Buyer’s Guide: Automatic Laminators
It may seem difficult to choose a new automatic laminator or upgrade your previous one. We're here to make that task a little bit simpler for you. In order to assist you to choose the ideal laminator for your needs, we've compiled a list of a few key variables to consider before you buy an automatic laminator online.
- What an automated laminating machine is
- Who needs an automated laminator
- Why should you get an automated laminator
- The difference between pouch, roll, and cartridge laminators
- Choosing the right lamination film
- Choosing the best automatic laminator for you
- Document sizes, materials, and quantities
- Sizes of automatic laminators
What are Automatic Laminators?
You might find a use for an automatic laminator machine whether you're a teacher, business, presenter, or crafter. Laminating is basically a practical way to keep crucial papers and documents safe - this typically includes:
- Signage and posters
- Photos
- Menus
- Business or ID cards
- Instructions or task checklists
- Certificates
- Presentations or reports covers
Although many other types of documents (and non-paper objects) can be laminated, the majority of home offices, schools, offices, and print shops tend to use lamination frequently to protect and decorate documents for presentation or display.
Automatic roll laminators seal the film by pressing it between the rollers automatically after placing your document between the two rolls. With automatic feeding and cutting, you can come back to a neat stack of sheets that have been laminated and cut.
Both hot and cold lamination can be handled by automatic roll laminators. If you occasionally need to laminate pressure-sensitive documents, this capability is really useful. The automatic roll laminators' capability to complete larger works would be useful to a major university, church, or print company, rapidly.
Check out the speeds of our best automatic laminators below.
Revo-T14 Automatic 12" Encapsulation Laminator with Feeder, Cutter, and Stand|||63” per minute / 420 pages per hour
Revo-Office Automatic 12" Encapsulation Laminator with Feeder and Cutter|||39” per minute / 240 pages per hour
Fujipla ALM 3222 Automatic Laminator and Trimmer with Stand|||68” per minute
Fujipla ALM 3230 Automatic Laminator and Trimmer|||40” per minute
GBC Foton 30 Automatic Pouch-Free Laminator with Feeder and Trimmer|||29” per minute
Benefits of Automatic Laminators
Automatic laminators have a range of benefits from saving time to protecting your documents. Read on for more benefits that automatic laminators provide:
- It saves money and time: By extending the life of your printed materials, introducing an automatic laminator to your workspace lowers the expense of reprinting. Put a stack of documents into the feeding tray without difficulty, then walk away. The automatic laminator will automatically feed your sheets through, laminate them, cut them, and stack them on the opposite side.
- It protects: Documents that have been laminated are protected against normal wear and tear as well as damage from frequent handling, liquid spills, fingerprints, dirt, and other factors. It safeguards documents by encasing them in waterproof film.
- It’s professional: With automatic trimming, you don’t have to worry about uneven edges or accidental cuts to your documents. Any printed materials you create and circulate, such as brochures, presentations, restaurant menus, or signage, represent your company and your brand. These laminated materials can help build a brand image and establish professionalism.
What are the Different types of Automatic Laminators?
Today's market offers a wide variety of automated laminating machines, from small, affordable desktop models for use in homes and small offices to huge, expensive industrial models. The latter are more likely to support a wider range of temperature ranges and page sizes, and frequently have numerous sets of rollers to help produce perfect quality in more demanding situations.
- Automatic Roll Laminators
- Automatic Cartridge Laminators
Automatic Roll Laminators
Automatic Roll laminators load the machine with two rolls of laminating film, one on top and one at the bottom. Your documents are fed between two rolls by the laminator. It then creates a strong seal using pressure and/or heat. Numerous different projects can be handled with automatic roll laminators and their film. There is a film out there for every application, whether you're laminating big images like a window sign or oddly sized documents like alphabet letters.
Automatic Cartridge Laminators
Cartridge laminators, which are more recent in the market and extremely inventive, are the simplest and most practical approach to laminating either high or low-volume runs. Great for educators, and others who need to multi-task, being able to drop in up to 30 pages at a time and walk away help you save loads of time. The usage of film cartridges by laminating machines also implies that they are only compatible with those suppliers, which can restrict your options for the type of lamination, thickness, size, etc.
Do you need Hot or Cold Lamination?
Following your selection of a laminator, you must choose the appropriate temperature range for your lamination job. Hot lamination essentially uses heat, whereas cold lamination mostly utilizes pressure and glue. Each has advantages and disadvantages, and each must be used for the right applications.
