The Strengths and Weaknesses of Pouch Board Laminators

Many sign shops, graphics studios and print shops who are looking to laminate and mount wide format documents are really impressed by the price point offered by Pouch Board Laminators. However, is most cases a pouch board laminator is not a good fit for these users. Here is why.

Pouch-board laminators are designed to do one thing well. These laminators are great for running pouch boards. Using pouch laminating boards with these laminators makes mounting easier than ever. You simply put your document between the foam core and the special pouch sleeve on the pouch board and feed it through the laminator. In a few minutes you have your mounted document. No messy adhesives, laminating rolls or other materials needed. It is really very simple.

If all you will ever need to do is mount posters, blueprints, signs, or documents onto a board, a pouch-board laminator will be a perfect fit for you. However, most sign businesses, copy shops and graphics studios also need to do other types of laminating. If you ever believe that you will have a need to do other types of laminating, a board laminator is not a good option for you. Specifically, many sign shops, graphics studios and print shops need to do encapsulation in addition to mounting. This is not a good application for a pouch-board laminator.

Although large format laminating pouches are available for use with pouch board laminating machines, these laminators are not designed for this application. Even when you run the large format laminating pouches through your pouch board laminator on the provided sleds, the documents often have problems with curl and it is sometimes difficult to get bubble free and wrinkle free lamination. Additionally, the supplies for encapsulation with a pouch board laminator are extremely limited and can be more expensive than supplies used with a regular roll laminator.

This being said, no other type of laminator makes mounting easier than a pouch-board laminator. Provided that mounting is all you want to do with your pouch board laminator it is a great option for you. Or perhaps you already have a roll laminator and are looking for an easier method for mounting your prints. Either way, it is important to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the pouch board laminator and make an informed decision. If you do, you will be much happier with your choice in the long run.

About The Author-- Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for MyBinding.com. He has written over 100 articles on laminators, laminating pouches, roll laminate film and more.

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