Laminator Sheets and Pouches are sometimes mistaken for each other, but they are two different things. They have similar features and are both involved in laminating, but there is a vast distinction in their composition and usage.
The differences between the two have a considerable impact on their life span, applications, and their prices. In this article, I will detail what laminator pouches and sheets are, their differences, and how you can utilize them to their full potential.
What Are Laminator Sheets?
The way laminating sheets work is very simple. You can view them as a single piece of the laminate film. Laminator sheets are not attached to another sheet, nor are they sealed to it. Laminating sheets are standard when it comes to single-sided lamination.
Many laminating sheets are self-adhesive, meaning they do not require heat or any laminator to laminate a document. To seal a laminating sheet to a document, all you need is a little pressure.
Since these sheets come with adhesive, there is usually a paper backing that you have to take off before you can stick it to your page. They are ideal for protecting documents and adding waterproofing to objects.
However, there is a range of materials that laminating sheets are suitable for. They include certificates, signs, flyers, schedules, etc. The sheets come in various sizes but can be trimmed to whatever size you desire.
Laminating sheets offer greater stability to your pages over plain sheets, without the complete protection from spills and bends that you would get from a fully encapsulated laminating pouch. I will describe laminator pouches fully in the next paragraph.
What Are Laminator Pouches?
A Laminator pouch sometimes referred to as a Laminating pouch, is a piece of a laminate film having a pre-sealed edge on one of its sides that connects it to another laminate piece such that it creates a pocket or pouch.
When using a laminator pouch, you are not required to place the object under the sheet as you will do with a laminating sheet; you have to slide it inside the pouch. This provides completed coverage for the front and back of the object.
In essence, laminating pouches are used for double-sided laminating. They come in cold and thermal pouches. The cold laminating pouches are self-dealing, while the thermal pouches need to be sealed with a heat source.
You can also use cold pouches with laminators that have cold settings, sometimes called cold laminators. The thermal pouches, on the other hand, will require heated pouch laminators or hot laminators to seal.
Laminator pouches, especially the hot variants, offer more protection than the typical laminating sheets. The pouch will create a rigid all-around barrier, making it ideal for protecting documents like ID cards, photos, multi-use documents, menus, etc.
Laminator pouches will give the page 360-degree protection; therefore, the front and back sides be protected. It is just like doubling the firmness of a document, making it more resistant to tears and bends, thereby extending the life span.
When should You use a Laminator Sheet?
There are several instances when you should pick a laminator sheet over a laminator pouch. Both have their uniqueness. Now that you already know the primary differences between the both, it will be best also to know when you should use them and when not to use them.
Before you can use a laminating sheet, you have to consider a lot of things about the document you want to laminate. Firstly, you should use laminating sheets for documents that need thin, flexible protection. These include documents that will need bending regularly and not a rigid shape, like covering a sticker on a tumbler.
Also, if the document needs laminating on only one side, I will recommend laminating sheets. You can also use laminating sheets for hard surface objects and irregular shapes. Hard surface objects already have a rigid touch, so there is no need for a rigid protection anymore.
Also, when you are laminating irregular objects, the sheets need constant bending to achieve the desired look. A laminator pouch will not be suitable for such a purpose.
If you are laminating small projects like stickers, print the design directly on the printable vinyl, then cover it with a laminating sheet and thereafter cut it out with scissors.
Projects that you can use laminating sheets on include;
- Stickers
- Decals
- Small signs
- Documents
When Should You use A Laminator Pouch?
The instances when you should use laminator pouches are pretty simple. When a document requires a 360-degree or all-round protection, you should make use of a Laminator pouch and not a laminating sheet.
Also, laminator pouches give rigid protection to objects, so if you want to protect your document from tearing and bending, you should use laminator pouches when laminating. Laminator pouches are commonly used when laminating ID cards and documents.
How Long does the Protection last?
Honestly speaking, it depends on how well you maintain it. The laminate might begin to fade and peel off even before its approximate life span if it is not maintained correctly. Basically, Laminating sheets will add five or more years of protection to your documents.
This life span is feasible under ideal circumstances. You won’t expect that the same document you throw just anywhere will last you that long. Also, it depends on the quality of the laminating sheet. If its quality is relatively low, you shouldn’t expect much.
On the other hand, laminator pouches will last longer. If under the same circumstances as the laminating sheets, the laminator pouch will last for as long as you want and usually does not have a lifespan. It will only start to show signs of aging when it is not stored correctly.
If you want to extend the life span of a laminated document, I will advise that you stop picking or peeling it. Doing so will damage the laminator sheets or pouches serving protection purposes.
Can You print directly on Laminating sheets or pouches?
This might sound adventurous, and you could have heard someone say they printed directly on laminating sheets. Be it sheets or pouches; it is impossible to print on them. They are strictly for protection and do not serve printing purposes.
Can You Use Laminator Sheets or Pouches for DIY projects?
Yes, you can. Laminating sheets and pouches expand the possibilities of DIY. Since they create waterproof barriers for your murals, stickers, signs, tumbler designs, etc., they can extend the life span of these projects.
The fact is most of these projects require heat or professional sealing; however, there are still a bunch of them that you can do by yourself in the comfort of your home.