What temperature should a laminator be set at?

One of the most common questions people ask when they take their new laminator out of the box is what temperature should I use?

Lamination works because of heat and pressure, pretty simple. All laminators work by heating special polymer sheets. The heat melts the top sheet, so both sides bond together with another sheet under pressure, making a laminated product.

Different types of laminating film require different temperatures to ensure that all parts can bond together when they come out of the machine. The most important thing to note is that the thicker and darker the laminating film, the higher the temperature you should set at your pouch laminator.

What are the highest and the lowest ones?

The most suitable temperature for us: 200-250 °F. This range can help you get a perfect lamination finish.

The lowest temperature for the laminator is 150 °F, and the highest is 350 °F. However, be careful using the temperature over 300 °F. It can be too high, mainly when you use thin material. As a result, it can damage your document or burn it.

How can you choose the right temperature for the laminator?

The temperature can vary depending on the type of material you will laminate and adhesive. For example, if you would like to laminate glossy paper, you should use the cold laminating mode. The temperature, in this case, is set at about 220 °F. If we use a hot setting, then the glue would melt and damage the quality of your work.

If you want to laminate some thick papers or cards, you can choose the hot lamination function on your laminator. This temperature is usually about 300 °F. The advantage of using hot mode is that the glue covers the surface better, and you can avoid the creation of bubbles.

The outside temperature is also may affect the laminating quality and production speed, if it’s cold, your rollers will not bond the film.

What are the most common mistakes in choosing temperature?

Using too high temperature

Using too high temp to save time will make the laminating particles scatter away, even peeling off the paper from the substrate. Or it will cause bubbles or wrinkles on the laminate surface.

Using too low temperature

Using too low temp, which is below 120 °F. It will make the film peel off from the paper or substrate, and it is easy to cause bubbles or wrinkles on the laminate surface. In addition, using too low a temperature can damage the machine.

Different temperature of rollers

Don’t forget to control the temperature of each roller. When you use a laminator, all rollers must be at the same temperature. If they are not, some parts of your card will get wrinkled while others remain smooth. This means that if one roller has a cooler temperature than another, air bubbles might form between the laminate and the paper.