In simple terms laminators is a gadget to protect the print or extend the life expectancy! Virtually all forms of digital inkjet printing know-how needs either a film or liquid laminate for protection. Yes, even the solvent based inkjet prints. Solvent based inks with no lamination may last up to three years in outdoor conditions, but to accomplish the longest feasible durability a laminate must be added.
Your typical aqueous (water) based inkjet prints are more liable to destroy than the solvent based prints. Sometimes all it takes is a drop of sweat, a splash of water or accidentally touching an unclean surface to turn a stunning print in to rubbish. Humidity & moisture are large issues for the aqueous prints. Have you ever seen what happens to a picture gloss print that is placed under glass or in a plastic sleeve that has not been laminated? It is not a sight to see a superbly lovely print stuck to the inside of the glass or plastic. However, there’s water resistant inkjet materials available which can resolve some of these issues, but may leave a watermark or stain on the print.
Handling these prints may not be as simple as it sounds. A kink in the material or a minor scrape against an object could possibly cause the ink to come off & then its back to the printing stage again. Fundamentally, you handle the prints with care until they are protected. The product line for aqueous inks are improving, but it is doubtful that they will be able to get away from the use of laminates & those new materials will have a higher cost associated with them.
Keep in mind that it is up to you to tell your client as to what is necessary to protect the print, because they may not understand the various applications to digital printing. You need to assist the client in making sure decisions on the done product & have a lovely understanding of how the print is to be used. Is it used inside or outside? Is it a one day event? What elements will the print be exposed to? Over likely, the client will be contingent on you to make the decision as to the material, ink & lamination (if needed) to make use of for their project.
Longevity is an issue with digital printing. How long will it last? Truthfully, no one knows for sure. I, personally have few prints that are over ten years elderly that were digitally printed using a picture gloss material & a 5mil hot laminate with dye based inks. They look as lovely as the day they were printed, but then again these prints have seldom been exposed to sunlight or exposed to extreme conditions. In taking a look at the vehicle wraps & graphics that they see everyday, they don’t know how long they will last. Be assured that the people that produced those graphics made every hard work to protect the print & maximize the life expectancy. Even in the event that they were only to be used for a short time period.
There’s others out there, but the above are the companies that you may recognize by name. Is one better than the other? Not necessarily. It all depends on what you need & what your future goals might be. Features in theses machines could be the deciding factor along with the cost tag.
Types of laminators
Laminators come in all shapes & sizes. The sizes may range from an identification card size up to 80″ in width. Each type or style of laminator has its specific purpose. Some are designed to have a multiple use design, while others only have one purpose in mind.
The most common laminator, known as the “Pouch Laminator”, is present in office supply stores that offer lamination services. These laminators are cheap & have the capabilities to laminate up to 11″ x 17″ (ledger size) documents. The pouch laminator makes use of sheets of laminate that are V-shaped. A document is inserted in to the V-shaped (pouch) laminate & feed in to the laminator. As the laminate is fed through, heat is applied to activate the glue & seal the document in a coating of laminate. This is often known as “Encapsulating”, & as long as the document has an overlap of laminate around the edges, it is waterproof. The pouch laminator only makes use of hot laminates & is simple to make use of.
Another type of laminator is the “Roll Laminator”. This style of laminator makes use of rolls of laminate that are pressed between three rubber or silicon rollers to apply the laminate to the document. Size of the laminator can vary from 12″ to 80″ in width with as plenty of features as there’s sizes. Among these laminators there’s three types, which are “Hot” or “Cold”. A “Hot” laminator has the advantage of using either hot or cold laminates, whereas the “Cold” laminators only use cold laminates. Although they may look identical, they are not!
Hot laminators heat the roller or rollers up to temperatures that can exceed 240 degrees. The heated roller(s) activates the glue of the laminate as it is being fed through the machine. This laminator can also use cold laminates by not heating the roller(s). One option that you may have is that both the upper & lower rollers can be heated. A distinct advantage when encapsulation is necessary. The dual heated rollers permit for encapsulation of a printed item in one pass, similar to the above mentioned “Pouch” laminators. There’s specific roll laminators that are designed for dye sublimation processes. The laminator is outfitted with steel rollers that can reach temperatures greater than 400 degrees.
A roll laminator is the most widely used type for digital printing, but it’s other makes use of ! Do you ever get worn out of applying transfer tape to those large projects? Solution…try using a laminator & cut your labor time in half. What about mounting a print to some type of board such as a foam board, art board, pvc or plexiglass? Do you have several one color yard signs to apply vinyl to? You can always find some use for a laminator!
One of the latest additions to the relatives of laminators is the liquid laminator. This type of unit was originally designed to accommodate digital prints that used an oil or solvent based ink, but may even be used for aqueous based prints . These machines are often used together with the grand format digital printers & thus can be large, up to 16′ in length. Features for the liquid laminator may include a roll to roll feed technique & a drying technique. There’s three types of liquid laminators, one that makes use of pumps & the other that makes use of a gravity feed technique to apply the liquid laminate. The liquid laminate can be applied in various thicknesses to accommodate the prints use and/or longevity. The beauty of liquid laminate is its cost & that it can provide the same amount of protection that a film laminate might.
The cons to looking in to any type of laminator may appear to be the cost, but in case you weigh out the choices you may find the significant time savings, & time is money, that can offset the expense, and satisfied customers. Below are some examples of how to utilize your laminating machine.
- Generate & personalize your own ornaments. Color & cut out holiday items such as trees, stockings & snowmen from construction paper. Laminate & hole-punch each ornament & hang by a ribbon on your tree. An excellent idea for babies.
- Design personalized gift
- Savor holiday recipes by laminating them. You can also copy these recipes & laminate them to generate a great gift for your daughter who got her own apartment. Add these recipes to your own cookbook.
- Make your own holiday gifts such as bookmarks (color & laminate) & refrigerator magnets (color, laminate then add a magnet strip to the back) for your relatives & friends. Or, print & laminate these Coupons to tuck in a stocking.
- Produce the ideal holiday placemats. Trace your favourite cookie cutters along the fringe of the placemat, decorate & laminate. Place them on your table in the work of your holiday gatherings
- Tags, Laminate them & tape to your packages to add the ideal finishing touch. Start with these Tags
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