How to Choose the Right Roll of Laminating Film

When you own a roll laminator, it's good to have a decent supply of high-quality laminating film on-hand. If you're relatively new to laminating, you may be wondering how you can choose the right roll for your needs. Choosing it isn't hard as long as you keep five things in mind: thickness, width, core size, finish, and length. Here's why these five things are important....

1. Thickness. One of the most important considerations when buying laminating film is thickness. Film is available in a number of thicknesses ranging from 1.5 to 10 mil. A mil is equal to 0.001 of an inch, so the higher the mil rating, the thicker the laminate, which means your document will be better protected and it will be more rigid. However, not every machine can work with every thickness. (For example, school laminators can typically only handle film up to 3 mil thick.) Thus, you'll want to check your laminator's instruction manual before dropping money on your supplies.
2. Width. The width of your film is also important to think about. Most roll laminators are pretty wide (i.e. over 2 feet wide) so if yours is like that, make sure you choose a roll that's the right size for it. These larger rolls of laminate are especially good for wide-format items such as posters, banners, etc. If you're just going to be processing letter-sized documents, laminate that's up to 12 inches should be sufficient.
3. Core size. Every roll of laminating film you buy has a core that the laminate is wrapped around. It's important to know the size of the core so you don't end up buying supplies with cores that are either too large or too small. Again, this is a spec that will be in your user manual, so be sure to check it out before you go shopping.
4. Finish. Laminating film comes in a couple of different finishes: glossy and matte. Glossy laminate looks great and it's readily available. However, this type of finish can also lead to glare, which makes your work difficult to see. Luckily, there is matte laminate available if the glossy look isn't right for your project and you want your message to be easily read.
5. Length. Finally, the length of the film isn't too terribly important. (Unless, of course, you're laminating an incredibly long banner or something similar.) Just make sure that it's compatible with your machine, of course.

As you can see, choosing the right laminating film is easy when you keep five things in mind: thickness, width, core size, finish, and length. Make sure you choose laminate that's compatible with your machine while giving your documents the finish they need. If you have any questions about what films are compatible with your machine, the device's instruction manual should give you some idea, so don't overlook this valuable resource. As long as you keep all of this in mind, you're definitely going to wind up with the roll that's perfect for your needs. Good luck and happy laminating!

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