Laminating Devices
About Laminators
Lamination, encapsulation, plastic film’s thickness, protection, cold usage, and so on and so forth! You see, there are so many factors that must be compatible with your purpose of laminating a document, ID, map, or even a recipe card. So, before you face the dilemma of deciding between the two, you must spend some time in the research. Explore what all a laminating device can do, and how much you can extend your budget to get some additional features.
Laminator is a device that can protect any important document from wear and tear. It covers your document with a plastic film, thereby also preserving the colour and contrast. And that is why you laminate your photos too. Top of all, you don’t have to waste much time in the laminating device. It is a quick and easy process with immediate results. By spending 10 minutes, you get your document protected from spills, rains, chemicals, smudges, sun damage, wrinkles, and even grease marks. However, not every lamination guarantees protection, especially if you do not understand the difference between lamination, encapsulation, and microns. So, read on and get the insights.
Laminating machine versus encapsulation
The laminating device covers one or both sides of the document with a thin layer of plastic. This method does not make the document waterproof fully and carried out to enhance the overall look. One example is the book cover lamination. If we talk about encapsulation, the plastic film of this method is usually more thick and rigid. It seals the edges of the sides, making the document waterproof and provides more protection than laminating device. Photo and maps encapsulation are two perfect examples. Something interesting to note here is that the general public calls both methods as lamination. You can check out some of the best thermal laminators and see for yourself.
Buying plastic film of laminating machine
Types of film and its thickness are two things to determine for the best laminating devices. Thickness is measured in microns, and the range can vary between 30 to 125 microns. You can choose the thickness based on your purpose. For example, a map hanging on the wall has 125 microns thickness, so you can even write and wipe on the plastic on a regular basis. Coming to the types of films, you have options of polyester and OPP types. OPP is available in gloss, matt, or satin, and associated with thin lamination. On the other hand, polyester has gloss or matt availability. This one is tougher, thicker, and durable. We hope the information was insightful as it can help you in buying yourself a laminator for home or for office supplies .
Fellowes laminator
Fellowes is one of the prominent brands for purchasing laminating devices. From small offices to heavy-duty usage, you will find all the products here. One of their products is Spectra A4 for small office and can be used as personal laminators as well. It can laminate up to 80-125micron pouches usually every day. It comes with auto-shut technology. However, if we talk about heavy-usage products, you can explore Neptune 3 A3 laminator. Heavy-duty products work well on saving your time as this one can auto-sense the thickness and self-adjust the settings. It also prevents paper jams by detecting the same and allowing the user to reverse and re-align. You can check out laminator for sale online in UAE and see if you find Fellowes laminator or something similar.
GBC laminator
When we talk about GBC, we cannot skip mentioned their roll laminating devices. They are multi-purpose and value for money. With the GBC Catena model, you can do thermal and mounting lamination both. Not only that, but this model has also got auto speed function, programable presets, and an open design. They are one of the best heavy-duty models you will explore. This brands’ pouch laminators also offer the same intensity. One of the models, GBC laminator fusion 1000L can laminate up to 10 documents in 10 minutes. In a similar manner, you can explore their other models by filtering the type you want to look for. The only mantra to buy the best and cheap thermal laminator is to read the specifications thoroughly.
Tips on how to buy Laminators online
You can save your time and money both if you spend some time researching or should we say scrutinising the products one by one. However, the wide range of products available in the market is unique and enticing. So, the only way to determine the best product is to list your preferences. Here, we have compiled the primary factors you should look for in a laminating machine so as to own the best suited.
- Describe your daily usage – You can determine the usage by calculating the number of sheets you laminate per day. If it is up to 5 sheets per day, then light duty product is what you want, probably for the home office or small office. Likewise, light to medium-duty usage is when laminating up to ten sheets per day. Medium duty usage is fifteen sheets per day. Heavy-duty usage is up to 25 sheets per day, and professional usage is 25 sheets or more. For the last one, we recommend going for roll laminators.
- Maximum width of the laminated item – The maximum size you often laminate is the width of the laminating device you should buy. Let’s suppose your requirement is an A3 laminator. So, this one A3 machine can laminate any small size item as well, such as A4 sheets, credit card, ID, badge, and more. The tip here is to go for the maximum width, but you may have flexible requirements. If you want wide-format or long length, you should look for roll laminators.
- Determine maximum pouch thickness – Lamination pouches are thicker and rigid when compared to sheets. Standard pouches have 75 to 80 microns per side, which is fine for light items that are not exposed to any harmful elements. If you need more protection, you can go for 125 microns per side. Also, commercial usage can even go beyond that bar. For those who do not know, by saying microns, we mean the thickness of the pouch.
- Pouch carriers needed or not – These carriers are cardboard sleeves in-between you put the laminating item along with the pouch or sheet before inserting it into the laminator. There are two reasons for using these carriers. One is they prevent paper jams, and the other reason is that they prevent the document from wrapping around the machine. Many modern and advanced laminating device do not need these pouch carriers. You should read the specifications of the product you are eyeing on and see if you will need one.
Brand and budget are also essential parameters to determine before adding a product to your cart. A few brands you should see include Leitz, Rexel, Bostitch, Ibico, Deli, and Olympia. You can explore all of these brands or more at our shopping platform, Shops.ae and can filter the budget range as well.
Question & Answer
Can the A3 laminator also laminate A4?
Yes, an A3 laminator can laminate A4 and that too with the same convenience. The thing to consider here is the laminator width. Here, A3 size is larger than A4 meaning anything less than A3 size can be laminated. It could be your ID, badge, credit card, and more. But if you have an A4 size laminator, you cannot laminate A3 size. If you are in a dilemma between purchasing one, go for the bigger size considering future requirements. You can explore products at our shopping platform, Shops.ae.
How does a cold laminator work?
Cold laminators use a plastic film with a glossy background, and this film is coated with adhesive. First, you separate the plastic film with the glossy paper and place the item to be laminated in between them. Once done, you roll it under your laminating machine. That is it! There is no need for pre-heating like a thermal laminating device. You can use this method to laminate photos, and you can also make stickers, labels, and magnets with this machine.
Which scotch laminator is the best?
Scotch Pro Thermal Laminator is the best product in terms of value. You just have to warm it for five minutes, and when the “ready” indicator illuminates, you are good to proceed with the lamination. With this product, you will not confront any jam in the feed, hence no wrinkles and bubbles in your document. Not only that, but the machine conserves energy also with the auto-cut feature. One of their models, TL901X, is the best products overall. It consists of a four-step process, and you can use it for laminating photos, recipe cards, arts & crafts pieces, and more.
Where to buy a laminator machine online in UAE?
Fellowes laminator can be the perfect product if you are searching for your office. From light to heavy usage, you can explore varieties here. Not only that, but this brand also segregates its products with office type as well, such as products for a small office, general office, and personal use. Another prominent brand, GBC laminators, has got versatile features. Here, you can find products from automated to wide format laminating device. We suggest checking out these brands or more at our shopping search engine. Do remember to filter the products with your budget and purpose.
We hope the content is insightful enough to let you grab the best product. Our shopping platform is well-versed with brands, online shops, deals, and much more to offer you. So, hop on to it now and explore the variants worthy of your shopping cart.