If you're in the market for a pouch laminator, perhaps you're wondering what to look for when making your purchase.Here are four things to consider when buying a pouch laminator.
If you're in the market for a pouch
laminator, perhaps you're wondering what to look for when making your
purchase. In order to purchase the best machine for both your budgetary
and laminating needs, you'll need to consider several key things, from
the size of the items you'll be laminating to the machine's warranty.
Here are four things to consider when buying a pouch laminator.
What you'll be laminating? Pouch laminators can
be used to laminate everything from bookmarks to photographs to
important legal documents. Accordingly, there are different types of
laminators available. Small personal-sized machines are ideal for
occasional laminating and can handle paper-thin cardstock well, so if
you want to preserve your child's artwork or your high school diploma,
a smaller machine could be the best choice. However, if you'll be
mounting documents or laminating photographs or other thicker materials
(such as posters), investing in a higher-end laminator would be a wise
decision. Some of the better laminators on the market are the GBC H600
and H700 and the Akiles ProLam 330 Plus. These machines feature heated
rollers and plates, providing even heat distribution for thicker
materials. These machines, as well as laminators with multiple sets of
rollers (like the Lamitek 13 Photo Laminator) are the best choices when
laminating photographs.
The size of your documents. Pouch
laminators run the gamut in sizes. Some have throats as small as 4" and
as large as 24". To laminate a standard 8.5 x 11" document, you'd need
a laminator with at least a 9" throat, and if you're looking to use
larger laminating pouches (such as a menu size or double letter size
pouch), you'll need a machine capable of handling larger documents. In
that case you should consider a machine with a 12" or 13" throat.
The thickness of the laminating pouches you'll use. Laminating
pouches are available in a variety of thicknesses from 3mil and 5mil to
10mil. The thinner the pouch, the less rigid the finished laminated
product will be. For example, a 3mil pouch is a good choice if you're
looking for basic sheet protection, say, for your marriage certificate.
But if you're laminating an ID card or a sign, a 10mil pouch would be
better because the end product would be sturdier. Keep in mind that
lower-end laminators will only run smaller sized pouches such as 3mil
and 5 mil, so if you anticipate needing to use larger pouches in the
future, you should choose a laminator that can handle 7mil and 10 mil
pouches.
Additional features: warranties, temperature controls, and more. One
of the other features you may want in a pouch laminator could be a
reverse function. This comes in handy if a pouch ever gets jammed in
the machine. (This will probably happen at some point.) Variable speed
and temperature controls can be helpful if you're dealing with
different laminating pouches and variations in substrate thickness.
Also, some laminators are equipped with silicone rollers, which prevent
the pouches from sticking to the rollers when run through the machine
without a carrier, thus preventing a sticky mess. You'll also want to
consider the quality of the machine's construction and what kind of
warranty is included.
These items will provide you with a starting point when shopping for a
pouch laminator. If you keep the above things in mind while shopping,
you'll be much better informed of your options, enabling you to compare
different machines so that you can purchase the pouch laminator that
will best suit your needs.
If you are looking for a Pouch Laminator for your business or home, a great place to check out is MyBinding.com. They carry one of the largest selections of Laminating Pouches
and laminating supplies on the internet. In fact, they carry the entire
line of GBC Heatseal laminators, Fellowes Pouch Laminating Machines
along with laminating equipment from manufacturers such as Akiles and
Tamerica.
