Laminating is one of, if not the best, methods of protecting paper from all factors that can bring about its damage. The benefits of lamination are getting known almost everywhere, and many people are beginning to love the procedure.
With laminating, you can protect your documents and other vital items for as long as possible. Laminating paper automatically makes it waterproof and quite resistant to tearing and stains. A properly laminated paper will never get wet even when it comes in contact with water.
Also, with laminating, it becomes hard for a paper to tear apart when mishandled by people. It could also help protect your document from dust and other things that could bring about its damage, thereby lowering its lifespan.
When it comes to laminating, there are various ways that you can go about it, the most common being using a laminator. Laminators are special machines that help make laminating paper as easy as possible. With these machines, you don’t have to spend hours trying to make your paper waterproof.
However, laminators work with accessories known as laminating pouches. These pouches serve as a coating for the paper or whatever you wish to laminate. If you have ever come across a laminated paper, the external plastic covering is known as a laminating pouch.
These pouches are sometimes referred to as laminator paper or laminating sheets. One dynamic feature of laminating pouches is that you are not limited to using them only in the laminator. Basically, most pouches require enough heat to seal up with the paper enclosed in them.
There are some other pouches or sheets that make use of adhesive instead of heat to seal up. You can improvise for the heat and make use of a pressing iron to seal laminating pouches or just get Self-Laminating sheets instead. You can go for whichever one suits you.
However, it is very much okay to try and explore other options for using laminating pouches; you can do something different from the norms. In fact, depending on where you are, laminating pouches can be a bit hard to come about and, in most cases, are too expensive. These are instances when you should begin to seek alternatives.
Instead of using laminating pouches, in what other ways can you laminate your paper at home? Well, you will find out in this article. I will answer all your questions regarding the topic, so it becomes an easy nut to crack for you. Let’s get to it.
What Are The Alternatives To Laminating Pouches?
There are various alternatives to using laminating pouches. In fact, seeking these alternatives help eliminate the need for laminating pouches, which can have a drastic effect on lowering the cost of it. Let’s check out a few of these alternatives.
Transparent Package Tape
If you have transparent package tape and are out of laminating pouches, then you are good to go. The only issue with using packing tape for laminating is that it might lack the professional touch like most other laminating techniques, but trust it to protect your paper.
When you want to laminate small items like bookmarks, business cards, labels, name tags, etc., you can trust clear package tape to do the job effectively. Unlike many other alternatives, the tape is relatively easier to find. There is a 90% probability that you already have it around.
However, the tape can be so hard to position and get your document in the right place, but all you have to do is follow the proper procedure to achieve desired results. Let’s see how it is done.
How To Laminate Paper With Package Tape?
When laminating paper with this technique, I will advise that you use a little extra tape on the sides and edges of your paper, so you can trim off the excess after you are done.
- Roll out a strip of packing tape in excess. You could allow it to be an inch longer than the width you need to laminate. Ensure you place the sticky side up. If the case is that you want to laminate a sheet that’s relatively longer than the width of the tape, you can roll out several pieces of the tape and overlap them slightly to achieve the exact length that you need.
- Carefully place your paper over the tape(Ensure it is in the center) and press down smoothly.
- Repeat the same process on the top by rolling out the tape and carefully overlapping them, so there are no exposed spots of paper. You should give room for at least half an inch of extra tape on all edges of what you are laminating.
- Ensure you smoothen the tapes on both sides to each other, so they create a border around the paper you have laminated. Now get scissors or a paper trimmer to cut out the excess tape on the sides and edges of the paper.
Synthetic Paper
Another alternative to using laminating pouches is Synthetic paper. Synthetic paper is made out of plastic but looks and feels just like regular paper. Most times, it isn’t easy to differentiate between normal and synthetic paper.
It is sometimes referred to as waterproof paper, because it completely eliminates the need to use laminating pouches or sheets. Using synthetic paper will give your documents a sturdier look and touch for frequent handling.
The main essence of using synthetic paper is to make your documents waterproof and also protect them from being torn. Another reason why you will come to love synthetic paper is that it is easy to use; you can either use it with color copiers or laser jet printers.
Conclusion
As mentioned above, there are different ways to protect your documents without using laminating pouches. However, there are other ways in which you can protect your documents that have not been discussed above.
The first is printing on thicker paper. This is quite similar to printing on synthetic paper which has been mentioned earlier but broader. When you print on thicker paper, it reduces the need for any extra protection from moisture or tearing.
Also, you can begin to store your essential documents in reusable plastic pockets. If you are the type who goes about with most of these documents and will want alternatives to laminating sheets, then this is for you.
These plastic pockets are not permanent but can serve you for as long as you want. The great news is that they can be reused over and over again. All you have to do is place your paper or documents in the pockets, and then you are good to go.
I believe that answers all your questions. These are the alternatives to laminating pouches to protect your important documents and items. If, however, you are not satisfied with the quality of these alternatives, you can keep using laminating pouches.