If you need to laminate business cards, photos, cards, signs and other material, one machine that you should consider is the PL12A pouch laminator from Banner American. This compact thermal laminator is now well over a decade old, yet continues to be one of the best selling laminators in the USA. If you’re teetering on which machine you should purchase, you may want to check out or PL12A video demo.

Before I show you the video, I would just like to explain why I personally like this laminator so much. To begin with, it looks great. It has a certain industrial look to it that sets it apart from the competition. There’s also the long history. This laminator has been around for well over 11 years, being one of the first pouch laminators I remember using when I first got into the office equipment industry.

The PL12A utilizes 4 rollers when laminating material. There are two rollers in the front, a heating element and two in the back. The combination of 4 rollers, versus cheaper 2 roller laminators, produces far superior results. Four rollers help iron out wrinkles, better distribute heat and eliminate the need to run a pouch through twice.

This laminator has been designed from the ground up to be long lasting. This becomes abundantly clear when you notice that it has a separate heat and motor button. Many laminators require that the heat and motor be run simultaneously. The PL12A will let you keep the heat on and the rollers off, which helps preserve the motor. This also allows you to immediately begin laminating without having to wait for it to warm up.

The Banner American PL12A also features an adjustable temperature control, located underneath the machine. This allows you to accurately and professionally laminate stuff using 3, 5, 7 or 10 mil thick pouches.

This is a video demo of the PL12A in action:

In conclusion I believe that this heavy-duty laminator is the perfect choice for most businesses, copy centers, schools and other organizations. I know of customers who are still using their PL12A well over 5 years after purchasing it. It is designed to last.

You can find the Banner American PL12A pouch laminating machine here and our entire selection of pouch laminators here.

If you were to ask me today which thickness of pouch laminating sheets is most popular, I would have to answer with the 5 mil laminating sheet. With so many different sizes available, why is it that this particular thickness is so popular? I’ll cover a few reasons why 5 mil laminating sheets may be what you want to use with your pouch laminator.

To begin with, laminating sheets are commonly available in four different thicknesses. These are 3 mil, 5 mil, 7 mil and 10 mil. On occasion, you may be able to find a 1.5 or a 15 mil laminating pouch, however, they are pretty rare and most people don’t want them.

So what does the term “mil” mean? It is a thousandth of an inch. A 5-mil pouch is 0.005 inches thick (one side). Both sides of a 5-mil pouch add up to 10 mils thick (0.010″). The smaller the mil thickness, the thinner the pouch. For this reason, 3 mil and 10 mil pouches are the least common sizes used by customers. There are two reasons for this.

Three mil laminating sheets aren’t quite as popular as 5 or 7 because many people think it is too thin, and 10 mils is too thick for many people’s taste. The 10-mil thickness also requires a laminator capable of handling that thickness.

Five-mil laminating pouches are popular simply because they provide enough stability along with a nice finished look, not to mention they cost less than 7 or 10-mil thicknesses. At ABC Office we offer 19 different laminating sheet sizes in a 5-mil thickness. They are as follows:

Clear Glossy 5 Mil Laminating Sheets (Standard Sizes)

• Business Card     —      (2 1/4″ x 3 3/4″)
• Credit Card     —    (2 1/8″ x 3 3/8″)
• Driver’s License     —      (2 3/8″ x 3 5/8″)
• IBM     —     (2 5/16″ x 3 1/4″)
• Key Card      —    (2 1/2″ x 3 7/8″)
• Military     —    (2 5/8″ x 3 7/8″)
• School Card     —     (2 1/2″ x 3 5/8″)
• Jumbo     —     (2 15/16″ x 4 1/8″)
• Luggage Tag (w/o Slot)     —     (2 1/2″ x 4 1/4″)
• Luggage Tag (w/ Slot)     —     (2 1/2″ x 4 1/4″)
• Index (File Card)    —      (3 1/2″ x 5 1/2″)
• Circulation Card     —    (3 15/16″ x 5 11/16″)
• Postal Card     —     (3 9/16″ x 5 5/16″)
• Extra Circulation Card     —     (3 15/16″ x 6 7/8″)
• 4″ x 6″     —    (4″ x 6″)

Clear Glossy 5 Mil Laminating Sheets (Large Sizes)

• 6″ x 9″ Laminating Sheets
• 9″ x 11 ½” Laminating Sheets
• 9″ x 14 ½” Laminating Sheets
• 12″ x 18″ Laminating Sheets

As you can see, there are a lot of options out there for 5 mil laminating sheets. Because we buy direct from the source, we are able to offer some of the best prices available online for 5 mil laminating sheets.

