Whether you are laminating a photograph or business cards, you will want to get the thickness right. Using laminating film that is too thick can make something hard to use, where having laminating film that is too thin can cause a document to bend and become ruined. So what thickness of laminating film should you use? Here are few tips that may help you out.

Laminating film comes in a variety of thicknesses with the most common sizes being 1.5, 3, 5, 7 and 10 mils. A mil is one thousandth of an inch and is the common measurement of laminating film in the United States.

A 1.5 mil thick laminating pouch is actually 3 mils thick. This is because the mil thickness of a pouch is only taking into account one side of the “pocket.” This means a 5-mil pouch is actually 10 mils laminated and a 10-mil pouch is 20 mils laminated. Many people don’t realize this and discover only later that when they needed 10 mils of film on their document that they really needed a 5 mil thick pouch.

Most people use a 1.5 mil pouch purely to give a document or photo a protective coat or a glossy shine. A pouch that thin really doesn’t provide much stability. Few people use a 10-mil thick pouch because it provides so much rigidity. A 10 mil thick pouch is difficult to bend or fold, make it less desirable for brochures and menus.

As previously mentioned, a laminated 10-mil pouch is 20 mils thick. Standard 20# copy paper is about 4 mils thick. This means a standard sheet of paper, laminated with a 10-mil pouch is about 24 mils thick all said and done. A credit card (like a Visa or MC) is 30 mils thick. That should help you get an idea on the thickness involved.

The most common sizes used by our customers are 3 and 5 mil thick film. One nice thing about laminating film is that it is cheap. If you aren’t sure about the thickness you want to use, you can buy a 3 and a 5 to see what works best. A package of 100 laminating sheets usually doesn’t cost more than a few dollars.

We are also often able to mail laminating pouch samples. Just call us up at 1-800-658-8788 and ask for some film samples. We won’t charge you for this. We are also able to offer some really nice discounts for bulk purchases.

You can find our entire selection of laminating film here. You can find our entire selection of pouch laminators here.

So I was recently on Yahoo’s home page and noticed an article titled “12 alternative uses for coffee filters” found here. That got me to thinking. What are some of the oddest things our customers have done with the products we sell? I have had customers tell me some pretty interesting uses for laminating film.  Here’s what I have come up with.

Top 9 Alternative Uses For Laminating Film

1. Markerboards – Laminating film has a glossy surface that can be easily written on by marker board markers. Laminate a white sheet of paper, stick a magnet on the back and you have a fridge whiteboard.
2. Placemats – I have had people tell me that they have made (and sold) placemats for eating by simply printing a picture and laminating it with a 12 x 18 sheet of film.
3. Coasters - Laminating film is waterproof and will easily protect a table from a cold cup or beverage.
4. Luggage Tags – This one is done all the time. Get a luggage-size pouch and use it as a luggage tag. You can even get luggage-tag size pouches that already have a slot punched for a strap.
5. Bookmarks – This one is pretty popular. Laminate a photograph or a piece of artwork, cut it down into a rectangular shape and use it as a bookmark. I have even had people put a hole punch in the corner and tie a piece of ribbon to it.
6. Cutting Mats – Need a cutting mat? Laminate a sheet of card stock or a poly sheet using a 10 mil pouch and you have an instant cutting mat.
7. Flower Preservation – I have had people put flower specimens in lamination film and laminate it. This is often done for preservation, scrapbooking or for making cards.
8. Funnels – Because laminating film is waterproof, you can easily laminate a sheet of paper and roll it up into a funnel. It’s cheap, temporary and disposable.
9. Snow Scrapers – This one is pushing it, but I have had people tell me that a good 10 mil laminated pouch makes a great snow scraper. This is about as effective as using a credit card.

You can find our entire selection of laminating machines and film here.

So you have a roll laminator and now need some replacement film for it. So what size core should you get? There are three common sizes available. This includes one-inch, 2 ¼-inch and three inch. Here are a few ways to get the right film for your laminator.

