What Toll Lamination Experts Want You to Know

You’re considering a large scale laminating project—and you might just want to work with a toll lamination expert. Conversion Technologies International happens to be just that! And we’re ready to share what we know ahead of time.

What are the 3 types of lamination?

Generally speaking, you’ll find three main types of lamination. There isn’t a single type of lamination that is “better” than others. However, one type of lamination may suit each project better than the others. For that reason, it’s important that you know what you’re looking for before you make a commitment.

• Gloss lamination. You’ve probably seen this type of lamination before, perhaps on name tags. A gloss lamination provides a high-shine, sometimes reflective finish. We use this type when we want to make an impact, and perhaps catch the light. You’ll often see it found on restaurant menus and magazine covers.
• Soft touch lamination. This type of lamination distinguishes itself by its texture as much as its look. It actually bears some resemblance to suede, creating a smooth, pleasing feel. Naturally, you’ll want this type when you’re laminating product people will touch often. Think business cards, for example. In some cases, we refer to this lamination as “velvet”.
• Matte lamination. This is the opposite of gloss lamination. It eliminates shine. Lots of business owners prefer its smooth, naturalistic appearance. Some observers don’t even notice matte lamination—it’s that smooth.

Experienced toll producers can handle a variety of different laminating projects. You don’t necessarily need to know exactly what type of toll lamination you need before working with a third party. At CTI, we’re happy to discuss your project with you ahead of time. Before you commit, we can walk you through your options and match you with exactly what you’re looking for—in terms of both type and process.

What type of toll lamination is best?

The best lamination type for you depends on what you’re producing. If you’re looking for a commercial laminator, you’re probably laminating products en masse. 

On a whole, the two most popular types of lamination are gloss and matte lamination. If you’re working with projects that users often expose to direct light, matte may work best. One of the main benefits of matte lamination is that it has a great aesthetic appeal. In this day and age, a lot of people simply see matte lamination as more professional than gloss lamination. Is this really the case? Not necessarily. But you may want to follow the trends.

However, you may want to avoid matte lamination if people touch the product often. Matte lamination is great, but it can be prone to smudging. That’s why you’ll sometimes turn to gloss lamination instead. Remember what we said about gloss lamination suiting restaurant menus? That’s because restaurant patrons often touch menus and spill food or drinks on them. You can easily wipe down gloss lamination. In some cases, it may last longer, or at least look good for a longer time than matte lamination.

And preference is subjective, right? So while some prefer the look of matte lamination, others like the “pop” of gloss lamination for bright colors and large lettering.

What are the different types of laminators?

Now that we’ve covered the different types of lamination, what about the different laminating machines themselves? When offering toll lamination services, a contract manufacturing third party often works with different machines. This not only allows you more options—it also ensures custom results.

Some of the most common types of laminators include:

• Pouch laminators. These laminators operate with thermal systems. We fill laminating pouches with glue, and heat melts that glue. This fuses the pouch together, laminating the document in question. Consequently, this creates a waterproof, spill-proof product and brightens the document’s colors. While we may use this in a toll lamination context, schools and universities frequently utilize it for certificate lamination, as well as ID cards and report covers.
• Film laminators. These types of laminators actually break down into a couple of different subtypes, including

–Single and double sided laminators. Generally, these laminators tend to be cost-efficient, suiting products like birthday cards, postcards, and brochures.

–Dual sided laminators. Usually, we use these for short-run orders. They can both laminate single-sided documents and encapsulate them. We often use this for leaflets, flyers, and restaurant menus.

­­—Wide format laminators. This laminator suits larger projects better than other machines. Consider banners and signage, for example.

—Encapsulation laminators. The results of this process resemble those of pouch laminators. However, the results tend to be more flexible.

In Conclusion

When you work with a toll lamination company, you don’t have to make all these decisions on your own. Companies like CTI have the experience necessary to help you select not only the right engineering processes, but the right type of lamination. If you haven’t worked with a subcontractor before, you might have questions. It’s up to us to answer them—and we certainly will.

Working with third party manufacturing companies allows business owners like you to focus more on the business itself, and less on production. It’s a great option when you’re scaling up and need to cut costs while at the same time maintaining—or ideally, boosting—quality.

Ready to explore further? Call CTI at 419-924-5566 or contact us here. We have ideas—and we’re ready to help you start your project.