You can find our entire selection of laminating sheets here. Please feel free to contact one of our laminating experts at 1-800-658-8788 with answer to any questions you may have about pouch laminators or laminating sheets.

When a school, church or business is shopping around for a roll laminator, the Banner American Easy-Lam II 27″ roll laminator is usually at the top of the list. That is because the Easy Lam is affordable, easy to use and can be used to laminate posters, signs, banners and other material. This is my review.

I have personally used the Easy-Lam II. At first glance, it is a little intimidating. The machine itself is fairly large, measuring in at 48″ L x 40″ W x 26″ H. Don’t be too worried though. After familiarizing myself with the machine it is actually pretty easy to set up and use.

I believe the Easy-Lam II finds its stride when laminating multiple smaller documents. It can easily laminate posters, don’t get me wrong, but it can also be used to laminate multiple 8 ½” x 11″ documents at a time. This was especially beneficial for me when I was laminating large volumes of business cards.

Not only does the Easy-Lam II laminate documents, but it can also be used to mount material up to ¼” thick. This means you can easily mount photos, posters, signs and other material onto ¼” foam core board without any problems.

It warms up pretty fast. After plugging it in, it took about 15 minutes to be fully warmed up. This isn’t bad for a roll laminator. A built-in thermometer lets you know exactly what the temperature is. This is especially nice when trying to get the temperature just right for the film you are using. The thermometer, combined with an adjustable heat control, makes getting the “right” temperature very easy.

One of the most feared processes of owning a roll laminator is changing the film. Many people dread doing it. I have personally changed the film on this laminator and I have to say that it wasn’t bad. It was easy to place the film on the mandrels and wind it through the laminator. The Easy-Lam II uses a drop-down idler bar that makes it exceptionally easy to load new laminating film.

While the Easy-Lam II can use film up to 27″ wide, it can also be used with smaller rolls of film as well. It can be used with laminating film ranging from 1.5 mils up to 3 mils thick.

Banner American Easy-Lam II Roll Laminator Video Demo

This laminator also features:

• Reverse motor switch
• Safety shield
• Teflon coated heat shoes
• Silicone laminating rollers
• Heavy-duty DC motor
• Adjustable feed table guide

The build quality on this laminator seems to be right where it should be. We had an Easy-Lam II roll laminator on our showroom floor for several years and it always worked every time we used it just like the day we unboxed it.

This laminator, however, is not a high-volume machine. It is probably best used for low to medium-volume projects. The motor, while tough, runs at a speed of 5.5’ per minute. I recommend this laminator for school use, church use, copy center use and low-volume business use.

You can find the Banner American Easy-Lam II 27″ roll laminator here and our entire selection of roll laminators here. You can find our great selection of affordable roll laminating film here.

Do you need a reliable pouch laminating machine for use at home or in a small business environment? If you’re in the shopping process right now, you have probably discovered a huge selection of machines. One model I would recommend you look at is the Fellowes Cosmic 125 12” pouch laminator. This is my review.

Fellowes, although better known for their shredders, also makes a wide variety of pouch laminators. The Cosmic 125 (aka CL-125) pouch laminator is the home / small office version of the heavier-duty Saturn 125. This laminator has been around for some time now and has a great reputation for light to medium-volume jobs.

Let me get down to the basic specs. This laminator has a 12 ½” wide opening that is designed to laminate wider documents or several smaller documents. As far as pouch laminators go, a 12 ½” wide opening is very large. This allows you to use the Cosmic 125 to laminate signs, menus, photos and much more. The Cosmic 125 literally measures in at 3.5625″ x 20.6875″ x 7.875″

Aesthetically, the Fellowes Cosmic 125 is one of the best looking laminators around. It features a calm white and gray color scheme. Rounded edges almost make this laminator look like a piece of home entertainment equipment than a piece of office machinery. It should easily fit in with your existing office products.