The easiest way is to simply measure the inner diameter of the hole on your old roll lamination film. Unfortunately this isn’t always an option. Often times the old rolls are no longer around or the person that used to buy the film is no longer with the company.

Another way to determine the size of film you need is to measure the mandrel. The mandrel is the rod that the roll film is slid onto. A one-inch mandrel is pretty easy to spot out. The 2 ¼ or three-inch mandrel may require you to break out the tape measure.

As a general rule, roll laminators that fall within the 25 to 27-inch wide range use a one-inch core. The one-inch core diameter is the most common size used today.

Larger roll laminators (30-inches plus) typically use a wider core. This is because the wider film usually requires more stability.

What if you have a one-inch mandrel on your laminator but the film you want to use is only available with a larger 2 ¼ or three-inch core? Some laminator manufacturers make core adapters that will allow you to use a larger core film with a smaller mandrel.

Still not sure what film you need to use with your laminator? Call one of our specialists at 1-800-658-8788. Are you in need of a core adapter for your roll laminator? Contact our Service Department at 1-800-658-8788 x129.

You can find our entire selection of roll lamination film here.  You can find our entire selection of roll laminators here.

We’ve all been to restaurants and have all handled and used the menu. While not always the case, most restaurant menus consist of a single folded 11 x 17 sheet of paper or an 11 x 17 sheet of paper cut in half. Restaurant menus have soda spilled on them, dipping sauce smeared all over them, experience chicken wing accidents and much more. So how do menus endure daily abuse and use? They are laminated.

Laminating film makes a menu easy to clean off, prevents liquid damage and gives menus the rigidity they need to keep from tearing. So what are the best laminators to use for laminating a menu? There are two ways to do this. You will either want to use a pouch laminator or a roll laminating machine.

If you are using a pouch laminator, you will want to use a large 12 x 18 –inch pouch (found here). Place the printing menu inside the pouch and run it through the laminator. Once laminated, the menu can be creased or bound for use. Often times the menu isn’t folded or bound, but left as a single sheet. The slightly larger pouch will allow for a small overlapped border around the menu. If you don’t like this, it can be easily trimmed off.

If you are using a roll laminating machine, you can often laminate two menus simultaneously. This can be easily done if you are using a roll laminating machine that is 25-inches or wider. Once laminated, the menu can be trimmed down using a rotary trimmer. The most common roll film our customers use for menus can be found here.

Roll laminators are typically better for high-volume laminating, but I have found that more restaurants use a pouch laminator for menus.  The thickness of film used will depend on the restaurant’s preference. The higher the mil thickness, the thicker the film will be. A mil is one-thousandth of an inch. I probably wouldn’t go with anything thinner than 5 mils thick.

While not completely necessary, many of our customers also like to use a corner rounder to round the corners on the menus. This makes the menu less dangerous (pointy corners = ouch) and makes the menus look nice.

Here is a list of what you may need for your restaurant menu:

• Pouch Laminator or Roll Laminator
• Pouch Laminating Film or Roll Laminating Film
• Rotary Paper Trimmer
• Corner Rounder
• Paper Creaser

Good luck with your menus! We have a lot of people that do this, so don’t feel too overwhelmed. The end results will look great!

You may have heard the terms NAP I or NAP II laminating film. This is a term typically used for roll lamination machines. So what type of laminating film does your laminator use and does it really matter?

The term NAP was coined by GBC, who manufactures their own line of laminating machines and film. They will often refer to it is NAP-LAM I and NAP-LAM II. These two different types of film are based on the melt point of the glue.

NAP I film has a higher melting point than NAP II and is the most common type of laminating film used today. This is the most popular laminating film that we offer and typically has a glossy finish. This film is used to laminate posters, maps, signs and other paper documents.

NAP II film has a lower melt point and is less common. This type of film is usually a co-polymer based film and is often referred to as premium laminating film. NAP II laminating film is used for laminating temperature sensitive material. This may include wax-based ink, some types of photographs, inkjet printed material and more.

