Laminators are one of the most used tools in today’s business world where presentation and first impression carry utmost importance. These handy tools help protect documents, photographs and other materials by encasing them in a layer of plastic which helps prevent wear and tear, as well as any other damage. With the advancements in technology, laminators have also made a breakthrough and entered our households as more and more people begin to understand their value and various potential uses.
In this article we will take a look at pouch laminators which are mostly used by households and small businesses and are rapidly growing in popularity, and see how they compare to the high-quality commercial laminators that we can find in businesses and institutions across a plethora of industries and fields.
Both of the aforementioned laminators serve the same purposes, but they do still have distinct differences in design and functionality which makes them suitable for different tasks and lamination projects. We’re sure that understanding these differences will help the reader understand the individual pros and cons of both types of laminators and make the correct decision when choosing which suits their needs best.
Commercial laminators
Commercial laminators, as their name suggests, are machines designed for laminating in commercial settings. These tools, also known as roll laminators are heavy-duty and designed for high-volume laminating tasks. They use a roll of laminate film which is typically made of polypropylene or polyester, which is then fed through the machine along with the material that’s ready for laminating. Commercial laminators can be both heat laminators, as well as cold laminators, and depending on the type, they will use either heat or pressure to bond the laminate film with the surface of the target material which creates a durable and smooth protective seal.
One of the essential advantages of high-quality commercial laminators is their versatility and efficiency. Apart from coming in different sizes, and with different methods of bonding the adhesive, their versatility can be best understood when looking at all the different materials that they can laminate. Anything from posters and photos to signs and billboards in various sizes can be laminated by these machines, which makes them the best choice for a range of businesses and institutions from photo studios, print shops, and law firms, all the way to hospitals, schools and courtrooms. Wherever there’s a business that wants to protect or enhance its documents and materials, there will most likely be a commercial laminator nearby.
Pouch Laminators
As opposed to commercial laminators, pouch laminators are smaller and more compact, while still having the same purpose, to protect and enhance. They are a good choice for small businesses and households, basically for any small-scale laminating projects. This type of laminator gets its name from using laminating pouches which are pre-sealed on one side, to encase the target documents in plastic.
The document needs to be placed in the pouch which is then passed through the laminator. Heat and pressure are then applied to the adhesive to activate it which bonds the laminate to the target document, creating a sealed edge. It’s important to note that pouch laminators that don’t use heat also exist in today’s market and these are perfect for heat-sensitive tasks and materials although they are usually slower than heat laminators and offer a less durable seal, but they make up for that in safety as there’s no risk of burns and ease of use, as there’s no temperature settings to worry about.
These laminators are typically small and very easy to operate which makes them a great choice for home offices, classrooms, or any place where there are photographs, certificates, or other similar documents that need protection against wear and tear, spillage, or sunlight.
Conclusion
Both high-quality commercial laminators and pouch laminators serve the same purpose, protection, and enhancement of important documents and materials, but they have distinct differences in terms of functionality, capacity, and size. Commercial laminators are designed and typically used in high-volume, professional settings, and they can be used with a wide range of sizes, dimensions, and materials. Pouch laminators, in contrast, are designed for small-scale laminating tasks, even for personal use. Because of that, pouch laminators are more compact, user-friendly, and affordable. Both high-quality commercial laminators, as well as the pouch ones, can be found in versions that use either heat or pressure, while there will also be both commercial and pouch heat laminators that have the option to do cold lamination which is perfect for any heat-sensitive project.
Despite all their similarities, these two types of laminators are most often used in different settings for different types of tasks, and we hope that this article will help readers understand which of the two would be more suitable for their specific needs.