Cardstock paper, sometimes referred to as cover stock or pasteboard, is a unique type of paper, which is usually thicker than the regular writing and printing paper. The fact that the cardstock paper is thicker also makes it more durable than the standard printing paper.
However, cardstock paper is thinner and more flexible than many other forms of paperboard. It is not as rigid as many people see it to be. This kind of paper has various applications, especially when it comes to projects that will require frequent handling. The rigid material makes it resistant to bends.
You can use cardstock to produce postcards, business cards, playing cards, scrapbooking, catalog covers, and many other applications that require more thickness and durability than a regular paper can offer. So, if you have any piece that you want to protect at all costs, you might consider producing it on cardstock paper.
The surface of cardstock paper is usually smooth, and it may be textured, glossy or metallic. Most cardstock papers are polished, but it all depends on whatever you are using them for. Shiny cardstock paper is widely used for book covers and business cards.
Basically, the primary purpose of printing on cardstock paper is to lengthen the durability of that piece. Most especially, if you will be handling it very often, you might want to get it on cardstock paper. It is gradually becoming popular in the printing industry.
However, it is possible to want more protection for your cardstock paper still. Cardstock paper is quite thick but, in some cases, can be ruined by water. So, how about you make it waterproof? That will be an excellent idea, but the only way to come about that is to laminate it.
That brings up the question, Is it possible to laminate cardstock? In the following subsection, I will reveal to you if it is possible to laminate cardstock paper or if you should look for other options to further protect it.
Can You Laminate Cardstock?
Literally, any kind of paper can be laminated. Most laminators are built to handle very thick materials and allow them to pass through easily. However, there is a thickness from which a laminator will not be able to enable in anymore.
You can laminate every thickness of paper except those that are thicker than cardstock. Cardstock happens to be the largest width that any laminator can accommodate. Any width that exceeds that of cardstock paper can not be laminated. So yes, you can laminate cardstock if you want to.
However, to laminate cardstock, you should follow a specific procedure, so you do not get it all wrong. A little mistake might end up ruining your materials and wasting your time. I can assure you that this is the most straightforward and most productive procedure you will ever find.
How To Laminate Cardstock?
Laminating cardstock is basically the same process as laminating regular paper; however, you must pay attention to some detail. Cardstock paper might be a little difficult to laminate compared to regular printing paper.
First things first, get your pouch laminator ready. To laminate cardstock, I prefer using pouch laminators to roll laminators. The reason for this is that you are given the opportunity to set your material in a pouch before it goes into the laminator, as opposed to using a roll laminator.
Turn on your pouch laminator and let it heat up. Some laminators come with a unique heat setting for cardstock-sized documents; if your laminator has such a setting, you should activate it. However, if your laminator does not have a cardstock heat setting, you can measure the thickness and set the film thickness of your laminating machine.
Ensure that the thickness of the cardstock and the film thickness is the same so you don’t end up making avoidable mistakes. Once the heat setting is done, you should wait till your machine is ready to laminate.
For some laminators like the Scotch and GBC laminators, they will display a blue or green ready icon so that you can begin to laminate. If your machine is not ready to laminate, do not start feeding it with the materials you want to laminate; this means you are laminating under low operating temperature; therefore, your paper will not be properly laminated.
While you wait for your laminator to get ready, bring out your laminating pouch and carefully place your cardstock in it. You should ensure that the paper is aligned correctly in the laminating pouch to make cutting very easy for you. People often laminate small pieces of cardstock paper, so you might as well place them in a single part of laminating pouch and laminate them before you cut.
After placing the paper in the pouch and your laminator is ready, slowly place it on the feed table and allow the laminator to do its job. You must ensure that the sealed part of the laminating pouch goes in first; this way, there will be no wrinkles or bubbles in your laminates.
Please wait for the laminating pouch to come out of the other side of the laminating machine; do not force it out, so you don’t ruin it. Let it come out slowly by itself. Some laminators are very fast with this and might take only five seconds for the sheet to exit the laminator.
Once it is out, check if it has been properly laminated. Unlike regular paper, when you laminate cardstock paper, there is a lesser risk of coming across bubbles and wrinkling of laminating pouches. So, there is usually no need to return the laminating pouch to the laminator.
Get scissors and carefully trim the edges of the laminating pouch. If you have laminated multiple items in one pouch, you should first cut each of them apart before you trim their edges out. There is also something you should be cautious of when trimming laminated cardstock.
When you trim laminated paper, I mean regular paper, you are allowed to cut into the paper itself depending on your choices. However, when you are cutting laminated cardstock, you should not make the mistake of cutting into the paper. Doing so will spoil the laminate and might begin to rip it apart slowly.
Can You Laminate Two Pieces of Cardstock?
Honestly, I would not advise you to try this. Though you can laminate a single piece of cardstock in a laminator, laminating two simultaneously is not advisable. It might cause a jam in your laminator, and if it eventually comes out, the lamination would have a lot of flaws.