Lamination is perhaps the most effective way to protect documents and other paper media. In addition, the purchase of such equipment for domestic needs allows you to save a lot of money on printing services.
Home laminators help protect, as well as save, not only ordinary office documents, but also children's drawings, photographs, book covers, instructions, letters and much more. But not every machine copes with the tasks assigned to it, therefore, before choosing a laminator for home use, it is necessary to carefully study all its characteristics and get acquainted with the responses of real consumers about a particular model.
Today's market for computer peripherals offers a ton of options. And if professionals at least somehow understand all this diversity, then beginners simply shrug their hands, relying on the next consultant in the store. The latter, by the way, are far from always competent, therefore, additional knowledge here will obviously not be superfluous.
So, let's try to figure out which laminator for the home is better to choose, what to look for in the first place and how not to miscalculate with a purchase. When compiling the article, the opinions of experts in this field and the reviews of ordinary users of such devices were taken into account.
Difficulty choosing
Before choosing a laminator for the home, you need to answer a number of important questions for yourself. This will help to significantly narrow the range of models and get closer to a reasonable purchase.
Firstly, it is necessary to clarify what kind of paper material you will use most often: plain paper, cardboard, photographs, etc. Secondly, you need to decide on the maximum format of documents. Thirdly, how often will you use the device. And the last one is the presence of some additional functionality that will be useful in certain cases.
Based on the above criteria, you can already look at a specific price category and equipment manufacturer. In addition, before choosing a laminator for the home, it is clearly not out of place to get acquainted with user reviews on specific models. The latter is better to search on specialized forums and large Internet sites. Small sellers and medium-sized trading resources (sometimes large ones) do not sin with purchased reviews, therefore, it is better to weigh the negative feedback, rather than the mass of praises.
Specifications
Careful weighing of characteristics allows you to make an informed purchase and choose a laminator for the house that is close to ideal. First you need to determine the type of design. In retail, you can find batch and roll models.
Roll models
They are distinguished by large dimensions, fast lamination, an abundance of functionality and are finicky to the operator, or rather, to its preparation. This type of device is used in printing houses, large offices and other printing enterprises.
A rolled laminator is the choice of professionals, so it does not fall into the category of home appliances. Of course, it can be used in domestic needs, but the practicality of acquiring such a device for the home is a big question.
Packet devices
Batch models are small devices that feel great both on office desks and in an apartment. The design of such devices is very simple: two layers of film, where the lamination source is placed, a small roller for broaching - and at the exit we get a ready-made protected document.
Before choosing a laminator for the home, you should also know that consumables for a batch model are much more expensive than for a roll model (based on one copy). So for a home mini-workshop it is better to look at either a hybrid or an inexpensive version of the roll type. Well, for one-time laminations, the batch device remains the best choice.
Format
Here, the main criterion is the maximum document format that a particular laminator can work with. Roll models are designed, as a rule, for sizes A3-A0, and more "down to earth" batch models - for A7-A4.
The best option (as they say, for all occasions) is considered the most common A4 format, that is, this is the size of a familiar sheet - 210 by 297 mm. You can choose a laminator for an A4-format home in almost any computer store, because it is also the most popular machine among other household devices of this type.
Heating elements
The lamination process involves heating the film and then laying it on the document. The shafts are engaged in this, and the more there are, the more uniform and denser the film lies. Inexpensive household models are equipped, as a rule, with two shafts. But good laminators have 4 and even 6 shafts. This allows you to achieve a perfectly flat surface.
Naturally, the number of shafts directly affects the cost of the devices. For domestic needs, for example, for the A5 form factor, it is not necessary to take a model for 4 or even 6 shafts. In this case, two will be sufficient.
Film
Here you need to pay special attention to the maximum film thickness that the laminator can handle. This parameter mainly affects its scope. Conventional paper carriers such as office documents are laminated with a film thickness of 50 to 150 microns. Thicker starting materials will require a thickness of 150-250 microns.
Judging by the reviews of ordinary users, a simple film of 80-100 microns is enough for home use, so chasing micrometers is not worth it, unless, of course, you are engaged in laminating calendars made of thick cardboard or similar media.
Heating time
The power of the device directly affects the time of its heating. Serious models warm up in 60-80 seconds, while simpler models take five or even more minutes. Work on the stream does not suffer delays, and you have to pay in rubles for the time saved. But at home, waiting a few minutes is not a problem, and paying extra money for this is completely useless.
Lamination speed
Here, as in the previous case, it is necessary to take into account the conveyor component. If you want it faster - pay more, you are ready to wait - you can save a lot on this part. Ordinary models operate at a speed of about 30-40 cm per minute, and professional devices can accelerate to 90 cm / min. And these are batch models. Roll laminators stamp documents at a speed of 150 cm and more / min.
Additional functionality
Some advanced models may have some additional "chips" that facilitate the lamination process. Here we have a reverse, speed and / or temperature adjustment, a “cold” passage (work with adhesive-based film), protection from jams, etc.
Manufacturers are also trying to attract consumers by the presence of proprietary technologies, which, again, are aimed at facilitating performance. For example, HeatGuard technology allows you to safely touch the laminator body during intensive work, while it is even scary to put a gloved hand on the machine without it.
This also includes the Easy Access functionality, with which you can easily parse almost the entire device for cleaning and other maintenance. ClearPath provides accurate source direction and eliminates jams in almost 100% of cases. But here you also need to understand that for the most part every extra “trick” adds to the cost of the device.