Lamination Frequently Asked Questions

· What is the difference between Thermal Lamination and Pressure Lamination?
· What kinds of things can be laminated?
· What is the difference between 2 Roll and 4 Roll Laminators?
· What is the difference between Pouch and Roll lamination?

· Thermal Lamination:
Thermal or heat activated laminating films are constructed of a layer of polyester base film and a layer of adhesive resin, bonded together. During the lamination process, the adhesive resin is softened or liquefied and permanently bonded to the document. Once liquefied, the adhesive is spread across the surface and with pressure, forced into the pores of the document. The adhesive then hardens as it cools creating a permanent bond between paper and film.

· Pressure Lamination:
Pressure Sensitive laminating films are often referred to as cold films. The reason is that they require no heat or very limited amount of heat to adhere to any particular document during the laminating or mounting process. The adhesive layer in cold film is constantly in a tacky state since no heat is used in the sealing process (only pressure). This gives the need for a paper or film liner, that keeps the film from adhering to itself when it is rolled. Pressure sensititve laminating films will adhere to almost any substrate but is best used for heat sensitive or previously heat activated materials. These films work great for overlaminating and mounting on such substrates as gator board, foam board, wood, Plexiglass or delicate print materials such as photostats, transparencies, cyberchromes and thermal transfers.

Lamination is for preserving, protecting, enhancing, presenting and displaying. Listed below are items that can be laminated:


· Preservation:

· Greeting Cards/Invitations, Birth/Wedding Certificates, Leaves, Babies Footprints/Report Cards, News Clippings/Magazine Articles, Concert Tickets, Pictures/Poems, Awards, Sketches/Children's Artwork.

· Protection:

· Menus, Contracts, Maps, Blueprints, Music Sheet

· Enhancement:

· Graphs, Flash Cards, Policies, Visual Aids, Business Ads/Business Materials, POP Displays, Charts, Classroom Signs, Instructional Tools, Placemats.

· Presentation/Displays:

· Regulation Signs, OSHA Signs, EPA Signs, Store Hours, Emergency Instructions, safety Signs/Guidelines.

The best type of laminator depends on how much you want to laminate. Listed below are the Lamination types and what they are used for:



· Pouch Laminators:

· Pouch Laminators are best for people who only laminate a few things. Supplies are more expensive, they require a carrier to protect all laminations. Pouch laminators can only laminate "photo quality" photographs. They can only laminate one item at a time and are more timely.

· Roll Laminators:
Roll Laminators supplies are less expensive. Roll Laminators are best for anyone who laminates in mass quantities such as a school or a business. They are capable of laminating more than one item at a time, and they are also less time consuming.

· 4 Rollers:
In a 4 roller machine, the front two rollers feed the carrier into the laminator at a uniform speed to guarantee even heat distribution. The second set of rollers, call finishing rollers, stretch the film, eliminating wrinkles and curls at the same time applying pressure, forcing the molten adhesive into the document.

· 2 Rollers
In a 2 roller machine, you only have the rear roller that act as both the feed and finishing rollers. Two roller machines are good for smaller applications with films that have a lower polyester/Mylar content. When using a two roller laminator, you must always feed the document through the machine at a slow even speed until the rear rollers grab.

Pouch lamination is a process where a document or substrate is sealed (encapsulated) within layers of clear plastic film. During the lamination process, the film is heated, transforming the adhesive into a molten state. Pressure is then applied to the film pressing the adhesive into the pores of the document. They also require the use of a carrier.