How to Laminate Business Cards

Although the world has been seemingly overtaken by smart phones and the Internet, traditional business cards are still used on a regular basis. Business cards are perfect for networking and keeping track of your contacts. There is one problem though: business cards are usually made out of paper, so they're not the sturdiest things in the world. However, you can make the cards last longer by laminating them. Here are few ways you can do that:

• Use a pouch laminator. If you have access to a pouch laminator, you should use it. Using one of these machines is easy. Turn it on and let it warm up for a few minutes. Place your card in a laminating pouch that will completely encapsulate the card. Put the pouch in the laminator's feed opening. The pouch will travel through the machine and exit out the back. Let your
• Use a roll laminator. Roll laminators are typically larger than pouch laminators, but they can be helpful if you want to laminate several cards at once. You could also just laminate one card at a time, but you'll need to trim away a lot of excess film which can be a hassle. Don't bother investing in a roll laminator if you just want to laminate business cards. You're better off getting a small pouch laminator using the supplies mentioned in the next paragraph.
• Use self-sealing laminating pouches. One of the easiest ways to laminate your business cards is by using self-sealing pouches. There are pouches that are the perfect size for business cards, so you won't need to trim extra film. These pouches are really easy to use. Oftentimes, you can just align the card, peel back the pouch's liner, and seal it. You don't need to use a laminator with these pouches, so they're perfect if you don't have access to a machine.
• Use clear contact paper. Finally, you can always use clear contact paper if you'd rather not deal with a laminator and/or laminating pouches. Just center your card on the sticky side of the paper and then apply a layer of paper on top of it. Contact paper is easy to find and using it is a snap, so it's a nice alternative to traditional lamination.

If you need to trim excess laminate from your business cards once they've been processed, it's easy to do so. You can use a rotary trimmer, a craft knife and straight edge, or even a pair of scissors. If you use scissors, try very hard to keep your hand steady so you can get a straight cut.

Laminating your business cards is a great way to make them last longer. Best of all, laminating them is easy to do and there are a number of ways you can complete the job. Start laminating your business cards today so you can get a lot of use out of them.

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Written by Jeff McRitchie
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