How Does Pouch Lamination Work?

What is a laminating pouch? Laminating pouches are pockets of laminating film into which the item to be laminated is placed. A hot laminator is used to seal the pouch and bind the layers together so that your document is laminated.

Hot pouches: Hot laminating pouches consists of two layers: a polyester-base film layer and an adhesive resin layer. When you run the pouch through your hot laminator, the heat melts the adhesive resin layer, which then spreads over the document, hardening as it cools and creating a bond between the paper and the polyester-based layer of the pouch.

The polyester and adhesive content in hot laminating pouches is defined as a ratio, such as 3/2 or 1/4. The first number represents the polyester content, while the second represents the adhesive content. Ratios with larger polyester contents produce stiffer lamination. Ratios with more adhesive contents will have a stronger bond. Stronger bonds are necessary when laminating thicker materials such as substrate backing or hard plastic.

Cold pouches: Cold lamination is used for heat sensitive documents. Cold laminating pouches uses an adhesive that is activated by pressure instead of heat. This allows you to laminate items such as faxes, photos, and ink-jet printer paper without damaging them.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LAMINATING:
Hot or cold laminating?
How laminating pouches work
Laminate weights and finishes
Laminating Machines