Why use a hot laminator if it is also possible to laminate without electricity?
During hot lamination, adhesive is caused to melt. The liquid adhesive can penetrate right through into the fibres of the lamination material through the pressure of the rollers. This results in a substantially more even and durable form of lamination than is achievable through cold lamination. Hot laminated documents are additionally more moisture-resistant and cannot be reopened without destroying the document (forgery protection).
What are the advantages of cold lamination?
Cold lamination is always beneficial when a document needs to be protected or enhanced without any great effort or expense, and when durability is not of primary importance. No electricity supply is required for cold lamination, and there is no pre-heating either. Cold lamination processes may be preferable for allergy sufferers or in proximity to foodstuffs, since they are emission-free.
Why does my new hot laminator emit an odour after it is switched on?
Like any other new heat producing product, a laminator also requires a certain run-in period. The odour does not result in any immediate danger, and it ceases after a few hours of operation. However, please bear in mind that adhesive residues on the rollers or improperly laminated objects can also lead to the emission of unpleasant odours. It is advisable in all instances to ventilate spaces thoroughly during or after lamination.
What are all the items I can laminate?
You do not have to worry about laminating any dry, paper-like materials that are not thicker than specified in the operation manual. You should never attempt to laminate objects that contain gels, liquids or moisture or that could break, for example glass. In addition, materials that may crumble or dissolve are not suitable.
What is the purpose of a carrier (protective envelope)?
A carrier is required in particular for the older generation of lamination equipment that still works with heat plates. In the case of such equipment, the carrier protects the document against the intense heat of the heat plates. If highly fragile individual items are to be laminated, it is also possible to use a carrier with Leitz equipment, and your document can then be laminated carefully using a number of passes until the desired result is achieved.
What is the purpose of the READY indicator on my laminator?
This indicator informs you when the equipment is ready for lamination, in other words when the required temperature has been reached. Since the rollers lose heat during each lamination pass, the laminator constantly needs to reheat at intervals in order to maintain its temperature. In order to achieve the best possible results, you should only insert your document into the laminator when the READY indicator is lit.
How do I determine the correct temperature or speed setting to laminate my document?
You will find the operation manual for your laminating equipment useful in this regard. Essentially, the thicker the pouch and the document to be laminated are, the lower the speed needs to be, or the higher the temperature needs to be. In order to protect fragile documents against excessive heat, it may be useful to commence at a higher speed or lower temperature and then gradually to determine the appropriate setting.
Why is my lamination not properly sealed at the sides?
Either the document is too thick, the pouch is too thick for your laminator, or the film edge around the document is too small. Consult the operation manual for the materials that can be processed with your laminator. Please ensure that the film protrudes at least three millimetres (in the case of hot lamination) or alternatively ten millimetres (in the case of cold lamination). Should the quality of lamination remain unsatisfactory nevertheless, you have possibly laminated at too low a temperature or too high a speed. In this case, pass the laminate through the laminator again at a different setting.
After lamination, bubbles or folds appear on my pouch. What is the reason for this?
Your lamination temperature was too high, or your speed too low. Check the setting of your laminator and laminate a fresh copy at a different setting.
Why are there sometimes white or milky spots on the laminate?
Spots are more likely to occur with thick types of paper and thick pouches. They indicate that the temperature was too low or the speed too high. Try passing the laminate through the laminator again at a different setting. Thick documents in thick pouches can possibly not be laminated satisfactorily at all. Try a thinner pouch. In all cases, refer to the operation manual for the maximum materials that can be processed with your lamination equipment.
Why is it always difficult to laminate my ink-jet printouts?
Ink-jet printouts must be completely dry prior to lamination, because the adhesive cannot bond with moist paper. The more extensive the application of colour, the longer printouts need to dry completely. In addition, some inks contain glycol, an oily substance that cannot bond with hot sealing adhesives. Such printouts can therefore not be laminated very satisfactorily.
Is it possible for a pouch to become stuck in the laminator?
Inferior pouches, too high a temperature (or speed that is too low) or incorrect handling of pouches can have the effect that the adhesive leaks out and sticks to the rollers. This virtually guarantees film jamming.
If you suspect that the pouch could get stuck in the laminator, proceed as follows:
- Press the reverse button of your laminator in order to extract the pouch, or
- activate the release function and carefully pull the pouch out forwards, or
- if your laminator does not have a reverse or release function, switch the equipment off immediately and attempt to pull out the pouch carefully.
- Wherever possible, carry out these steps immediately while the pouch is still warm and pliable.
- If the entire pouch has been retained in the equipment, the laminator needs to be repaired by a qualified firm.
Subsequently clean the rollers by passing one or more sheets of thick paper (or thin cardboard) through the equipment repeatedly. This causes the excess adhesive to be removed from the rollers.
Is it possible to laminate a number of small documents in a single pouch?
In principle, this is possible but not very practical: the individual components can easily slip out of place when inserted into the laminator. They subsequently need to be cut to size individually. Instead, use pouches in the correct format. Insertion and lamination can be carried out significantly faster and more securely in this way. Leitz pouches are available in a variety of sizes from A3 to a business card format. For these, there are versions for data cards, name and luggage tags, which can save you a great deal of work.
Can I cut laminated documents to size?
Yes. Cut the documents to size after lamination in order to prevent adhesive leaking out and sticking to the rollers. However, be sure to keep a sufficiently wide edge (at least three millimetres) around the document to prevent damage to the lamination.
What maintenance and care measures does a laminator require?
Laminators are generally maintenance-free if used in accordance with the operation manual and exclusively with original accessories. In the case of hot laminators, it is nevertheless advisable to pass a sheet of thick paper through the equipment 2-3 times after a number of lamination passes in order to remove excess adhesive from the rollers. In this way, you will help to prevent film jams and pouches becoming marked with remnants of adhesive.
From which material are pouches manufactured?
Leitz pouches are manufactured from the environmentally friendly synthetic EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate). EVA does not contain chlorine and harmful softeners, and yet is pliable, durable and reusable.
Additional tips
- Store the pouches in such a way that they are protected against sunlight and are kept free of dust and dirt. Where possible, retain the original packaging in order also to be able to determine the thickness of film at a later stage.
- Remove dust and particles from your document before you laminate it.
- Where possible, only use pouches that are at room temperature. Pouches that are too warm or cold can cause problems during lamination.
- Do not operate your laminator for longer than necessary, in order to save on electricity and to spare the environment.
- Dispose of film remnants and incorrectly laminated documents as part of domestic waste.
