Tips to Choose the Right Laminate Thickness for Your Project
Lamination refers to the process of creating document pieces with clear plastic films bonded to their surfaces. This is done to increase the material’s strength and durability and protect it from moisture and stains. Most importantly, lamination makes our important documents more presentable and professional.
The clear film used for lamination is available in many different thicknesses and your selection of laminate thickness should be based on the type of document you are looking to laminate. Some of the laminate films are quite rigid, while others are thin and flexible. Your desired thickness result will determine the thickness of the film suitable for you.
Laminate Film Measurement
The unit used for the measurement of a lamination film’s thickness is micron. One micron is equal to one-millionth of a meter or one twenty-five thousandth of an inch. Therefore, the thickness of an 80 micron lamination film would be 0.0031496063 inch. Also, as the laminated materials are sandwiched between two laminate sheets, an 80 micron laminate will create an overall thickness of 160 micron or 0.0062992126 inch for the laminated document or material. Likewise, the overall thickness while using a 100 micron laminate would be 200 micron or 0.0078740157 inch.
Basically, if you need a finished documents to be sturdier, you should use a thicker lamination film. On the other hand, if you need to fold your laminated document, the best choice would be 100 micron film thickness or even less. As the laminate thickness increases, folding tends to become more difficult.
Mentioned below are some common laminating film thicknesses and recommended uses for each of them.
- 80 micron: These laminates are relatively thin and don’t add much rigidity to the laminated material. However, this is an economical option for laminating manual covers, presentation folders, card sets, or business cards. Also, 80 micron is a great choice for temporary applications such as a restaurant’s limited-time holiday menu or a route map. 80 micron thickness is also recommended for laminating decals and labels because of their flexibility.
- 100 micron: In spite of providing adequate protection, this film thickness is thin and flexible enough for the laminated material to be folded. This is why this thickness is ideally suited for restaurant menus that need to be folded. 100 micron laminates are also used for maps, wall posters, the pages of a manual, etc.
- 150 micron: This laminate thickness is recommended for materials that require moderate sturdiness to hold up to frequent usage. Laminates with 150 micron thickness are often used for flat pieces that are handled on a regular basis. Instructional materials, dry/wet erase memo boards, charts and diagrams, event passes and bookmarks are some more common applications of this thickness.
- 200 micron: If you need extraordinary rigidity and protection, this is your best bet. Materials laminated with 200 micron films can’t be creased or bent easily. As a result, this thickness is highly preferred for reference sheets, identification cards and badges, and reusable tags. Also, this thickness is highly effective for laminated materials that are used in greasy, damp, or dry environments.
At RENZ Australia, we offer an exquisite range of top notch equipment and supplies for lamination. Please contact us today to discuss your next lamination project.