

5) How much space do you have to work with? Because wide format laminating machines are floor-standing models, they require quite a bit of floor space. For this reason, it is important to determine the space you need to work with ahead of time, and compare it to the dimensions of the machine you are considering. You should also keep in mind that you will be inserting the print on one side and it will come out of another side, so additional space on both sides is required.

Laminating FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions)

Having been in the lamination industry for many years, we get important questions nearly every day. This section of the A Beginners Guide to Document Laminating features a compiled list of the most frequently occurring questions, as well as some that we thought were too important not to share.

1) What kind of Lamination do I need? The lamination selection will depend on two factors: what your laminating machine can accept, and your finished application. First you want to check the user manual or instruction manual for your laminator to determine any laminate limitations you need to keep in mind, such as a maximum mil thickness, etc. Once you are familiar with these, then you can browse a selection of compatible films. Typically there are two lamination finishes to choose from in pouches: gloss or matte. Remember those high lighting situations discussed at the beginning of this guide? Matte laminating pouches can solve your problems. The pale finish reduces glare and is perfect for harsh-light situations such as low-light restaurants, super-bright production facilities and more. The glossy finish, however, is great when you want to add a vibrant appeal to your document or print. This finish actually makes colors appear more bright and vivid, increasing the appeal of the finished document. This is the most popular lamination finish choice by customers of all kinds from personal users laminating photos and awards. Laminating film is also available in gloss and matte, however it is also available in satin and soft touch with a suede or velvet-like feel.

2) Why does my document have air bubbles after I laminate it? This is usually a sign that the laminator's temperature is set too low or the laminating speed is set too fast. When a laminator isn't heating the adhesive all the way through, air bubbles will collect in spots where the laminate did not adhere to the graphic. Adjusting the temperature and speed settings should solve this problem.

3) Why does my document look milky after I laminate? If your document looks milky rather than crystal-clear after lamination, this also means that your laminator is not hot enough to fully melt the adhesive. Try increasing the heat on your laminating machine or slowing down the speed and do some more testing.

4) Why is my laminated document wavy? This issue is caused by the opposite cause as in #2 and #3. The laminator is set too hot or the speed needs to be increased.

5) Why are there wrinkles appearing in the film on my roll laminator. This is usually an easy problem to solve. Simply refer to your laminator's user manual on how to adjust the tension of the film threaded on the rollers.

by MACtac global

Laminating can be a delicate process with several potential process flaws that can affect the final look of a laminated print. Well versed in pressure-sensitive technologies, MACtac has identified some of the most common issues that can occur during the laminating process.

Question: What causes laminating bubbles?

Answer: Few issues look worse than when bubbles appear under the film. Bubbling can occur for many reasons, the most common of which are listed below.

Tension
Lack of supply roll tension can cause the film to not be taut as it enters the nib. This insufficient tension causes bubbles when air gets trapped between the film and image. Too little supply roll tension will cause bubbles before it will cause wrinkles in the film. Insufficient tension easily is fixed by adjusting the tension of the feed spool to the proper specifications for the type of film being used. For instance, thinner film needs less tension.

Speed
Feeding too quickly causes bubbles if the item is pushed into the nib faster than the speed of the laminator. The solution to this problem is too obvious to mention.

Heat
“Hot spots” are a key problem when laminating inkjet prints. Inkjet printers dump a lot of ink onto the print and a rushed operator may try to laminate the image before the ink is completely dry. The problem can be exacerbated by the fact that, if a laminator is allowed to sit for extended periods of time without the rolls turning, there can be varying degrees of temperature on different parts of the rolls. This creates hot spots. When running a laminator at 85°C, the point where the rolls sit together easily can become a hot spot of +95°C. When a moist inkjet print encounters one of these hot spots, the ink easily can boil, creating bubbles. Among the solutions to heat-related bubbling is not to let the rolls sit idle for extended periods of time, to speed up the laminator so less heat gets into the printer or to work with a temperature about max 40°C. Always use the appropriate pressure.

Silvering
Silvering is caused by the capture of tiny bubbles of air, which look like hazy or reflective areas in the lamination. It may go unseen over light areas of an image, but will be more obvious over dark or black areas. Silvering usually is caused by too low an operating temperature and most often is seen when a machine is not given time to warm up or if the film temperature drops too low. When a large machine is warmed up without the motor on, one side of each laminating roll remains relatively cool. When lamination is begun, a pattern of repeated silvering can be seen each time the cool side of a roller is applied to the lamination. “Cool spots” are areas that aren’t hot enough to melt the adhesive. If bands of silvering alternate with bands of properly adhered areas, it means one part of the roller was too cool.

