Thicker laminating film has a thicker layer of glue which requires a lower temperature.
Category: laminating
My film roll says “Poly-In.” What does that mean?
“Poly-in” means that the heat activated adhesive is rolled toward the inside of the film rolls—this is the most common arrangement.
How do I clean the rubber rollers on my roll laminator?
For cleaning, we always recommend that you refer to your user manual for information specific to your machine. In general, you can use a little denatured alcohol and a mildly abrasive scrubber to clean your rollers. If you’d prefer an all-in-one set, we offer a roll cleaning kit which includes denatured alcohol, a soft cloth, and a scrubbing pad. Additionally, you can purchase our cleaning erasers which you can use to “erase” adhesive from your machine’s rollers. For additional information, you can also check out our blog post “Get on a Roll with Your Heated Roll Laminator” which has information on cleaning your pouch laminator.
*Note: Never use a straight edge, razor blade, or X-acto knife to clean your rollers.
What size laminating pouch should I select for my project?
Your pouch should be at least 1/8” larger on all four sides than the item you’re laminating. We sell specially-sized pouches for business cards and other small items; for larger items, you can use a large laminating pouch and then trim it down to size (again, leaving 1/8“border on each side).
What is a laminating pouch carrier?
A laminating carrier is a sheet of specially-coated heavy white card stock folded on one side and open on the other three sides. The item to be laminated is placed inside a laminating pouch and then placed inside the carrier before being fed through the pouch laminator. Not all pouch laminators require carriers, so consult your machine’s user manual to determine whether yours needs a carrier or not. The carrier helps prevent adhesive from getting onto your machine’s rollers.
Can I write on laminating film after I’ve run it through my machine?
Yes! You can write on all of our laminating films. Permanent marker will stay on the material indefinitely; dry erase marker will wipe off just as it would from a marker board; pencil can be used on matte film only and can be erased off.
What is UV film?
UV film is used specifically for outdoor use such as billboard or the sides of buses. UV film protects your document against the weather and the sun for 3–5 years longer than standard laminating film without the protective UV coating.
My laminated items are curling! How can I make this stop?
If your laminated item is curling up or down after it’s gone through the machine, check your user manual for instructions for “film tension.” You’ll need to adjust either the top or bottom tension to correct this problem (typically, if the film curls upward, you’d adjust the bottom tension; if the film curls downward, you’d adjust the top tension). If your tension is correct but you’re getting waves toward the center of the web film as it comes out the back, you’ve probably got “heat waves,” and you’ll need to turn the temp down or slow your speed down a little bit.
Why are my laminated items getting heat wrinkles?
Heat wrinkles form when the film hasn’t cooled properly before coming off the back of the machine. You want your laminated document to cool below the melt temperature of the film while it’s still being pulled tight between the rollers—this is the main reason that laminators have fans on them—to cool the item, not to cool the machine down.The fix for heat wrinkles is to slow the machine speed down slightly so that the item has a chance to cool before exiting the back of the machine.
What can I use to trim the excess material from my laminated items?
We recommend a rotary trimmer, a zippy cutter, a craft knife (like X-acto), or of course, a regular pair of scissors.