Hot & Cold Laminating - Which Is Best For My Needs?
Before deciding on which laminating machine you need, it is best to understand the difference between hot and cold laminating / encapsulating. Here at Elmstok we cater for all your laminating requirements and can help guide you on which process, and machine, would best suit your needs. View below an introduction on hot and cold lamination, with the pros and cons for each process:
As you may already know laminating involves sandwiching materials in a protective layer to help provide durability, and a barrier to moisture and dirt, while providing a professional finish to your document. To help achieve this, you can use either heat-seal lamination or cold-seal lamination. Each of these processes use different methods and materials.
Cold-Seal Lamination:
Cold lamination can also be known as either self-adhesive lamination, or pressure-sensitive lamination. Basically, you do not require heat (and with some machines, no electric) to laminate materials. The laminate film used for cold-seal laminating is a pressure-sensitive adhesive laminating film or pouch.
It normally requires peeling off a backing-sheet, from the adhesive film, and then simply placing the document or item between the two layers of laminate material., Pressure is then applied to help bond the layers together. The best results for applying pressure is by feeding the laminate through either a pouch or laminate-roll laminator machine. The other simple way is to apply pressure manually by hand, although there is more risk of air pockets with this form of cold laminating.
Main Advantages Of Cold Laminating:
Simple To Use: Cold laminator systems are normally very simple and easy to operate, with them requiring minimal setup and no warm-up waiting time.
Safety: With cold lamination not requiring heat (and in most circumstances, no electric) it makes it safer to use, especially when laminating delicate or heat-sensitive materials. This could include some digitally printed items that do not like heat.
Fast Results: Due to there being no heat required with cold lamination, as well as quick setup, there is no time being wasted for machines to warm up or cool down. Our most popular cold laminating system is the Xyron Pro range. The Xyron systems have unique, simple-to-load cold-laminate refill cartridges and roll-sets, which can be changed over within seconds. These Xyron systems also have the added benefit of being able to apply a range of adhesive glue types, which are popular for producing mock-ups, proofs, packaging, etc. View our most popular Xyron machines including the Xyron Pro 1255 A3/A4 model, and the larger Xyron Pro 2500 A1/A2 machine.
Versatile: Cold laminating can be used for a wide range of items including photographic work, documents, artwork, various sizes of items (i.e. from ID security cards/passes, to wide format signage, etc.).
What To Consider When Cold Laminating:
Type Of Material Being Laminated: Depending on what you are looking to laminate, in terms of thicker materials/documents or items that may have uneven surfaces or textures, cold lamination may not be suitable. This is due to the pressure-sensitive adhesive glue not being able to bond effectively.
Quality Of Adhesive: It is always crucial to choose a high-quality adhesive laminate film/pouch when using pressure-sensitive film. This is to ensure that there is sufficient adhesion as well as longevity.
Heat Seal Lamination:
Hot-seal lamination is where the use of heat is added to help activate the adhesive-glue, which then bonds the laminating film or pouch to the substrate/document.
When using a heat-seal laminator it would normally involve having heated rollers or heating-plates, which would melt the adhesive-glue while the material/document passes through the laminating machine. This could be in the form of a pouch laminator machine (i.e. when using laminate pouches), or a roll-fed laminator system (i.e. when using roll laminating film).
Main Advantages of Hot Lamination:
Strong Adherence: A strong bond between the laminate film and the material/document is created when using hot-seal lamination. This provides an excellent protection (i.e. such as from dirt, liquids, etc.), as well as a longer life for your laminated work.
Improved Clarity & Quality: With hot-seal lamination the heat helps eliminate air bubbles and 'silvering' (i.e. where the laminate adhesive sits on top of the material rather than penetrating in to it). This process ensures a smooth, high-clear laminated finish.
Flexibility: Heat-seal laminators can handle a wide range of materials and thicknesses, which makes them suitable for various types of application. You can also use different textures of laminate film and micron thicknesses, from 25micron up to 500micron.
Durability & Longevity: Hot lamination produces a very sturdy and resilient protective layer, which is ideal for documents that will receive frequent handling or require long-term preservation.
What To Consider With Hot Laminating:
Safety Precautions: Due to hot laminator systems requiring both heat and electric power, sufficient safety measures should be closely followed. This is to avoid accidents or burns occurring, both during and after laminating. There is also a potential fire risk, especially if the machines are not operated correctly (i.e. if there is a jam to the machine, etc.).
Warm-Up Time: All hot laminators systems require heat-up time before they can be ready for use. This time delay can vary depending on the machine and thickness of laminate that is being used. Therefore time management should be taken in to consideration when planning laminating tasks.
Heat Sensitivity: Some documents/materials, including heat-sensitive items or certain types of photographs, may not be suitable for hot lamination as the heat from the rollers can cause damage or distortion. However, there are now some more enhanced 'digital' types of laminate film available, which can help overcome these issues. This includes our own Tigerbond and Superstick Digital laminate films.
