What You Should Know about the Laminating Process
Print finishing · Laminating
The laminating process is heat, pressure, and the right film. A base layer — polyester, OPP polypropylene, nylon, or vinyl — carries an adhesive resin that melts, spreads, and hardens into a bond with the sheet.
Place the printed piece between two sheets of laminating film — or one sheet for single-sided work. The laminating machine melts the resin layer. It spreads over the document, then hardens as it cools and creates the bond. Many adhesives are on the market; the right one depends on the print process and the stock.
The most durable finish is an overhang that completely surrounds the document — watertight and airtight. Beyond that, machine type and film type do the rest of the work. Match both with an expert; contact Mid-State Litho.
Types of laminating machines
One-sided
Single-sided laminators encapsulate one face — book covers, dust jackets, brochures that still need to fold or bind on the back.
Two-sided
Double-sided laminators seal both faces in one pass. Menus, ID cards, and shop-floor sheets that have to survive handling.
Desktop
Pouch laminators and small roll laminators for in-plants and offices. DryLam school-film units live here.
Wide format
Wide-format laminators match 24–72" inkjet output. Signs, posters, and mounted graphics.
Production shops that want auto-feed and a trimmer in one path shop automatic laminators. Commercial single-side work at speed is a Foliant job — industrial thermal laminators, in stock from Grand Blanc.
Types of laminating films
Film is a base plus an adhesive. The base sets durability and feel. The adhesive has to wet the ink and the stock. Shop rolls under laminating film.
Narrow format for desktop machines
School and office film
- Standard laminating rolls — “school film,” 1.5 mil or 3 mil. Mono-polymer adhesive (one resin on the base). High operating temperature, lowest cost. GBC trade name: Nap-Lam I. Common on DryLam desktop units.
- Premium laminating film — co-polymer adhesive, more aggressive, lower melt temperature. GBC Nap-Lam II. Usually 1.7, 3, 5, and 10 mil.
- Color-Bond laminating film — formulated for toner-based color-copier output. Fuser oils help toner stick to the sheet and fight a standard mono- or co-polymer film. The problem gets worse on heavy toner and very dark colors.
Commercial laminate for high-speed machines
High-volume single-side work — book covers, dust jackets, brochures, magazines — wants a commercial thermal film on an auto-feed path.
- OPP laminating film — biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP). Excellent clarity. Built for single-side lamination of offset graphics. Stock and custom sizes.
- Lay-flat laminating film — nylon base. Lets single-sided laminated paper adjust to humidity so book covers and jackets do not curl.
- Krystal laminating film — polyester base. Scuff, scratch, and tear resistance. Copolymer adhesive bonds coated sheets and heavy ink coverage.
- Hi-Tac laminating film — superior adhesion on dry-toner prints that still carry fuser oil. Chemical bond so you can laminate immediately after print. Built for high-volume shops that cannot wait for the sheet to degas.
Wide-format and mounting films
Wide-format inkjet printers run 24" to 72" wide. The film is sized to match. The critical spec is a low-melt adhesive — about 185°F — so the inks do not outgas and de-laminate.
- Wide-format thermal laminating film — paper-based inkjet output. Low-melt adhesive at 185°F.
- Platinum-Lam — UV inhibitors and light-fast technology to cut fade and block moisture. Seals at 185°F so digitally printed inks survive the nip.
- Gold-Lam — premium polyester with an adhesive for fuser-oil inks and wide-format inkjet photo papers. High performance at a lower cost than other brands.
Pressure-sensitive (cold) film
Pressure-sensitive laminating film is built for vinyl output from wide-format inkjet printers — the sign industry, where most prints sit on vinyl instead of paper. PSA works on paper too, but the cost usually rules it out there.
Pressure-sensitive mounting adhesives mount graphics to foam-core, Gatorfoam, or Sintra — temporary or permanent. Pre-coat the board, or apply adhesive to the back of the print and treat it as a large decal. Specialty grades cover window graphics, floor graphics, outdoor signage, and removable applications.
Shop staple
Laminators and film, matched
Desktop pouch units through Foliant industrial thermal laminators. Film in school, premium, commercial, and wide-format grades. Factory-trained techs in Grand Blanc.
Laminating machines Laminating filmFAQ
What is the laminating process?
You place a printed sheet against laminating film. Heat and pressure melt the film’s adhesive resin. The resin spreads, then hardens as it cools and bonds film to paper. An overhang around the edges makes the seal watertight and airtight.
What is laminating film made of?
Two layers: a base (polyester, OPP polypropylene, nylon, or vinyl) and an inner adhesive resin that liquefies at its activating temperature. The base sets scuff and tear resistance. The adhesive has to wet the ink — offset, dry toner with fuser oil, or inkjet.
When do you use one-sided vs two-sided lamination?
One-sided (single-side) is for covers, jackets, and pieces that still need to fold, glue, or bind on the back. Two-sided seals both faces — menus, cards, and anything that will be handled wet or dirty. Commercial single-side work at speed is usually a Foliant-class thermal laminator.
Thermal film vs pressure-sensitive film?
Thermal film needs heat. It is the usual choice on paper, offset, and toner work. Pressure-sensitive (cold) film sticks without heat and is built for vinyl signage. It works on paper, but it costs more, so shops keep it for vinyl, window, floor, and removable graphics.
Questions on a laminator, a film grade, or a sample? Email support@midstatelitho.com or call 1-800-343-4231. Factory-trained techs, same building as the showroom in Grand Blanc. Equipment financing through Mitsubishi HC Capital.