Comparison GBC Fusion 3000L A3 vs GBC Fusion 1100L A4

The maximum size of the media that the laminator can operate with.

— A0. One of the largest conventional formats, provides a size of 1189x841 mm. It is found exclusively in hi-end roll laminators (see "Product Type").

— A1. The size of the A1 sheet is 841x594 mm — half of the A0 sheet. Also typical for roll models.

— A2. Sheet size 594x420 mm, approximately corresponds to the spread of the newspaper. This format is used not only in roll devices, but also in some professional pouch laminators.

— A3. A sheet measuring 420x297 mm, similar in size to a spread of a magazine. A3 is the most popular format among modern laminators: even for simple work with common media, it is sometimes necessary to seal A3-sheet with film, and larger media are used relatively rarely. It is also the smallest format found in roll laminators.

— A4. The most known modern paper format is 297x210 mm, a classic sheet for documents. However, for a number of reasons, this option is less common in laminators than A3.

— A5. Sheet size 210x148 mm, half of the classic A4. Used in models designed for small format media — postcards, information cards, etc.

— A6. The smallest format used consumer grade laminators nowadays. Provides...a size of 148x105 mm, which approximately corresponds to a standard photo of 10x15 cm. In addition to photos, A6-format devices are widely used for sealing passes, badges and other similar documents.

Note that the maximum format value may not precisely correspond to the actual media size that can be passed through the device. Usually it limited only with the width of the media, and this limitation can be both on the short side of the sheet (for example, 105 mm for A6) or on the long side (420 mm for the A3 model; this is mainly typical for roll models). The length can be almost any — the length of an pouch or a film in a roll would be enough.

The time it takes for a hot laminating device (see «Laminating Type») to reach operating temperature.

The shorter this time, the more convenient the laminator to use, but the more energy it consumes. Also note that a high heating rate (1 – 2 min) may be a sign that the device uses plates as heaters; these laminators are considered less advanced than heated roller models and are less suitable for some special tasks (such as laminating photos). So, powerful professional devices will inevitably have a rather long warm-up time — up to 30 minutes in some models.

— Reverse. Possibility of rotation of a roller in the reverse direction. This function will be useful, foremost, in emergency situations — bending or jamming of the document, getting a foreign object under the rollers, winding the media on them, etc. The timely inclusion of the reverse not only allows you to do without laborious repair work with the disassembly of the unit, but in many cases it saves the processed material from damage.

— Unjam lever. The possibility to unclench the laminator rollers (strictly speaking, increase the distance between them). Along with the above described reverse feature, it is an "emergency" function, designed primarily to remove a jammed or skewed document, a foreign object, etc.

— Temperature adjust. Possibility to adjust the heating temperature during heated lamination (see "Type of lamination"). This function allows you to optimally adjust the operating mode to the specs of a particular film and media.

— Foiling. Possibility of using a laminator for foil coating. Some of these models are even capable of embossing, usually in the form of an ornament, which is indispensable in the making of postcards, business cards and other similar products.

— Photo lamination. The ability to use a device for laminating photos. It is believed...that only laminators with heated rollers are suitable for such work, because models with separate heating plates do not provide sufficient heating uniformity, which can damage delicate materials such as photos. At the same time, it is worth noting that in this case we are talking only about pictures printed on photo paper; for a plain paper (even with a printed photo), any laminator is suitable.

— Sheet autofeed. The system providing automatic feed of the documents to be laminated. The ability to load a whole stack of sheets into the laminator instead of feeding each of them separately is important primarily for large volumes of work; in addition, autofeed affects the cost of the device. Therefore, this function is found mainly in high-end roll models (see "Product Type").

— Rewinder. Rewinder is an additional shaft installed at the outer part of the laminator. It can be used, particularly, for winding the backing paper in cold lamination (see "Type of lamination"), as well as for winding laminated media during the heated processing. Anyway, the rewinder can be very useful when working with long media — it is often more convenient to wind such material on the outer shaft immediately after coming out of the laminator than to look for another place for it.

The electrical power consumed by the laminator in usual operation. Even in A2 format models (see above), this figure rarely exceeds 2 kW (which is comparable to the consumption of an electric kettle or iron), not to mention simpler devices. Therefore, in most cases, this spec is a reference and practically may be used only in rare cases. But when choosing a professional large-format laminator with media size of A0 or A1, you should pay special attention to power consumption — it can be up to 10 – 11 kW, which puts forward specific connection requirements.