Lamination is a popular option for many printed pieces, especially those that will experience frequent handling or be exposed to dirty, greasy or damp environments.

In the printing industry, Lamination refers to the process of bonding a clear plastic film onto printed matter. It is most common to bond the film to both sides of the printed piece so that the piece is totally enclosed in plastic. Printed pieces are laminated to protect them from stains, smudges, moisture, wrinkles, tears or anything else that might shorten their useful life. In addition to protection, print lamination also adds strength and rigidity.

Types of Printing Projects that use Lamination.

Printing that is handled frequently is often laminated, such as restaurant menus, price lists, maps, educational materials, bookmarks, membership cards, etc. You will often see laminated pages in a salesperson’s “flip” book or used as the covers on some books. Another benefit of lamination is that it makes the colors on the printed pieces more brilliant.

Lamination is also recommended for printed pieces used in dirty or damp environments, such as machinery warnings and operating instructions, safety and emergency signage, factory rules, reusable tags, etc. If the environment is particularly damp or oily, the lamination film is often extended beyond the edge of the printed piece by 1/8” to 1/2” so that the top and bottom layer of clear laminate can bond to each other. This keeps moisture, oil and dirt away from the edge of the printed piece.

Lamination film is usually measured in mil thicknesses. One mil is equal to .001” or 1/1000ths of an inch (a mil is not the same as a millimeter). Hence, a lamination film measuring 3 mil would be .003” thick and a film measuring 10 mil would be .010” thick.

At Hotspot Printing we offer the following lamination thicknesses:

• 5mil
• 3mil
• 5mil
• 10mil

We also offer:

• round cornering,
• hole punching with and without eyelets, and
• die-cutting after laminating if needed.

Have a Printing design that includes Laminating that needs to go from concept to reality? Get in touch with a Hotspot Printing & Packaging specialist today!  You can call us, 310-538-2540, or submit a quote online.