How to Use a Laminator

There are three types of laminator machines on the market: pouch laminators (heated roll laminators), cold roll laminators and cold roll laminators. Each type of laminator works in a different way and is best suited to different projects. To help you decide which model is best for you, here’s a brief description of each.

The most common type of laminator is the pouch laminator. It can be found in schools, offices, restaurants and homes as well as regular homes and offices. The pouch laminators are used to seal small, everyday projects like menus, business cards and photographs.

Heated roll laminators are larger than pouch laminators and can seal items between two rolls lamination film at temperatures between 110oc to 150oc. Heat activates the adhesive layer on the film. This gives it a strong hold and is extremely durable. Although it is more commonly used in larger projects in industrial settings it has one drawback: it cannot be used to laminate any items that could be damaged by high temperatures. This includes certain inks.

Cold roll laminators are similar to heat roll laminators but they use high pressure to bond the layers of film together instead of high temperatures. These laminators are ideal for large-scale projects dealing with delicate materials and can be found mostly in professional or industrial settings.

A standard pouch laminator machine for domestic use is the best option. These machines are small enough to be kept on your desk or in a drawer in some cases. They don’t require special supplies. All you need is the machine you choose, a stack pouches and the document or project you wish to laminate.

These are the steps to use a pouch laminator:

• First, make sure your machine is on a flat surface. It shouldn’t overheat! After the machine is in place, turn it on and plug it in. The average laminator takes between 1 and 5 minutes to heat up so allow yourself some time to prepare your project.
• While your machine heats up remove the pouch from its packaging. Open it up. You can place the item that you wish to laminate between the two layers of the pouch. Push it up against the seam, and make sure it is free from dust, dirt, and other particles. You should leave a border at the three other edges if you can. Do not trim the pouch if the item you are laminating is less than the pouch. This must be done at the final stage. Most machines will detect the thickness of your pouch, but you can manually enter the details to get an exact result.
• It’s time for laminate once the machine has reached temperature. Place the sealed edge of the pouch in the machine following any placement guidelines. Now, the machine will gently pull your document through its feed. It will heat and/or seal it as it goes.
• After lamination is completed, you have the option to either take your project out of the machine and keep it as it is or cut it down to fit your needs.

Laminator Tips

Even the most skilled laminators need to have some knowledge. These are some things to remember:

• A laminator’s cost does not include any plastic pouches that you will need, unless you have a few samples included in the box.
• Laminators can work with pouches up to 3-mil (limeter) thick, but you will need one that can handle pouches up to 10-mil. You should verify the specifications of your machine before you use thicker pouches. Otherwise, it could cause damage.
• Before you send your pouch through the machine, make sure it is properly aligned. Misaligned pouches can cause laminators to jam.
• Personal laminators don’t need a special folder as much these days. However, rollers can get dirty from time to time. To clean them, run a piece of plain printer paper through it.

Laminators that don’t jam with precious papers inside are the best. Scotch’s Never Jam technology prevents you from feeding your project in an angle that might cause jamming. After a five minute warm-up, the machine laminates pages up 9 inches in width in 45 seconds.

Real Review: “I am an elementary school teacher with special education and I am always laminating items to preserve them for many years to come.” I must also add that my laminators have been through the !… love! It exceeded my expectations. It is almost silent! It laminates very quickly too! It is a product I would recommend to everyone.

You are looking for a larger personal laminator. The Mead model can hold pouches up 12.5 inches wide. It’s great for art or bulletin board decorations. It takes only three minutes to warm up and is faster than other models on the list.

Real Review: “If your job is to teach, this is the right tool for you. It is small and easy to use, and it does fast laminating. It’s better than fighting with everyone over the school laminating machines!

This little machine costs less than a week’s worth Starbucks runs and is definitely a bargain. You can laminate items up to 9 inches in width using 3 mil or 5 mil pouches. There are thousands of 5-star reviews.

Real Review: “I made bathroom passes, dry erase exit tickets, etc. It is incredible. It heats up quickly, seals perfectly the first time, and doesn’t jam. It cools quickly and can be stored safely once it has cooled down. This is also the top-rated laminator in my Facebook teacher group. Some teachers have theirs for over 3 years!

This all-in-one machine saves space. It features both a paper cutter and hole punch. In case of paper jams, the machine heats up in just 3 minutes. Also included in the bundle is a corner rounder punch as well as a set of 10 letter-size laminate pouches.

Real Review: “I am a first-year teacher. The school laminator is usually out of service every other week. I no longer have to use the school laminator. The instructions are clear and simple to follow… If you do it right, it’s very straightforward and easy to use. My laminator is a joy to use!

This bundle of laminators offers a lot for the money. This machine is capable of working with both hot and cold seal pouches. It also handles paper jams using a quick-release button. The bundle includes a paper cutter, corner rounder punch and 20 different-sized laminating pouches.

Real Review: “I am a teacher, and I have laminated more than 100 sheets. It’s amazing! It can laminate in less than a minute per sheet.

We were so impressed by the machine’s five-star ratings that we decided to include it on our list. It comes with a corner rounder, paper cutter, and 20 laminating pouches. This machine can handle items up to 8.5 inches in width.

Real Review: “I am an educator and even though we have a laminator at our school, the Crenova Laminator works just fine for me to use at home for school projects.” It actually does a better job of laminating than my school’s laminator. It doesn’t jam, it laminates better quality, it takes less time to heat up, and is compact and easy to use. This product is a great choice for home offices!

Although this laminator is more expensive than other ones on the list, it can be used in just a few minutes and is quick. The laminator can handle hot and cold seal pouches up 12.5 inches in width, and it has an auto-shut off feature.

Real Teacher Review: “I need an efficient laminator that can handle a lot of material and long runs. This machine performs better than any other I have used. It warms up very quickly. Excellent machine!

Although it is the most expensive machine on the list, this machine can still laminate up to 10 mil thick. This means that you can send thick cardboard and cardstock through. Even in harsh environments, the product will last longer. It can laminate items up to 12 inches in width using hot and cold seal pouches.

Real Teacher Review: “What an awesome machine!” This machine was purchased for a friend of mine who is a teacher. She wanted thicker laminate sheets and thicker card stock. It’s well built and heavy. I am confident that it will last her many years. It is great and she is very happy with it. She also reported that the sheets, regardless of their mil, come out perfect laminated. Fellows, thank you for making a machine that teachers can trust to make projects and educate her students in second grade.