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Pouch Laminator or Roll Laminator?
A pouch laminator is a desk-top machine that is light-weight and easy to move. It uses pre-cut pieces of laminate called “pouches” to encapsulate objects in laminate on both sides. A pouch laminator is typically used to laminate objects no larger than 11″ x 17″.
A roll laminator is larger and more heavy-duty than a pouch laminator. It uses two rolls of laminate to encapsulate objects in laminate. The sealed product is then trimmed away from the rolls of film. Roll laminators are available in 12″ up to 60″ widths, and so can handle very large objects.
2. Digital Output – Choosing a Laminator Solution
A Need for Speed
While speed always matters, don’t assume that you need the fastest solution on the market, and don’t assume that the solutions are capable of running at maximum speeds in all scenarios.
Rated speeds can be muddy criteria on which to base your laminator selection. Most solutions are said to have variable rates of speed—from zero to seven feet-per-minute (fpm), for example. Some solutions allow the operator to set the speed appropriate to the job; others may involuntarily vary, dropping speed when performing labor-intensive tasks or handling a challenging substrate.
“Drying time is a key issue,” Paris suggests. “If a print can be left to dry, then generally, you can put a heat-activated laminate over it without a problem. But the print has to be totally—totally—dry. The problem is, in a production environment, you may not have the luxury of time. This is certainly the case for on-demand situations. So if the print may not have ample time to completely dry, a pressure-sensitive process may be a little bit more forgiving.”
3. Buzzle.com – How to Find the Best Laminating Machines
The Different Laminator Sizes
A lot of people buy an A4 laminator, even though their printer can print A3 size and they might want to laminate an A3 document someday. It is a better to go for the best laminator you can afford, so that when you laminate, your documents come out looking professional. When choosing the size of the laminator, you should take into consideration the maximum size that your printer can print. For example, if your printer prints up to A3 size, you should buy an A3 laminating machine. You can also get a 9″ laminating machine which is perfect for laminating A4 pages, since an A4 page is 8.4″ wide and you need to allow for borders. It is also important to choose a quality laminating machine which is simple to use and gives excellent results.
If you need a larger machine, you can get 42″ laminators although most homes or small businesses do not need something so big. If you are going to be laminating banners and larger items, you should think about a large roll laminator. If you are mainly laminating IDs or small documents, a pouch laminator might be the best option.
4. Online Skyline – How to choose the right laminator
3 easy steps to choosing the right laminator.
1. First decide which items you’ll be laminating most, Id cards, Photographs, Menue size or large sizes.
2. Next, pick the mil thickness that’s right for you.
3. Then, select your HeatSeal laminating system.
5. Fellowes – Laminating Guide
What size documents will you be laminating?
If you’ll be laminating items such as business cards, file cards, luggage tags or photos up to 4″ x 6″ — A smaller personal laminating machine may be ideal for your needs
For small and slightly larger laminating jobs (including letter and legal size documents and photos up to 8″ x 10″) — Look for personal or general office machine that accommodates these sizes
If you need to laminate any size document-even up to tabloid or poster size, larger menus or photos up to 11″ x 14″ or documents to be placed on a mounting board — Consider a heavier duty, general office laminating machine
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