Although the world has been seemingly
overtaken by smart phones and the Internet, traditional business cards
are still used on a regular basis. Business cards are perfect for
networking and keeping track of your contacts. There is one problem
though: business cards are usually made out of paper, so they are not the
sturdiest things in the world. However, you can make the cards last
longer by laminating them.
Although the world has been seemingly
overtaken by smart phones and the Internet, traditional business cards
are still used on a regular basis. Business cards are perfect for
networking and keeping track of your contacts. There is one problem
though: business cards are usually made out of paper, so they're not the
sturdiest things in the world. However, you can make the cards last
longer by laminating them. Here are few ways you can do that:
Use a pouch laminator.
If you have access to a pouch laminator, you should use it. Using one
of these machines is easy. Turn it on and let it warm up for a few
minutes. Place your card in a laminating pouch that will completely
encapsulate the card. Put the pouch in the laminator's feed opening. The
pouch will travel through the machine and exit out the back. Let your
laminated business card cool off a bit and feel free to laminate any
other cards you might have.
Use a roll laminator.
Roll laminators are typically larger than pouch laminators, but they
can be helpful if you want to laminate several cards at once. You could
also just laminate one card at a time, but you'll need to trim away a
lot of excess film which can be a hassle. Don't bother investing in a
roll laminator if you just want to laminate business cards. You're
better off getting a small pouch laminator using the supplies mentioned
in the next paragraph.
Use self-sealing laminating pouches.
One of the easiest ways to laminate your business cards is by using
self-sealing pouches. There are pouches that are the perfect size for
business cards, so you won't need to trim extra film. These pouches are
really easy to use. Oftentimes, you can just align the card, peel back
the pouch's liner, and seal it. You don't need to use a laminator with
these pouches, so they're perfect if you don't have access to a machine.
Use clear contact paper.
Finally, you can always use clear contact paper if you'd rather not
deal with a laminator and/or laminating pouches. Just center your card
on the sticky side of the paper and then apply a layer of paper on top
of it. Contact paper is easy to find and using it is a snap, so it's a
nice alternative to traditional lamination.
If
you need to trim excess laminate from your business cards once they've
been processed, it's easy to do so. You can use a rotary trimmer, a
craft knife and straight edge, or even a pair of scissors. If you use
scissors, try very hard to keep your hand steady so you can get a
straight cut.
Laminating your business cards is a
great way to make them last longer. Best of all, laminating them is easy
to do and there are a number of ways you can complete the job. Start
laminating your business cards today so you can get a lot of use out of
them.
Jeff McRitchie is the Vice-President of Marketing for MyBinding.com.
He regularly writes articles, reviews, and blog posts on topics related
to bookbinding, laminating, paper shredding, and office equipment. More
than 2,500 of his reviews have been published in thousands of locations
on the Internet. If you're looking for information about laminators, his articles are a great place to start.
