Jeff McRitchie

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Pouch Laminator

If you are looking to purchase a pouch laminator I am sure that you have discovered that there are a plethora of options available on the laminating pouches market.Here are some questions that you should ask yourself when choosing pouch laminators...

What size of documents do you need to laminate? - Pouch laminators are available with throats as small as 4" and as large as 24". Depending on the size of the documents that you intend to laminate, your options for laminating pouches will be narrowed. If you plan on using letter sized laminating pouches you will need at least a 9" throat. If you plan on using Menu Size or Double Letter Sized Laminating Pouches you will need a 12 - 13" throat. Poster sized laminating pouches would of course require a laminator with a larger throat.

What thickness of laminating pouches do you intend to use? Laminating supplies are available in a variety of thicknesses including 3mil, 5mil, 7mil and 10mil laminating pouches. Many lower end laminators will only run 3mil and 5mil laminating pouches. If you expect that you might need to run heavier laminating pouches in the future you should consider choosing a laminator that is capable of laminating 7mil and 10mil laminating pouches.

What type of materials do you plan on laminating? - Most of the lower end laminators on the market are designed to do an excellent job in laminating standard paper thin cardstock. However, if you plan on using your pouch laminator to mount documents, to laminate thicker materials or to laminate photographs you might consider a higher end laminator. Some of the better laminators include both heated rollers and heated plates to provide even heat distribution for thicker substrates. These laminators and other laminators with multiple sets of rollers are the best choices for photo lamination.

What other features does the laminator have? - Several other popular features that you might want to look for on your laminator could include: A reverse function which comes in handy in case a laminating pouch gets jammed in the laminator machine. Variable speed and temperature controls can be helpful in making small adjustments for variations in laminating pouches and differences in substrate thicknesses. Some laminators also come equipped with silicone rollers to prevent laminating pouches from getting stuck to the rollers when running through the machine without a carrier.

These questions are simply meant as a starting place when evaluating various pouch laminators. Ultimately, factors such as brand, machine construction and warranty will most likely also play into your decision concerning what pouch laminator you will ultimately choose. However, if you know the right questions to ask, you will have a much greater chance of choosing the right laminator for your needs.

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