Why Laminate?

1. Laminating makes your printed material thicker and more robust

The transparent film applied during lamination makes the printed material thicker and more resistant to mechanical wear. Therefore, it is important to ask yourself whether your print material is likely to be wrinkle through use.

If this is the case, then laminating is recommended. There are several advantages when you choose to laminate. For example, you can apply a laminated sticker more easily, there is less chance of air inclusions under the sticker, and the sticker is less likely to wrinkle. This also makes the sticker easier to remove if you want to do so in the future.

2. Laminating protects against UV radiation

If your printed material is exposed to many environmental factors, such as the sun, there is a high risk of discoloration. UV-B rays cause the ink to fade. Laminating your work with protective films with integrated UV protection slows down or prevents this process and ensures that your prints retain their beauty much longer.

3. Laminating protects against moisture and dirt

Laminating your work also prevents moisture from penetrating your printed materials and dirt, e.g., from greasy fingers, from sticking to them. This not only protects your prints from water damage, for example, but also makes them easy to clean. This is very handy when you are dealing with outdoor applications.

4. Laminating protects against damage

Tears and creases do not stand a chance when your work is properly laminated. By using a scratch-resistant material, you can provide your printed material with a scratch-resistant layer. This is often applied to print media for display panels of pop-up systems. These panels have to endure a lot during transport, assembly, and disassembly. It, therefore, makes sense to laminate frequently used panels to provide better protection.

5. Laminating gives a luxurious appearance

Laminating, also known as finishing, is a finishing technique that gives printed material a luxurious and characteristic appearance. Laminating makes the paper appear and feel firmer, making the quality appear (and be) better. A wide range of finishes is available, ranging from matt, satin, glossy and high gloss.

Depending on the application of the printed material, you can choose the most suitable finish. Using glossy laminates, for example, colors come out more powerfully. And the use of matte films prevent disturbing light reflections, for example, in photo posters.

6. Laminating increases the lifespan of printed materials

7. Laminating provides your printed material with special properties

In addition to the standard laminating films mentioned above, there are also laminating films with unique properties. For instance:

• Adding an anti-slip texture to floor graphics: to prevent slipping and to protect against moisture and dirt.
• Creating a writable surface for whiteboard applications: ideal for maps, for example.
• Preventing vandalism by adding anti-graffiti properties: paint and permanent markers are easy to remove with cleaning agents.
• Providing a scratch-resistant layer with the display panels mentioned above: scratches are less easily visible on pop-up panels, for example.