How to choose a film for lamination: main types, names and their features

The content of the article

• What is a lamination film
• Views
• Buy film for lamination
• For cold lamination
• For hot lamination
• Roll film
• Lamination sheets
• Matte film
• Glossy film
• How to choose a film for lamination

This procedure involves coating a printing product with a special film, which ensures its protection from any external influences, including precipitation, mechanical damage, pollution, etc. For this purpose, a lamination film is used, made in various ways, depending on which the lamination is carried out by cold or hot method.

What is a lamination film

With the help of lamination, printed products are protected from negative external factors. Lamination film for a long time extends the operational life of printing products, whether business cards, documents, calendars, books. An important aspect in this is the correct choice of product, (the quality and density of the consumables play a large role).

Laminating film is used not only to protect various printed products from external influences. Lamination is also a great way to improve the appearance of the product. So, a laminated poster looks much better than usual, as for other types of printing products, for example, book covers, advertising materials, documents, etc. Using a laminator – a special device – you can protect securities from damage for many years, because in processed they are not afraid of moisture and mechanical damage.

Views

The density, texture, thickness of the processed paper depends on the variety of the basis for the laminator. Each type of material has its own individual characteristics:

1. Matt look. No glare, perfect for text documents. If necessary, important information can be recorded on the matte surface, and later it is easy to remove the inscription with an eraser. Such a film for lamination improves print quality and maintains color saturation for a long time. It is better to use this material in cases when it is necessary to cover documents that are often in work, business cards and other promotional items.
2. Glossy consumable. It is most often used for vivid photographs, because it emphasizes the clear contours of the image. Glossy material covers posters, book covers and other products that have pictures. For text documents, this type of lamination is not suitable, since it affects the visibility of letters.
3. Texture type. Such a consumable for a laminator is able to imitate various materials: fabric, sand, canvas, etc. In addition, recently a material that imitates crystal pyramids, patterns, holograms has recently appeared on sale. The consumable hides scratches that would be perfectly visible on a matte or glossy finish, so they often draw pictures and books.

Depending on the material of the workpiece, three types of films for the laminator are distinguished:

1. Nylonex. It is distinguished by its ability to pass air, cannot curl, and during application to paper changes its own geometric properties with it.
2. Polinex It is marked “ORR”, no more than 43 microns are made. The pressing temperature of the material for lamination is 125 degrees, as a result, the coating is soft, elastic, thin. Polineks used for the production of roll lamination.
3. Perfex. Products are marked “PET”, has a significant thickness (up to 375 microns). The perflex is hard and has perfect transparency, which increases the optical perception of printed products (the image looks like it is under glass). High density and transparency make this film indispensable for creating plastic cards, souvenir bags, business cards.

Film coating technology for printed products involves the use of hot or cold lamination. The main feature of the first method is the need to expose the material to high temperature and pressure. This method of lamination is suitable for any type of coating, while the heating temperature will depend on its density.

The film for cold lamination does not need heating and is activated only under the influence of pressure. Due to the uniform pressing of all its surfaces with special rollers that the laminator is equipped with, film material (in this case it looks like scotch tape) envelops documents. One edge of the coating is sealed, which ensures its direct passage through the apparatus and prevents distortions. The key advantage of this type of lamination is that paper can be processed immediately after printing.

Buy film for lamination

This material performs not only a decorative, but also a protective function, due to which it guarantees a long operational period for documents and any other printed products. How much is the product? You can buy film for A4 or other format lamination at specialized points of sale of office supplies and equipment or by ordering in an online store with delivery by mail. The cost of the material is affected by its thickness, size, manufacturer, level of flexibility and other aspects. Below is a description with prices of the most popular types of goods.

For cold lamination

This type of material is optimal for working with products that are vulnerable to heat – photographs, vinyl, certain types of documents. If heat can damage the structure of a thing, it should be laminated in a cold way. During cold lamination, consumables with glue are used, which reacts to pressure, providing reliable adhesion. The disadvantage of this method is the tightness inferior to hot lamination. In addition, the purchase of material for processing printing products will be expensive.

Depending on the place of application of the lamination coating, it can have one or two layers (the sheet is coated on 1 or both sides). Popular brands of this type of product:

• Fellowes FS-53022 (80 microns, A4, 100 pcs per pack, transparent, self-adhesive) – 1400 rubles;
• NAMA 57382 (A8, 10 pcs. Per pack, transparent, self-adhesive) – 350 rubles;
• Buromax BM7753 (A4, 125 microns, 100 pcs. Per pack, transparent, self-adhesive) – 1000 rubles.

For hot lamination

A feature of such films is that their adhesive layer is activated under the influence of two factors at once – heat and pressure, while the appropriate temperature regime for different coatings will be excellent (from 60 degrees and above). It is important to take into account when working with such material that thicker sheets will require the most intense heating, and thin films can provide good adhesion to the file without changing the heating temperature.

