Though the office innovation space has seen serious advancements in the recent years, laminating machines are still our best bet for protecting a printed image or document. Whether in a school or an office, lamination is considered to be the best choice. Lamination not only protects a printed document, but also provides a scratch resistant surface to it.
Once you have decided to purchase a laminator machine, the next step is to choose between a hot and cold laminator. Both these types are durable and capable of preserving your important documents. However, there are differences in terms of cost, available supplies, and many other factors. Therefore, in order to make an informed decision, it is important to take a closer look at both types and understand some critical facts.
What is a Laminating Machine?
In simple words, lamination machines are used for adding a plastic coating to cards, paper documents, or images. This is accomplished typically by fusing a plastic cover over the surface to be laminated using an adhesive or heat.
In order to obtain a more rigid surface and a thicker layer of protection, a thicker plastic can be used. On the other hand, if you want a more economical and easy to use laminate, a thinner plastic can be used. Also, standard sized laminators can be used on desktops. However, for banners, posters, or maps, industrial-sized laminators are required.
Comparison between Hot and Cold Laminators
The primary difference between these two types of laminators lies in the way plastic is applied to the document by the machine. Cold laminators secure the document between plastic sheets using pressure and an adhesive. Hot laminators, on the other hand, accomplish the same task using heat for the activation of an adhesive material. These machines are capable of performing a faster laminate job and provide more durable protection. However, some people prefer cold laminators over hot laminators because they don’t like the fuss of using the heating elements. It is important to remember that both types have their own benefits.
Advantages of Cold Laminators:
- Simple and inexpensive machines, easier to use, require less set-up time and less maintenance.
- The unsightly bubbles are removed by the pressure from the rollers.
- In some cases, colours tend to bleed or degrade in a hot laminator. In such instances, cold laminators can create documents with better colours and quality.
- Cold laminators are considered to be a better choice for decals and adhesive decoration because they allow laminating only one side of a document.
Advantages of Hot Laminators:
- Faster and more durable protection
- Additional applications including a wide range of heat settings and different materials.
- Materials used are less expensive compared to those used in cold lamination.
- Delivering consistent results can be a difficult skill to master.
- The heating element can pose danger to users if they are not careful
Keeping these advantages in mind, it should not be difficult for you to determine what type of laminating machine is better suited for your job. If you have more questions, please contact our experts at RENZ Australia.