There are a lot of different laminating
machines out there on the market, and with so many options. If you have already decided to go with a pouch
laminator rather than a roll laminator, here are five things you will
want to consider before you buy.
There are a lot of different laminating
machines out there on the market, and with so many options, it can
sometimes be difficult to choose the machine that is just right for you
and your needs. If you have already decided to go with a pouch
laminator rather than a roll laminator, here are five things you will
want to consider before you buy.
What size? Laminators come in many shapes,
sizes, and abilities. If you are just going to be laminating small
items such as business cards, I.D. badges, and the like, you can find a
lot of machines out there with four inch throats that are small,
portable, and that store away easily. If you are going to be laminating
larger documents, such as letter size sheets, you'll need to find a
machine that has a throat of at least nine inches. If your plan is to
process legal, menu or double letter sized sheets, you will have to
purchase a laminator with a twelve or thirteen inch throat. And, of
course, if you are going to be working with poster sized items (such as
you might find in many schools, churches, etc.) you will have to look
into the largest of the bunch with throats of eighteen or twenty four
inches.
Pouches. The plastic
laminate sleeves into which you insert your documents before laminating
them are called pouches. These pouches come in various thicknesses,
from 3 to 5 to 7 to 10 mil. There are a lot of machines out there that
can only work with pouches of 3 or 5mil, and this is fine for a lot of
applications. Heavier pouches offer more durability, however, and you
can find many machines out on the market that can laminate using 7 and
10mil pouches, if that's what you think you will need.
What are you going to laminate? Just
about any laminator at any price point is capable of processing card
stock and the like. If your plan is to mount documents, or you are
going to want to process thicker materials and/or photos, you'll want
to make sure that you purchase a machine that is capable of doing so.
One thing you may want to ask is if the laminator you are considering
uses rollers and plates that are heated. Those machines that do have
that feature are usually the best bets when you are going to be
laminating photographs.
What are the other features? For
such a simple machine, there are a lot of other options to consider
when you are looking into purchasing a laminator. One of the most
important, headache-saving features to look for is some sort of either
reverse function, or jam release. Another great feature to have is
speed and temperature controls that allow you to adjust for pouch
thicknesses and document type.
Carrier or no carrier? We
vote carrier. Whether or not you choose a machine that offers carrier
free operation, there are many advantages to using one. First of all,
it helps keep adhesive from collecting on the rollers and ruining your
machine. Second, the carrier will help to ensure a cleaner, more
imperfection-free document.
If you are looking to purchase a Pouch Laminator for your office, you should really check out MyBinding.com.
They have great prices on a huge selection of pouch laminators and they
offer free shipping on all orders over $75. Plus, they also carry one
of the largest assortments of Laminating Pouches that you will find anywhere. Check it out today!
