Month: May 2017

Why is Lamination So Much Better Than UV Coating?

UV causes color shift—an absolute negative in the photo world. UV shows fingerprints badly. UV coating will never mimic a true photo print on Silver-Halide paper due to its extreme gloss, strong smell, and inability to be embossed properly. Lamination provides a true protection against moisture and water. Lamination gives tensile strength and body to the photo or printed piece. Lamination is tear-resistant. Lamination stands up much better in bulk-mailed product due to its abrasion-resistance. UV coating requires venting, messy cleanup, and setup, and is generally a more difficult product to deal with. Film laminating requires none of this....

Read More

Is Your Laminate Not Sticking? A Look at Film Adhesives

First, let’s have a look at the components of a printed piece before we discuss applying laminating film. Stock – Paper stocks have different textures and levels of acid content in addition to varied thicknesses. Toner vs. Ink – Printing machines use either powdered toner (dry) or fluid ink (wet) to add an image to the stock. Whether you are using an oil-based media or not is also important to consider. Heavy vs. Light Toner Coverage: When you print using a high amount of toner coverage, for example, a full-color brochure with a full bleed, maximum adhesive strength will...

Read More

New Streams of Revenue with a Commercial Laminator

You can take your print shop to the next level with the addition of a Commercial Laminator. You will greatly increase the variety of finishes you can offer your customers, and you will help their business grow as they stand above their competition. Cheapest is not always the most efficient way to draw attention to products. Spending a little more than the competition on details like packaging finishing can truly set a product apart. Laminating film comes in a lot more varieties than just gloss or matte. Think canvas, soft touch, textured, leather to name a just few.The application...

Read More

The History of the Package

Food was produced and consumed locally in ancient times. A need for packaging did not exist. As the civilizations grew, the need to contain, protect and transport food supplies became a critical role in the development of the human race. Primitive man used vessels made of tree leaves, bamboo, palm leaves, gourds, shells, and animal skin. As time move on and as minerals, ores, and chemicals were discovered, metals and pottery were developed which lead to modern materials such as fabrics, ceramics, metals, and certain types of paper. The industrial revolution created a new appetite for better products in...

Read More

A Glossary of Laminating Equipment Terms

LAMINATING EQUIPMENT  & SYSTEMS TERMS AIR-SHAFT MANDREL A pneumatically activated mandrel used to fix or lock film rolls in place during the laminating process. ANTI-STATIC UNIT A device used on a laminating system to reduce or eliminate static electricity, which often causes feeding or stacking problems in the laminating process. BOTTOM MANDREL A bar or rod which typically mounts below the feed table of a two-sided laminator and holds the laminating film roll. BOTTOM-FED LAMINATOR A feeder used on laminators that feeds from the bottom of a short stack of prints or book covers; typically used in the on-demand...

Read More
  • 1
  • 2