This particular laminator is designed to be used both 3 and 5 mil thick pouches. A mil is a thousandth of an inch. The 5-mil thickness is compatible for use with index card size items and smaller. The 3-mil thickness can be used with larger documents. While this is a thermal laminator, capable of heating up in 5 minutes, it can also be used for cold laminating.

If you have ever used a pouch laminator, you may have noticed that they can get pretty hot. Some are extremely hot to the touch. The Cosmic 125 uses special HeatGuard technology that keeps the laminator cool to touch. This is nice when you need to quickly unplug and move (or re-position) the laminator.

Portability is extremely easy with the Cosmic 125. An included carrying handle is located on the back of the laminator. It also features cord storage. This is nice for packing up and moving the laminator.

Have you ever started laminating something only to notice that you fed it in crooked? If not fixed, this can result in a jam. The Cosmic 125 features a release lever that disengages pouches, making them easy to remove or re-position. Once you’re ready, this lever can be re-engaged and laminating can re-commence.

Overall I think the Cosmic 125 is a good value. Just remember that this is not designed for high-volume use. It is best used for low to medium-volume laminating. Also be aware that you cannot use this laminator with 7 or 10-mil thick pouches.

You can find the Fellowes Cosmic 125 12″ pouch laminator here and our entire selection pouch laminators here.

Model: Cosmic 125 Laminator
CRC: 52160
Item Number: 5216001

A pouch laminator jam is no fun. The causes and reasons for laminator jams vary a lot. Some are basic enough that you can clear them out manually, where others are so bad that they require the machine to be completely disassembled. There are a few things you can do to help cut down on or completely eliminate laminator jams.

I personally have well over a decade of experience using pouch laminators from GBC, Akiles, Tamerica, Fellowes and many other brands. Each of these brands manufacture machines that are very similar in functionality. These tips should help you prevent laminating jams regardless of the make or model.

Laminator Jam Prevention Tips

Carriers – Most pouch laminators still require the use of a carrier to provide support to laminating film as it runs its course. I personally like to still use carriers, even when the laminators say they are carrier free (unless the laminator specifically says no carriers). If you don’t use a carrier, the laminating film could potentially wrap itself around the internal silicon rollers and create a jam.

Widths – Be careful that the item you laminate fits within the maximum dimensions of your laminator. Many people (let’s use a 12″ laminator as an example) will try to laminate a 12″ wide piece of paper in a 12″ laminator. This isn’t a good idea as there is absolutely no room for error. When laminating something edge to edge in a laminating machine, the chances of a jam are almost guaranteed.

Angles - Make sure you feed your material into the pouch laminator straight and true. If there is any angle, that angle will become progressively worse as the material is pulled inside, ultimately resulting in a jam.

Reverse Button - I love reverse buttons on pouch laminators. If your material is starting to go in at an angle, or even if a jam has already begun, a reverse option makes it extremely easy to clear out material. I can vouch from personal experience that a reverse button will save you some serious headaches.

Motor Speeds – While not always an option, an adjustable motor speed can help when feeding material into a laminator. This is probably the least important feature in my list, but it is still a nice convenience should you find a machine with this feature.

Hopefully these tips help you with your laminator jams. If for any reason your machine has suffered a bad jam, feel free to contact our Service Department at 1-800-658-8788 x129 for advice on getting it back up and running.

If for any reason you need a new pouch laminator, you can find our entire selection of new pouch laminating machines here.

Have you ever run a picture or an important document through a pouch laminator only to have it come out with cloudy splotches all over it? It can be pretty frustrating, especially if it is something you really care about. So is there anything that you can do to fix the cloudy splotches? Here are a few tips.

You may have noticed, when you first place a document in a laminating pouch, that the film is translucent. That is because the glue, which lines the inside of the pouch, hasn’t been melted. Once melted, the glue becomes clear and stays that way. If the glue isn’t properly melted, some of that translucent cloudiness remains.

I would say 9 times out of 10, when cloudy splotches and spots appear, the laminator being used is running too cool. Some areas of the film melt and laminate properly, but the rest remains in an “unlaminated” state.