Be sure to pay attention to any defect which repeats. This is typical of debris, damage or low temperature on a section of the roller. Bubbles also can be caused if the adhesive doesn’t bond properly to the image. It can look like a sheen on the image. Bonding problems also can be caused by inadequate heat, inadequate or uneven pressure or too much speed. Inadequate pressure can cause silvering if the film isn’t pressed onto the image hard enough, preventing the adhesive from properly bonding.

Question: What causes wrinkles during lamination?

The film will wrinkle if there is not enough supply roll tension. Every laminator needs a certain amount of resistance in the unwinding of the supply rolls so that the film lays flat as it goes into the nib of the laminating rollers. Thinner film needs less tension, thicker film needs more. Also, respect the laminating temperature of 40°C to avoid wrinkling due to damp materials during the laminating process. The moisture content of the printed substrates must be the lowest.

Question: What are “orange peel” wrinkles?

Answer: The industry term “orange peel” refers to very fine wrinkles or waves in the laminate. This is a common condition resulting from too much heat. Simply adjust the temperature to a lower setting. NOTE: A quick fix can be to speed up the laminator. As the film runs at greater speeds, the actual film temperature is reduced. Some orange peel may occur when laminating prints with a lot of solvent residues or oil-based prints.

Question: Why does waving/blistering/dimpling occur?

Answer: These occur from the natural moisture in the item making it swell during printing. When too much heat is used, the moisture is dried out, but the areas that swell prevent the item from lying flat. They can also be caused by too little tension and uneven pressure.

Question: How does pressure affect lamination?

Answer: Users should start with as little tension as possible and then add more as needed rather than starting with a lot and loosening up. Some of the most common problems with laminated prints due to the wrong amount of tension or pressure are as follows:

Infeed waves are mars in the finished product that result from the original image being somehow distorted before it went in. For instance, if there is insufficient tension on the image as it is going in, it could end up crooked or folded as it enters the nib of the rolls. When feeding an image into the laminator, make sure it is parallel to the roll. Once it gets pulled in, grab the back of the image and hold it taut so any wrinkles get smoothed out before they enter the nib.

Print curl occurs when an image is unrolled and wants to roll itself back up again. A little bit of this is normal, but if the print doesn’t lay flat after some gentle smoothing, it is a problem. Print curl happens when one side of an encapsulated image changes size out of proportion to the other side, causing the print to curl towards the smaller side. This can be caused if the user puts a heavy laminate on the top side and something thin and cheap on the back, but doesn’t adjust the tension to allow for the different dimensional stabilities of both types of film. For instance, if the user applies the same tension to both the top and bottom film, the bottom film will likely stretch more than the top since it is weaker. As the image cools, the bottom film will tighten up a little more than the top film since it was stretched farther, causing the image to curl towards the back.

Boat wake is an undesirable ripple pattern in a “V” shape on a finished print. Boat wake is caused by several things. For example, when trying to encapsulate something thick, the edges of the film hanging off the sides of the print will not get as much pressure, so they’ll drag behind, causing the ripple pattern. “Reverse boat wake” can be caused when too much pressure is applied to the sides of the roller, forcing the middle up and causing the film to drag behind the film on the sides.

Ripples occur when too much pressure is exerted on the item when it goes through the rolls on the way out of the laminator while the film is still hot. To prevent this, make sure the pressure is at the proper ration of speed for the pull and front rolls. Make sure to work with a low temperature without exceeding 40-45°C.

Question: How can static electricity build-up be handled?

Answer: Static electricity is an issue that may arise and is impossible to prevent. However, it easily can be kept under control by taking a few precautions.

Removing or neutralizing static electricity by induction is the oldest and simplest method. Tinsel is the most common tool for this application. However, tinsel oftentimes is misused and, therefore, sometimes not successful. When using tinsel, it must have a metal core. Tinsel with a string (non-conductive) core will not function properly. Secondly, the tinsel must be well grounded electrically, stretched tight and placed ¼ of an inch from the material to be neutralized. There also must be “free air space” under the material to be neutralized, directly under or over the spot where the tinsel is placed. If done properly, the tinsel will reduce static electricity on both sides of the static-laden material.

In addition, grounding all plant machinery and related equipment is most important. Besides the safety factor, a grounded machine will help drain off extremely high charges of static electricity from partial conductors.

Static electricity is an issue when laminating lighter weight films since they have a tendency to curl back towards the rear rolls. The film then can begin to wrap around the rear rolls. To alleviate this problem, put the laminator in reverse and gently pull the wrapped film off the rear rolls. To prevent wrap around, laminate all documents using a continuous feed as the weight will hold the laminations away from the rear rolls or leave a few inches of extra film as the weight will not allow the static to pull the film back into the rolls.

Question: What causes repeating marks?

Answer: Repeating marks occur when there is something on the roll, usually a piece of paper or a scrap of film. If the defect is adhesive residues, simply clean the rolls.

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