Laminating machine buying guide

Hopefully it will help you in choosing the right laminating machine

In this guide we go through the world of laminating machines and answer as many of the regularly asked questions as we possibly can so hopefully you can make the right choice for your needs

• What is a laminating machine?

A laminating machine is an item that uses rollers, heat and pressure to apply a permanent plastic coating or encapsulation to a document, worksheet, menu etc.

• What can I use a laminator for?

A laminator has a wide variety of uses. They are popular in schools to protect worksheets and other school projects. In offices and businesses they can be used for a variety of purposes including workplace notices. Many restaurants use them to protect their menus, as it provides a wipe clean covering of plastic.

• Workplace notices
• Recipe sheets
• Wipe clean worksheets
• School projects
• Planners
• Leaflets

• What size laminating machine should I buy?

This all depends on your needs. You would need to think about what you want the laminating machine for? Basically an A4 laminator will laminate anything up to A4 size, so you could laminate badges, cards, A5 documents etc. Right up to the maximum of A4 sized documents. And obviously an A3 machine can laminate anything up to and including A3 sized documents

• Are laminators easy to use?

Simple answer - Yes they are. With pouch laminators you simply put the document, menu or sheet of paper inside the laminating pouch, insert the pouch sealed end first into the machine and hey presto out the other side arrives your laminated sheet

• Can you laminate without a machine?

Yes, but you would need to purchase self-seal laminating pouches which are drastically more expensive than standard pouches. So if you are regularly wanting to laminate something you would be better off investing in a machine and some laminating pouches

• What is a laminating pouch carrier and will I need one?

A laminating carrier is a sleeve of cardboard sealed on one side. The item to be laminated is placed in the pouch and then the cardboard carrier before being inserted into the laminating machine. The majority of machines do not require you to use a carrier. You would need to check the specification of the machine before you make your decision. The good news is that carriers are pretty cheap to purchase and normally come in a pack of ten. The carriers can be used time and time again.

• What is the best laminating machine to buy?

Now that is a question!!! In all honesty the answer to that is to decide a) How often am I going to use the laminator. b) What is the maxiumum sized document I will need to put through the machine? c) How many people will be using the machine, and finally how much do you wish to pay?

Just remember there are some laminators out there being sold for around £20. So you have got to ask yourself does this offer value for money? Will the machine do the job? Will it last? Answer probably not

• Where to buy a laminating machine?

Well you have read this guide, so I am going to hope that you decide to purchase a machine from us via our website. We have got some great deals available and our laminating pouches and carriers are of the highest quality and offer great value for money.

Have a question about a laminator that I haven't covered? I would love to hear from you. Send me an email graham@hosltd.net or start a live chat on our website Monday-Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm