Laminating speed
The maximum laminating speed provided by the device — in other words,
the length of the section that the laminator is able to laminate in a minute. The high speed rate makes it easier to operate with large volumes of media, but significantly affects the cost of the device. Therefore, it makes sense to look for a quick laminator only if you have to deal with large volumes of media, or if the ability to quickly handle the task is critical. If the device is bought for use from time to time, this indicator can be ignored.
Min. film thickness
The thinnest film (in microns) that the laminator can handle.
Different applications require different types of film;
a thin film can be useful for laminating thin sheets of paper or if you need to maintain the flexibility of the material. Detailed recommendations about the optimal film thickness for a specific type of work can be found in special sources. The most popular are
films with a thickness of 75 and
80 µm. There is also an intermediate type with thickness of
60 µm.
Max. film thickness
The thickest film (in microns) that the laminator can handle.
Thick film lamination makes it possible to stiffen the material and provide additional protection. More detailed recommendations about the optimal thickness for a specific type of work can be found in special sources. Among standard films of increased thickness there are
125 µm,
175 µm,
250 µm.
Max media thickness
The thickest media the laminator is capable of operating with.
If choosing the device is based on this spec, it makes sense not only to take into account the thickness of the media is being to operate with, but also to take a certain margin just in case. At the same time, we note that even the "thinnest" modern laminators are capable of processing materials up to 0.2 – 0.3 mm thick — this is comparable to thin cardboard or very thick paper. And in high-end professional models, this value can exceed 10 mm.
Media size
The maximum size of the media that the laminator can operate with.
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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").
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A1. The size of the A1 sheet is 841x594 mm — half of the A0 sheet. Also typical for roll models.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.Power consumption
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.
