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There are many times in the office when you will feel the need to protect a document or wish you already had. The simple truth is that any piece of paper can be damaged when someone drips coffee on it, knocks over a drink, or it is handled a lot.
Once it’s ruined the document will need to be recreated, which can be frustrating and is a waste of valuable time. Fortunately, you don’t need to adopt this approach. Using the right laminating equipment means you can protect any document with a plastic cover. It is still easy to read but it’s protected and can be easily cleaned if necessary.
The good news is that a laminator isn’t just affordable, it’s surprisingly easy to use.
Your Supplies
To use your laminator you’ll want a bit of space. This reduces the likelihood of laminating the wrong thing or your settings being accidentally changed. A dedicated work area for your laminator also means the various laminator pouches are easy to grab and you know it’s near the power supply if needed.
Types Of Laminator
You should note that there are two main types of laminator:
Hot
A hot laminator uses heat to seal the two sides of the pouch together. It effectively melts the invisible coating to create an airtight seal, protecting the document perfectly.
This type of laminator requires power to heat the rollers. It is worth noting that the heat of the laminator can make ink bleed. That’s particularly concerning when you have graphics and images.
Cold
The alternative is a cold laminator which uses pressure instead of heat. These are a better choice if you’re laminating graphics and the machine doesn’t need power. However, the pouches are not always as well sealed as when done with the hot laminator.
Using Your Laminator
If you’re using a hot laminator you’ll need to turn it on first; it takes a minute to two to warm the laminator ready for use.
Once you’ve done that you need to make sure the laminator is big enough to handle the document you wish to laminate. You can then choose the right size pouch and, depending on what type it is, either slide your document into the pouch or place a sheet of plastic on either side of your document.
Once you’ve done this you can slowly feed the paper and pouch into your machine. Make sure you align the paper and pouch properly with each other and the machine. S you slide it into the laminator the machine will automatically pick up the paper and pull it through. It will laminate as it goes, effectively sealing your paperwork into the plastic pocket and protecting it from dirty hands and spills
That’s it. But, remember, if you’re using a hot laminator, you need to turn it off when you’re finished. If you’re using one for the first time then it’s a good idea to have a couple of practice runs. You’ll quickly discover how easy laminating is.
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