HOW TO PROTECT YOUR PAPERS WITH LAMINATING POUCHES OR SHEETS

Learning about laminating paper is easy!

Learning to seal paper with laminating sheets is easy. You just need the right laminating kit and accompanying plastic materials. There are both hot and cold laminators. Roll laminators can cost thousands of dollars and are the preserve of larger business rather than home use.

 
Taking the time and finding out how to laminate paper will help protect it and its contents long term. Nearly all common documents and sheets can be covered this way. Within an office based environment if you are going to be securing a lot of paperwork this way you will want to invest in a laminating machine, such as those made by Scotch or Xyron, to cope with larger loads.

TIME SAVING

Laminating each sheet by hand would be tedious in the extreme. Once you have your laminating machine you will need those laminating sheets and a paper cutter.

• The laminating machine needs a few minutes to warm up to the correct heat so turn it on well before you need it. Don’t stick your fingers in it to see how warm it is. How old are you?
• Open a laminating sheet or pouch. This will be a an envelope of plastic that is sealed or folded at one side.
• Place the paper inside the sheet and place one end against the sealed/folded part of the laminating pouch – so that it butts up to it. The sheet will then fold down so it covers the entire document.
• Depending on your paper’s size you can centre it as much as possible for neatness. It is good practice to centre it. The larger the paper the more precise you will have to be.
• Using the folded or sealed end of the laminating pouch first with the document inside, feed it through to the machine. The machine will naturally pull it through. It will go through quite slowly, unlike a printer or photcopier.
• As long as the machine is hot enough, the newly sealed sheet will come out flat and smooth. If it isnt sealed quite enough, it may because the required temperature wasnt reached. You may want to try again.
• Cut the laminated sheets down to the size you want with the paper cutters which will give you nice straight lines. Scissors will work just as well if you have steady hands for a good finish.
  

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