The advantage of hot lamination is that with it you can create maximum tightness. The disadvantages of the method are the relatively low speed of processing documents, significant electrical costs. Featured product brands:

• Office Kit LPA480 (A4, 80 microns, 25 pcs per pack, glossy) – 190 rubles;
• OfficeSpace LF7095 (A3, 60 microns, 100 pcs. Per pack, glossy) – 800 rubles;
• Buro Bu-4Lp75 (A4, 75 microns, 100 pcs. Per pack, glossy) – 820 rubles.

Roll film

Almost all printing products are covered with film using batch or roll technology. In the first case, the processed paper is placed in a sealed bag and passes through the press. The main difference between the methods is that with roll technology there are no restrictions on the size of the processed material. Film wound into a roll is automatically fed into the laminator, providing the ability to process both small and very large formats.

The basis for rolled products is polypropylene, characterized by softness and elasticity. However, many refuse to laminate the sheets with such a material, since it cannot guarantee high strength to the documents and is not cheap. Popular types of roll films:

• Evolis R4212 Clear Varnish (for 400 cards, vinyl, has a protective coating) – 3,700 rubles;
• SOLVENTMEDIA (1.52×50 m, self-adhesive, vinyl) – 3400 rubles;
• Premium AGX (24 microns, 200 m, self-adhesive) – 1000 rubles

Lamination sheets

The format of such sheets should be selected so that the film extends beyond the edges of the document by at least 3-4 mm. The use of such a material implies the operation of a simple laminator with a simplified design, while the film coating provides minimal protection to the document: the coating thickness ranges from 80 microns. The laminated document will be protected from moisture, dust, pollution, but mechanical damage will still be frightening to it. So, A4 or other paper lamination paper is suitable for documents that you rarely use.

Sheets are not suitable for active work in the office, because a simple device that works with them simply can not cope with the load and will fail after 1-2 weeks. For home use, this is an ideal, economical option. Popular brands of sheets for lamination:

• LamiMARK Film (A4, colorless gloss, 125 microns, 100 pcs. In a set) – 800 rubles;
• Royal Sovereign Film (A4, 60 microns, gloss, 100 pcs. In a set) – 405 rubles;
• LamiMARK Self-adhesive film (A3, 80 μm, gloss, 100 pcs. In a set) – 2800 rubles.

Matte film

The product is divided into one-sided and two-sided, suggests the possibility of multiple labels, hides minor printing errors, defects. Matte coating is used for the production of business cards, cards, posters, price tags, badges. Buying such a product will cost 2-3 times more expensive than a glossy analogue, but this is due to the presence of many advantages of matte processing, including increased strength, presentable appearance, etc. minus, except for the price, there will be a less saturated image than when coated with gloss. Popular brands:

• Fellowes FS-54521 (80 microns, A4, 100 pcs. Per pack) – 1250 rubles;
• Office Kit (A4, 125 microns, 100 pcs per pack) – 1300 rubles;
• Lomond (A4 plus (305 x 218), 80 μm, 50 pcs. Per pack) – 560 rubles.

Glossy film

This is a universal material that is used to cover almost any printed matter and documents, whether it be certificates, labels, travel cards, calendars, rights, covers, menus, diplomas, instructions, etc. Glossy processing of printing costs much cheaper than matte, giving it a brighter and saturated image. The disadvantages include the inability to record on top of the coating and the susceptibility of the material to fingerprinting. The most popular brands of such products are:

• Office Kit PLP11523-1 (175 mik, A4, 100 pcs.) – 780 rubles;
• Fellowes FS-5306101 (80 microns, A4, 100 pcs.) – 680 rubles;
• OFFICE 530802 (100 microns, A4, 100 pcs.) – 580 rubles.

How to choose a film for lamination

There are many types of products for lamination, which differ in the method of manufacture and use, thickness, composition, format, etc. To choose the appropriate one, it is worth considering each criterion:

1. Thickness. Lamination consumables with a thickness of 20 to 250 microns are produced. When choosing, it is worth considering that if you plan to cover the file on two sides, then multiply this indicator by 2. As a rule, films with a thickness of 75-80 microns are used, which provide normal protection of documents from moisture and dirt. More reliable from mechanical damage will be a coating with a strength of 100-125 microns. To create a hard layer (on signs, badges, menus, etc.), consumables with a thickness of 175-250 microns are used.
2. The size. As a rule, A3, A4, A5 or A6 sheet formats are used, while the package should be slightly larger than the document itself so that the film is soldered around the edges. The optimum allowance is 2-4 mm on each side, then good sealing will be achieved. If you need to laminate a document of a non-standard size, you need to select the closest larger format consumable, and cut off the excess material at the edges after processing.
3. Texture. Gloss enhances colors, giving the document brightness, so it is ideal for drawings, photos, presentation products. Matte finish makes the picture softer, removing glare.
4. The method of lamination. The cold method is in demand for those documents that may lose their properties and integrity under the influence of high temperatures. In all other cases, hot lamination can be used, since it is much cheaper and guarantees excellent sealing..