How to choose the right laminating pouch

How to choose the right laminating pouch?

Did you know that the type of laminating pouch you choose can make all the difference, not only to the finish of a project, but to your laminator?

Laminating pouches come in different sizes, thickness and finish, and they can help projects run even more smoothly if you choose the right one for each job.

The quality of pouch you select can also have an impact on the future performance of your laminating machine, making your decision even more significant.

Size it up

You don’t need to be restricted to typical document sizes when choosing a pouch.

There’s more to laminating than A4, with laminator pouches coming in specialist sizes as well as A2, A3, A5 and A6.

Provided your laminator can handle pouches in these sizes, you could change the direction of your project, go larger than life or choose a bespoke size to suit a particular theme

Know your microns

A laminating pouch’s thickness is measured in microns, with each micron equivalent to 1000th of a millimetre. The more microns, the thicker the pouch and the more rigid the result will be. Fellowes pouches are described in terms of thickness per side, so 80 microns would mean 80 microns per side of a Fellowes pouch, to make 160 microns in total. The higher the number of microns the higher the level of protection each pouch can provide. Fellowes® laminating pouches are available in 80, 100, 125, 175 and 250 microns to suit a wide range of levels of document protection. From enhancing the colours of a document by using basic everyday protection 80-micron pouches or capturing the moment in a photograph by using advanced protection 125-micron pouches, you can select the pouch to do whatever you need it to do.

Final flourish

Fellowes laminating pouches come in a choice of gloss or matt finish, but also offer options to suit all kinds of projects. Fellowes’ Matte™ pouches offer creative laminating options, including adhesive backed, easy fold and non-reflective pouches, while ImageLast™ pouches include a direction and quality mark that ensures pouches are inserted correctly and disappears once a pouch is perfectly sealed. Standard pouches in a gloss finish are available in 80, 100, 175- and 250-micron options to suit every kind of photography, craft, promotional or outdoor signage project. Speciality pouches are designed for specific laminating tasks, including SuperQuick™ pouches which laminate 30% faster than standard A4 pouches. Pre-punched pouches are ideal for filing documents such as menus, teaching aids and frequently handled papers, while card laminating pouches are ideal for business cards, teaching aids, price tags and visitor cards.