There are two things you can do to fix this problem. The first thing you can do is run your pouch through the laminator again and hope that a couple of passes will properly laminate the film. Your second option is to increase the heat of the laminator and run the pouch through. This should eliminate the cloudy spots.

If you are still noticing cloudy spots, even after adjusting the temperature or re-running the pouches through the laminator, your film may be too old or the laminator may be defective. If the film is too old, you’re probably out of luck and will need to buy new film. Unfortunately, the item you are laminating may be irreparably cloudy. I would certainly try at least running the pouch through another laminator before deeming the project a failure.

Some lower-end pouch laminators may require that you run the laminator through multiple times, every time. This is often the result of the laminator only having 2 rollers, which sometimes results in uneven heat distribution, or the laminator may simply have a week heating element.

For clean and clear results every time, I highly recommend using a laminator with 4 rollers or more. The more rollers used, the more evenly heat is distributed, which in turn produces great results.

You can find our entire selection of pouch laminators here and our entire selection of pouch laminating film here. If you feel your laminator may be defective, or in need of servicing, feel free to contact our Service Department by calling 1-800-658-8788 x129. Good luck!

Luggage tags provide an invaluable tool for luggage location. They can be strapped to suit cases, handbags, backpacks and much more. Did you know that you can easily, and affordably, create your own luggage tags? There are a few ways you can go about doing this. I will explain them all in this article.

Making your own luggage tags is extremely easy and can be done in just minutes. Materials needed are pretty straightforward. Here is the equipment you will need:

• Printer & luggage tag template
• Scissors or paper cutter
• Laminator
• Luggage tag laminating pouches
• Slot punch (optional)
• Luggage tag loops

Now that you have a list of the equipment, you will need to know what to do with it. Here are three easy steps you will want to follow.

Step 1. The luggage tags themselves can be easily printed on just about any laser or inkjet printer. There are several templates available online. You can find some available for use with Microsoft Word by going here.  Once printed, cut them out using a pair of scissors or a paper cutter.

Step 2. Now that you have your paper luggage tag cut out, you will want to laminate it. In order to laminate it, you will need both a pouch laminator and luggage tag laminating pouches.

Luggage tag laminating pouches can be purchased with or without a luggage tag slot. The slot measures in at ½” x 1/8″. The slot is punched on the short side of the pouch and the pouch itself measures in at 2 ½” x 4 ¼”.

A handheld slot punch can be used to punch your own slots in luggage tag pouches that don’t include a slot. You can also use a slot punch to punch slots in non luggage tag size pouches for custom size luggage tags.

Step 3. Once laminated, you will want to insert a luggage tag loop strap. These loop straps are available in plastic, vinyl, metal and leather designs. I really like the vinyl and leather, but preference varies from person to person.

There you have it…a custom luggage tag! These tags are fun for personal use, as a hobby or even for business / retail purposes. Because they are laminated, they are weather proof and hold up well with continued wear and tear.

Feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 for any help or recommendations on making custom luggage tags.

If you are shopping around for a laminator, you may have noticed that there are two primary methods used for laminating documents and pictures. These two methods are cold and hold lamination. Both laminating techniques have their benefits, but which style of laminator should you use?

Both hot and cold laminating is still commonly used today, however, hot thermal laminating is by far the most popular. Each of these laminating styles has unique features that make them ideal for certain laminating jobs. I’ll explain the differences between the two.

Cold Laminating – Cold laminating is often referred to as pressure laminating. That is because cold laminating film has a tacky adhesive on one side that sticks to documents when pressure is applied, much like scotch tape. This laminating method is popular for making stickers (Xyron), arts & crafts and for laminating temperature sensitive documents.

Hot Laminating – Hot laminating, often called thermal laminating, is very common. This laminating method uses laminating rolls or pouches that are coated on one side with thermally activated glue. Once heat is applied, the glue melts, much like a hot glue gun. Heat, along with pressure, coats the laminating film to documents, pictures and more. This laminating style is extremely common for laminating photos, signs, posters, banners, business cards, restaurant menus and much more.

Multi-Format Laminating – Some pouch and roll laminators are capable of being used with hot or cold laminating film. Most of these laminators are designed for hot lamination by default, but offer the option of turning off the heat for cold lamination.

