Have you ever thought about getting a laminator
for home use? If not, you should consider it. Laminators can be used to
laminate important documents so you can use them for years to come. Here are the
things to consider so you can select a laminator for home use:
Have you ever thought about getting a
laminator for home use? If not, you should consider it. Laminators can
be used to laminate important documents so you can use them for years to
come. They can also enhance artwork and photographs, and help you
produce strong luggage tags so you won't lose your bags when traveling.
Here are the things to consider so you can select a laminator for home
use:
Pouch or roll laminator?
The first thing you need to consider is if you want a pouch or roll
laminator. Generally speaking, roll laminators are large and are meant
more for professional laminating. There are plenty of pouch laminators
that are perfect for home use, so choosing one of those devices is
definitely the way to go.
Size.
Pouch laminators are available in a variety of sizes and most of them
can laminate letter-sized documents without any problem. There are
smaller and larger laminators available, but choosing a machine with a
9-inch feed opening is ideal. You'll be able to use it for a variety of
items like certificates, kids' artwork, and so on.
Safety features.
If you have kids and/or pets in your home, you should choose a
laminator that has good safety features. Double-walled insulation is one
feature to look for. The insulation will keep heat inside the laminator
so you can touch the machine and not get burned. Also, many machines
can shut down automatically. This helps reduce the risk of fire and it
helps save energy. Also, a machine that can shut off on its own is less
likely to burn out.
Pouch thickness.
When you buy laminating pouches, you will need to pay attention to how
thick they are. This is because your machine will only be able to handle
pouches of a certain thickness. Many pouch laminators can handle
pouches ranging from 3 to 7 mil thick. (A mil is the equivalent of 0.001th of an inch.) Make sure you consult your laminator's instruction manual to find out which pouches are compatible with it.
Photo capability.
A lot of people get laminators so they can protect and preserve their
favorite photographs. The good news is that most pouch laminators can
handle photos. However, the machines with cold settings are the best
ones for processing photos. Heat can damage photos, so take this into
consideration if you want to laminate those vacation, wedding, and/or
school photos.
Brand name and price.
As you look for your laminator, you'll probably see a lot of different
brand names. Two of the companies that make laminators that are suitable
for home use are Fellowes and GBC. Make sure you look for laminators
made by these companies. Also, you'll be glad to know that there are
many affordable machines available. It's easy to find one for less than
$100.00.
Having a laminator
at home will enable you to protect and preserve important documents and
your favorite photographs. Now that you know how to choose a laminator,
it will be easy to find one that's right for yo
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.