Hot Automatic Laminators
A hot laminator (also known as a thermal laminating machine) uses heat to activate adhesives, which are then fused together using pressure. When cooled, the film binds to the document. These are the ideal options for strong documents that can withstand heat. The item will endure longer and be less prone to separate if it has been laminated using heat.
Cold Automatic Laminators
Heat-sensitive materials are best laminated using a cold lamination process. It needs self-adhesive pouches and rolls for laminating that can be used with or without a machine. Large projects, like banners and maps, can be laminated more easily with a machine.
How to Pick the Best Automatic Laminator
What Documents Sizes will you Laminate
Consider how big your documents to laminate are before choosing an automatic laminator. The length of a roll can range from 12 inches to 64 inches. Verify what size you need and that the size fits your machine.
Consider the laminated documents' finish as a final consideration. Do you like matte or glossy products? Should they be textured or have a gloss to them? Making these choices will help you decide which move is best for your project.
How Many Documents will you Run at a Time?
Think about how many documents you will laminate at once and how frequently you will do it. A cartridge laminator is ideal for you if you laminate small tasks once or twice each week. An automatic roll laminator will be the best option if you need to laminate a lot of huge documents or items. For people who laminate many times each week and for large laminating tasks with standard-size documents, automatic laminators are fantastic.
Check out the sizes below to compare speeds across our top automatic laminators
The Size of the Automatic Laminator
When trying to choose the best automatic laminator for your workspace, you’ll find that the size differences are quite vast. There are tabletop laminators that can sit atop a desk or stand; some automatic laminators need a bit more space and come with their own stands. These bigger sizes are great for print shops that have the dedicated room for a powerhouse automatic laminator, like the Revo-T14 or Fujipla ALM 3222.
FAQS
What documents can I laminate?
In order to preserve your print or poster from fading, ripping, dirt, fingerprints, dampness, and other contaminants, lamination is the best option. Just about anything can be cost-effectively protected by laminating. Tickets for concerts and movies, which are printed on thermal paper, shouldn't be laminated because doing so will turn them black. Additionally, because lamination is permanent and cannot be reversed, we normally advise against laminating collectible or priceless objects.
How does an automatic laminator work?
Pushing a button is all it takes to operate an automated laminator. These automatic feed, laminate, and trim equipment free up your time so you may work on several projects at once. Every project benefits from automated laminators since they can handle larger materials, and letter-sized pages.
How thick should my film be?
The flexibility of your laminated materials should therefore be considered. Mil thickness can be anywhere from 1.5mil and 10mil. The more rigid you would like your document, the higher the mil must be.
Should I use hot or cold lamination?
Both hot and cold laminators have benefits and drawbacks. Hot and cold laminators differ primarily in terms of heat, with cold using pressure and more sticky films. You can choose between using cold or hot laminating procedures using some laminators' chilly settings. Old pictures and other heat-sensitive papers may benefit from cold lamination.
How fast can I start laminating?
Usually, it doesn't take a long time for automatic laminators to warm up. Most warm-up for up to five minutes before beginning the laminating process after they have hit the right temperature.
Should I buy an automatic laminator?
Anyone who has to laminate hundreds to thousands of documents each day or tens of pages at a time will benefit from an auto laminator. With automatic alignment, feeding, and trimming, automated laminators significantly reduce the amount of labor required.
From small offices to mid-sized offices to print shops, automatic laminators are an asset wherever they're added.
What does “encapsulation” mean?
Encapsulation technically refers to both pouches and roll lamination. Since the paper has been entirely covered in lamination, any laminated object, whether it was done with a pouch laminator or a roll laminator, is encased (lamination is where both sides are covered in the plastic). Identify if the automatic laminating machine is pouch-free or roll film because "encapsulation" is a phrase that can be used to describe either.
Binding101 – The Best Source for Automatic Laminators
When buying an automatic laminator or looking to upgrade, keep these points in mind. Automatic laminating is an efficient method that may be used for both large-scale production and individual projects. Knowing which features are most important can make it easier for you to find the machine that best suits your needs. With Binding101, browse your options and make a purchase with confidence.
Binding101 carries many choices, from traditional pouch lamination to fully automatic laminators that feed, laminate, and trim stacks of documents at the touch of a button, lowering operating costs and raising output. Whether you need to laminate a few dozen pages or thousands at once, our automatic laminating equipment has been carefully chosen to meet your needs. To ask any questions about our Fully Automatic Laminators, call us toll-free at 855-880-7500.
