MyBinding Knowledge Base
Are there different thicknesses available for laminating pouches?
If you need to protect important documents, the best way to do so is by using a pouch laminator. These machines can be used to laminate a wide variety of items such as menus, business cards, signs, artwork, and ID cards. Operating one of these laminators is easy and you really only need laminating pouches to get the job done. Choosing the right laminating pouch is essential. This article will fill you in on everything you need to know about laminating pouch thickness.
Laminating pouches are available in five different thicknesses which are discussed below. It’s important to note that pouch thickness is measured in mils and a mil is equivalent to 0.001 of 
- 1.5 mil. These are the thinnest pouches available and they’re usually the cheapest so they’re good for people sticking to a budget. Unfortunately, most laminators won’t work with them. Plus, they offer only a minimal amount of protection, so you’re probably better off with thicker pouches.
- 3 mil. 3 mil pouches are very popular and are often used to laminate large documents. They provide a decent amount of protection and flexibility Many laminators can handle these pouches although they’re a bit too thin for really small items such as business cards.
- 5 mil. These pouches are the middle-of-the-road supplies and they’re good for both small and large documents. They provide a medium amount of protection and can make any item look great. 5 mil pouches are also pretty affordable and can be used with most pouch laminators.
- 7 mil. If you want your documents to be fairly rigid, use 7 mil pouches. These supplies will give your documents a terrific amount of protection and they’re especially good for smaller items like name tags and ID badges.
- 10 mil. 10 mil pouches are the thickest ones available. As you might imagine, they offer excellent protection so your documents will be able to withstand frequent handling. Be sure to use these supplies if document protection is important to you.
< Over the years, a number of customers have asked me whether they can use twin loop wire with their plastic comb binding machine. These customers often don’t want to have to buy a brand new machine but like the look and feel of twin loop wire binding. However, the answer to their question isn’t as simple as it seems. You see, they actually do make twin loop wire that is designed to work with the plastic comb binding hole pattern. With that said, if you want to use these wires you are going to need a way to close the wires. What is Spiral-O Wire? Let me explain a little bit more…There is a product that we carry called Spiral-O Wire. This wire has 19 loops and is designed to work with the hole pattern from a plastic comb binding machine. Spiral-O Wire is sometimes called Wire Combs or Ibico Wire and was originally designed for use with some of the older Ibico binding machines. A number of the older Ibico plastic comb binding machines also included a twin loop wire closer on the front of them to allow users to use both plastic combs and wire. This 19 loop wire was designed for this purpose. What Equipment is Needed? As the Ibico brand has been phased out by GBC and all of the older Ibico plastic binding machines have been replaced with new models, they no longer have the twin loop wire closer on the front of them. This presents a problem in trying to use these spiral-o wires since you can’t use the wires without a way to close them. One of the only options left is to purchase a Twin Loop wire closer. However, since twin loop wire closers are not incredibly cheap this option usually only appeals to users who have larger electric plastic comb binding machines. Otherwise, it is often advisable to simply buy a low end 3:1 pitch twin loop wire binding machine (the supplies are cheaper). This being said, if you have one of the older Ibico binding machines that has a wire closer included you are in luck. The Spiral-O binding supplies that we carry will work perfectly with your machine and you will be able to use both plastic combs and wire depending on your needs. These Spiral-O binding supplies are available in Black, Silver, White, Blue and Red and in sizes up to 1″ in diameter. If you aren’t sure what type of wire binding supplies that you need to work with your machine simply give us a call. Our trained sales representatives will be glad to help you find the correct supplies for use with your machine.(Read More)