If I had to pick between the two formats, I would personally go with a hot laminator. This is mostly because hot laminated documents tend to last longer and the film is generally less expensive. Both laminating styles produce professional results.

You can find our entire selection of laminating machines here.

If you like to scrapbook, chances are that you also like to create many of your own crafts and decorations. One of the most popular tools we offer for scrapbooking, other than paper cutters, is our Xyron laminators. These affordable little machines have many benefits. I’ll explain.

To begin with, Xyron laminators are completely manual and require no power to operate. This is ideal, especially when you want to break out the scrapbooking tools but don’t want to necessarily sit next to a power outlet. Xyron laminators operate by use of a crank lever located on the side of the machine. This allows you to laminate photos, paper and other material at your own speed.

Xyron laminators are technically what’s known in the industry as a roll laminator. This means that they typically use two rolls of film, one on the top and another on the bottom. These two rolls work together to fully laminate a product.

One of the biggest hassles of a roll laminator is having to remove spent rolls and insert new rolls. This isn’t a problem with Xyron laminators. Xyron uses special cartridges. Just pop out the used cartridge and insert a new one. Film changes literally take just seconds to complete.

The biggest scrapbooking benefit Xyron laminators offer is their amazing selection of cartridges. You can get acid-free laminating cartridges, matte finish cartridges, single-sided laminating cartridges and even adhesive cartridges that allow you to create your own stickers.

The ability to create stickers is a feature many scrabookers have told me they really enjoy. Xyron laminators, when using the correct cartridge, can create stickers that are laminated or simply stickers that have adhesive on the back. This can be used to create your own stickers or even simply to apply adhesive to the back of a photo for insertion into photo albums.

The combination of laminating possibilities is pretty impressive. There are several models available, depending on the size of the object you want to laminate.

You can find our entire selection of xyron laminators here and our xyron laminating cartridges here.

Are you in the market for a sub $100 pouch laminator that you can use at home or in the office? Many laminators under $100 aren’t worth much when it comes to quality results. At ABC Office we try to offer only the highest-quality laminators available and the Fellowes Saturn SL-95 pouch laminator is one such machine. This is my review.

Fellowes has developed a stalwart reputation for their huge line of paper shredders. What many people don’t realize is that Fellowes also makes a large line of binding machines and laminators. All Fellowes products have something in common – they look great!

The Saturn SL-95, at the time of this article, runs at a price of about $94 new. This is very affordable, especially for a 9 ½” pouch laminator. Not only is the SL-95 affordable, it touts an impressive 2-year warranty. It even includes a laminating starter kit.

For a laminator, The SL-95 is very attractive. It features a charcoal gray with a lighter gray design with soft rounded curves. It almost looks like something out of a Sci-Fi movie. The control panel is very easy to use and extremely easy to set up.

The large 9 ½” width is capable of handling most letter-size documents and can be used to laminate small pouches as well. The thermal temperature settings are designed to handle 3 mil and 5 mil laminating pouches. Warm-up time only takes about 5 minutes.

As with any thermal pouch laminator, they can generate a lot of heat. Because of this heat, safety can be an issue with some laminators. The Fellowes Saturn SL-95 features HeatGuard technology that makes the laminator cool to the touch. This is great, especially for home use.

One of the most annoying features of pouch laminators is alignment. If a pouch is fed in crooked, it can eventually run into the side of the laminator and cause a jam. The SL-95 has a special release lever that releases pressure on the pouch, making it easy to re-position. Once re-aligned, the laminator can be clamped back down and laminating can continue.

Portability is frequently an issue with pouch laminators. Many laminators are awkward and difficult to pick up and move around. The Fellowes Saturn SL-95 includes a built-in handle, making it easy to pick up and move around. Weighing in at just 7 pounds shipped, the SL-95 can be used on most desks, tables and workstations.

Be aware that the SL-95 is not designed for high-volume use. It is, however, great for the occasional laminating job. I would rate it for low to medium-volume use.

Considering the price, the warranty, the quality and the great looks, I think the SL-95 to be a great fit for any home or small business.

You can find the Fellowes Saturn SL-95 pouch laminator here, our entire selection of pouch laminators here and our pouch laminating film here.  Feel free to give us a call at 1-800-658-8788 with your pouch laminator questions.