Choosing Between Hot and Cold Lamination

Looking for the right laminator can be a bit difficult due to all the different machines on the market. However, you can simply the process by deciding if you want a hot or cold laminator. Hot machines utilize heat in order to melt the adhesive found in laminating pouches and on rolls of film. Meanwhile, cold machines apply pressure to pouches and film to laminate documents. There are advantages and disadvantages to using both types of laminators. Keep reading to find out what you need to consider so you can make the right choice.

1. Supplies. If you choose to get a thermal pouch laminator, you'll notice that there are plenty of supplies to choose from. These items are available in a variety of sizes and thicknesses. The selection of cold pouches is a bit more limited, unfortunately. If you choose to get a roll laminator, you find that there are many more cold supplies available. Some laminating films can even be used to apply adhesive which can be handing when creating visual aids.
2. Cost. Hot and cold laminators are priced similarly, and there are machines available at different price points. You need to be aware that supplies for cold laminators tend to be a bit more expensive that hot lamination materials. You'll want to consider this and decide which type of lamination will help you stick to your budget.
3. Speed. Since you're probably going to be working under tight deadlines, you'll need a machine that can help you laminate your documents quickly. Due to this, a cold laminator would be a great choice. That's because they don't need to warm up before you use them. Hot machines can take as many as 15 minutes to warm up which is problematic when you're trying to get things done. Also, a lot of cold laminators don't need power, so they're safe to use. Their thermal counterparts always require electricity.
4. Heat. Finally, choosing a cold laminator over a thermal one will allow you to laminate heat-sensitive documents and materials. Some of the things that can be damaged by heat include ink-jet printouts, vinyl, and photographs. Using a cold laminator will definitely allow you to process a lot more items.

Choosing between a hot and cold laminator is easy when you know which things to consider. If you think about supplies, cost, speed, and heat, you'll be able to select the right laminator for your document finishing needs. And if you need help deciding, let us know. We'll be more than happy to help you out.

If you have any other questions or comments about this article please feel free to
email us at sales@mybinding.com or call us at 1-800-944-4573

Written by Jeff McRitchie
©2011 www.MyBinding.com