Buying guide for best laminating sheets
Imagine printing out a clean sheet of instructions or a gorgeous photo of your family … only to spill your cup of coffee on it an hour later. What a drag! The good news is, you can easily avoid this misfortune in the future with affordable and easy-to-use laminating sheets. Goodbye, spills and stains. Hello, preserved and durable documents!
Laminating sheets can protect precious photos, important documents, original and print art pieces, business cards, and so much more. With this handy addition to your home office arsenal, you can prolong the lifespan of many printed items. The process of encasing your precious papers in these sheets is simple and quick.
Before you choose a set of laminating sheets, pay attention to their thickness, size, and type. Different sheets are designed for different materials and temperatures. When you grasp these key features, you’ll be well on your way to choosing and using the best laminating sheets for your items.
How to use laminating sheets
Purposes for laminating sheets
As mentioned, laminating sheets help protect flat items that are susceptible to damage: paper, cards, photos, art prints, and such. You may wish to laminate important documents that are handled frequently in active environments where they encounter frequent wear and tear.
For example, teachers regularly laminate classroom materials since they are handled by multiple people on a regular basis. Particularly when working with younger children, laminated items withstand the ever-changing classroom environment and remain impervious to spilled paint, food messes, and dirty fingers.
Another situation where laminating sheets prove useful is the service industry. Hotels, restaurants, and other businesses laminate relevant directions and informational sheets to protect them from tears, stains, and spills. This helps them last longer and saves resources by minimizing the need to reprint damaged documents.
If you have a beloved photo, piece of art, or a print of sentimental value, you may want to laminate it to preserve its condition. Laminating sheets are also helpful at home: the slick film works well with dry erase markers, so you can laminate a schedule, calendar, or chore board and make changes as needed.
How laminating sheets work
Laminating sheets consist of a single side layer of laminate film. This film is smooth on one side, while the other side is coated with a layer of adhesive that adheres to the item you intend to laminate. The adhesive is covered with a piece of paper that is peeled off when the laminating sheet is ready for use.
Laminating sheets are designed for single-side laminating. This means that the underside of whatever you laminate remains exposed. Laminating sheets protect the top layer of documents, photos, cards, IDs, art, and other flat objects. The film shields the laminated item from dirt, stains, and spills and helps it resist tears and rips.
Laminating sheets vs. laminating pouches
Laminating sheets are for single-side lamination, providing a seal over the top surface of a document or item. Laminating pouches offer double-sided lamination, sealing the document or item between two layers of film. Thus, laminating sheets are best used for single-sided items, whereas laminating pouches are ideal for double-sided items or anything you want to be fully sealed.
Do I need a laminator machine to use laminating sheets?
While a number of laminating sheets and pouches are designed for use with laminator machines, you don’t necessarily need one in order to laminate. Cold laminating sheets are self-stick, so the heat that the machines produce isn’t needed to laminate with them.
However, many people like the precise and thorough job that laminator machines offer. The machine produces an even and steady amount of heat and pressure as the pouch is processed, often leading to a clean and smooth end result with few or no air bubbles.
When using cold laminating sheets, the most effective method is to fold down a small portion of the paper backing from the film, line up your item, and adhere it to the film sheet adhesive gradually. This is a great way to make sure your piece is properly sealed to the adhesive and that no air bubbles form.
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Features of laminating sheets
Thickness
These sheets come in varying thicknesses. The most common thicknesses for laminating sheets are:
- 1.5 mil
- 3 mil
- 4 mil
- 5 mil
- 7 mil
- 10 mil
Thinner laminating sheets of 1.5 mil to 4 mil are lighter and more flexible. If you want to laminate a document that you plan to fold, these thicknesses are ideal.
Thicker laminating sheets of 5 mil to 10 mil are heavier, more durable, and more protective. If you’re laminating something that might accidentally get wet, these thicknesses are ideal.
Sizing
The most common laminating sheet size fits a standard letter-sized document and is approximately 9 by 11.5 inches. However, you can find laminating sheets in a variety of sizes designed for flashcards, stickers, invitations, envelopes, photos, and larger art prints.
