For good laminating you must balance three important factors, heat, speed and pressure.

Heat. As the laminator runs, it’s continually generating heat to compensate for dissipating surface heat. The temperature consistency is measured as ‘hysterisis’. As an example, the hysterisis of the Model 1200 laminator is +/- 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on the thickness and type, laminating films require different temperature settings.

Speed. After heat, consistent speed or ‘dwell time’ is the next most important factor. The film needs to be exposed to the heat for sufficient time to enable the film to adhere solidly to the media. Some laser printed media with 100% toner concentration will need to be run at a slow speed and hotter setting.

Pressure. When heating up or cooling down the laminator, make sure that the silicone rollers are ‘gaped’ or apart. This will prevent flat spots being burned on the roller and extend the roller life. When the laminator reaches the correct operating temperature, un-gap the rollers and start production. For single-side laminating, make sure that you allow the laminator to pull the film from the mandrel core freely. If the laminator has to pull or stretch the film, you will get curl or bad lay-flat results. For double-side laminating, make sure that the film has the same pressure on both the top and bottom mandrel rolls.

Read your manual thoroughly and practice with your laminator on various media types. How can you determine if you are being successful? Test the lamination. Try to peel the film away from the media at a corner. If the media or paper pulls away with the film, you have a good bond. If only the ink or toner pulls away on the film, the result is acceptable. If the film pulls away cleanly, it’s a failure.