Most laminators are designed for use with NAP I film. Some laminators, with variable temperature controls, can use both NAP I and NAP II film.

You will find our roll laminating film here. Our most common roll laminating film is our glossy roll film found here.

So you’re laminator is heated up and ready to go, but the results aren’t turning out exactly the way you had hoped. Don’t worry, you’re not alone in this. We get calls from customers on a regular basis with laminating woes. Luckily most laminating issues can be quickly resolved by making a few simple adjustments to your laminator. Here are some of the most common issues we see on a daily basis:

My lamination film ends up cloudy.

Cloudy film is very common in thermal laminating film and is almost always a result of the laminator being too cold. The cloudiness in the film is un-melted glue. Turning up the heat on your laminator will almost always fix this. In rare cases, this can be a result of using old film.

My lamination film has ripples and waves in it.

Ripples and waves are caused by either too much heat or bad silicon rollers. If you notice waves in your laminating film, turn down the heat and see if that fixes the problem. Although rare, this can be caused by warped or damaged rollers in which case you will need to speak with our Service Technician at 1-800-658-8788 x129.

My laminating film ends up with bubbles in it.

Bubbles are almost always caused by excessive heat. Bubbles are caused when the glue gets so hot that it actually boils. This can be quickly fixed by turning down the heat on your laminator.

Can laminating film get old?

The effectiveness of laminating film can diminish with age. One sign your film is getting too old is cloudiness in the film after it has been laminated. Laminating film, however, has a shelf life of several years. Need new film? You can find our pouch laminating film here and our roll laminating film here.

My laminator is jammed, what do I do?

First off, don’t use scissors or a screwdriver to try and fish out the paper as this can damage internal components. If your laminator has a reverse button, try using it. This will often safely back out the film. In worst-case scenarios, the cover of the laminator may need to be removed to gain access to the jammed film.

If you are still experiencing issues, even after trying these tips, feel free to call our Service & Repair Department at 1-800-658-8788 x129. You may also contact our Service and Repair Department by filling out this form.

So you’re in the market for lamination film, but don’t know exactly what to get. Well, you’ve stumbled upon the right place. I can help you out with that. Once you learn the laminating film ropes, it shouldn’t be too hard to isolate exactly what you need. I will be discussing the most common type of lamination film referred to as thermal or hot lamination. Here are a few questions you will want to ask yourself prior to purchasing laminating film.

What type of laminator do you have?

The two main types of laminators are pouch and roll laminators. To see an example of what these look like, you will find pouch laminators here and roll laminators here.

Both types of laminators use different types of film. Pouch laminators use “folder-like” pouches that open up and allow you to place your document inside. Roll laminators use two separate rolls of film to laminate a document, using a top and a bottom roll.

Both of these laminators use heat to activate the glue. Once warm, the glue sticks to the document. The glue is designed to stick to documents without damaging them. After the glue cools down, it is clear and transparent.

What type of film would you like to use?

The most common type of laminating film is clear glossy film. This film has a shiny clear finish and looks great. The second most common type of film is matte lamination film. Matte film has a dull finish and does not reflect light like the glossy film.

Additional types of film include UV film and low melt film. UV film blocks out ultraviolet rays from the sun and prevents fading (for outdoor use). Low melt film uses glue that requires less heat to activate. Low melt film is good for temperature sensitive documents.

What thickness of film does your laminator use?

The thickness of laminating film, in the U.S., is referred to as a mil. A mil is a thousandth of an inch. The higher the number, the thicker the film. Most pouch and roll laminators can handle film up to 5 mils thick. If you would like to use 7 or 10 mil film, you will need to reference your machine’s manual to see if this is an option.

Where can you find laminating film?

You can find our pouch laminating film here and our roll laminating film here.

Still have questions? Call us at 1-800-658-8788 or post a comment here.