While you could laminate smaller items using larger-sized laminating sheets, this process often leads to unnecessary waste. That’s why so many laminating sheet sizes are available to accommodate the various items you might need laminated.
Laminating sheet finish
The two types of laminating sheet finishes are glossy and matte. Glossy finishes can be very aesthetically pleasing due to their shiny appearance. However, a glossy finish can prove difficult to read in brightly lit or sunny environments, as the light could create a glare on the finish.
Matte finishes have a more of a dull look but offer just as much protection as glossy laminating sheets. Matte finishes are much easier to read in sunnier conditions since they don’t produce a glare.
Cold laminating vs. hot laminating
There are two types of lamination sheets. Thermal laminating pouches and hot laminating sheets are designed for use with laminator machines. Their inner layer is coated with an adhesive that activates when heat is applied. When run through the laminator machine, the high temperature melts the adhesive while rollers apply pressure, sealing the item inside the two layers.
Cold laminating sheets are also known as cold pressure-sensitive pouches. This is because the laminating sheet relies on pressure (as opposed to temperature) for sealing. These sheets are often advertised as “self-adhesive” or “self-stick” because the sticky adhesive layer is already activated and simply needs to be firmly stuck to the item.
DID YOU KNOW?
You can use an iron to heat seal thermal laminating sheets. Place a piece of aluminum foil over your laminating sheet and a thin towel or cloth over it. Iron for up to 60 seconds, and allow to cool.
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Laminating sheet prices
Inexpensive
The most affordable laminating sheets cost anywhere from $8 to $15. These are sets of anywhere from 24 to 100 sheets, and they vary in thickness and type. If you have a small laminating job and don’t laminate often, a smaller set of laminating sheets would probably suffice.
Mid-range
Mid-range laminating sheets can be found for $17 to $25. These are often sets of 100 to 200 sheets. They may be thermal sheets or cold laminating sheets. Laminating pouches of greater thickness also fall in this price range, often in sets of 100.
Expensive
The most expensive laminating sheets cost $25 to $45. These are typically cold pressure sheets in larger quantities and sizes or thermal laminating pouches in sets of 200. If you work in an environment where lamination occurs often, these larger sets are a great choice.
When using laminating pouches, it’s always better to cut your item before laminating it. If you cut through the center of the item, the adhesive seal will break, leaving your document or photo exposed along the cut edge. You can trim the edges of your product after laminating, but make sure you don’t cut too close, or you’ll risk the seal peeling apart over time.
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Tips
- When using a laminator machine, use a higher temperature for thicker laminating sheets. The thicker your laminating sheet, the more heat it requires for the best result. The temperatures for different thicknesses may only vary by a few degrees, but you’ll notice a difference in the quality of lamination.
- Store your finished laminated product out of the sun. Lamination may protect your paper or photo from ripping and getting stained or soggy, but it won’t protect it from light damage. The sun could still fade or warp your laminated item, so store it in a cool, shaded spot. You may also consider keeping it in a folder or binder.
- Allow enough room along the perimeter of your document or photo for the laminating sheet to properly seal. Allow 0.5 to 1 inch of space around whatever you’re laminating, depending on its size and thickness. This promotes a thorough seal and the highest chance of protection from the lamination sheet.
FAQ
Q. Which is better, hot laminating or cold laminating?
A. Depending on the type of item you’re laminating, hot laminating is usually the most effective. The heat allows the adhesive to melt, and once it cools, it provides a more sturdy seal for your document. Hot laminating is also less likely to leave air bubbles. However, if you’re laminating a photo or heat-sensitive piece of art, cold lamination offers less chance of damaging the print.
Q. Is it better to cut before or after laminating?
A. In order to avoid mistakes that could result in wasting your laminating sheet, it’s usually better to cut before laminating. However, because laminating sheets are single-sided, you can cut a laminated item without compromising the seal.
Q. Can you print on laminating sheets?
A. Many printers feature a laminate printing setting. If your laminating sheet is thin enough, it can run through a printer and is easily printed upon. Over time, however, it’s possible that the ink may wear off the laminating sheet because plastic doesn’t absorb ink as well as paper does.
