1. What is the Laminator warranty period and what does it cover?
2. What is jam-free?
3. Are laminators suitable for use within educational facilities?
4. Does the maximum stated thickness refer to the contents of the pouch or the contents + the pouch itself?
5. What is the thickness of standard copy paper in mm?
6. Do I need a carrier with my laminator?
7. Why is the laminator not sealing the edges?
8. Why is the laminated document cloudy?
9. Why is the laminated document wavy/rippled?
10. Why does the laminated document have spots on it?
11. What are the advantages and possible uses of laminating?
12. Can I repair my laminator or purchase replacement parts?
13. Why does my laminator smell?
14. What is cold lamination and what do I need in order to cold laminate a document?
15. How do the number of rollers affect lamination?
16. Can I laminate multiple documents in one pouch?
17. Is there anything I should not laminate?
18. What thickness of pouches can I use with my laminator?
19. What do I do if my laminator is not working properly?
20. What kind of pouches should I use in my laminator - can I use any kind?
21. A pouch is jammed inside my laminator - how do I remove it?
OfficeMachines.co.uk offer Manufacturers WARRANTY on all Laminators featured - Please read this page regarding special laminator warranty terms and conditions.
Jam-free means that your machine should not experience any incidences of jamming providing you follow the manufacturers operating instructions. Machines can now be purchased with anti-jam features including a reverse mechanism, a release button or an east access lift off lid to clear jams. Although most laminators are not classed as jam-free, they should not jam providing the operating instructions are followed.
Our laminators are chosen from the most prestigious manufacturers available and are designed to suit most users and the environment in which they work in, providing operating instructions are followed, all models suit an academic environment. View our Educational Use section of laminators here.
The total thickness includes both the contents of the pouch and the pouch itself.
As a guide, standard 80gsm paper is 0.08mm thick.
Most laminators supplied now have been designed to be carrier-free (please see instructions). This means that using a carrier may result in a poor finish or increase the risk of jamming. When using a carrier, you may have to pass the document through the laminator more than once in order to properly seal the pouch as carriers can absorb heat
It is possible that the document is too close to the edge of the pouch to create a strong seal. For best results, allow a 2-3mm border to allow the pouch to seal correctly. If this does not solve the problem then check that you are using the correct temperature setting and try passing the document through the laminator for a second time. Most laminators have been designed to be carrier-free. This means that using a carrier may result in a poor finish or increase the risk of jamming.
Cloudiness is usually caused by either the temperature being too low, or the document being too thick. Try passing your document through the laminator one or more times. If you have a temperature adjustment on your laminator then you can raise the temperature slightly. If the problem is not resolved then consider choosing a thinner pouch, or reduce the thickness of the document you are trying to laminate. Most laminators have been designed to be carrier-free. This means that using a carrier may result in a poor finish or increase the risk of jamming.
It is likely that the temperature is set too high. Check that the temperature setting corresponds to the pouches being used and turn the machine to a lower setting if you can. Passing a clean sheet of uncoated paper through the laminator will also help to cool down the rollers. Most laminators have been designed to be carrier-free. This means that using a carrier may result in a poor finish or increase the risk of jamming.
It is possible that the rollers may have small deposits of adhesive on them from previous laminating. To clean the rollers, simply pass a plain uncoated sheet of paper through your laminator when it is still hot. Any adhesive residue should then be absorbed by the paper. It is also possible now to purchase special Roller Wipes or Cleaners for certain models - Please see our Supplies section for more details
There are a number of advantages and examples of where laminating can be useful. Some more popular examples are listed below:
It is NEVER recommended that you try to repair your laminator as this can be dangerous and will void the warranty. Depending on the model it may be possible to repair products inside the warranty period, or outside the warranty period at cost - Please see this page and report a fault or call 01293 775248 for more details.
It is normal for new laminators to have a slight smell during the first use. This is simply from the new element and should fade with subsequent uses. If you experience a consistent smell or smoking from your laminator then please check that you have not set the temperature too high. Under normal use a laminator will produce a slight smell when the pouch is inserted but this is simply the polyethylene which is not harmful to your health.
Cold laminating uses pressure sensitive adhesives to bind the film to the material being laminated. As a result, cold lamination requires specially designed laminating pouches containing sticky adhesive which do not require heat. Cold lamination is your best option when laminating heat-sensitive documents or photos. Most laminators have cold and hot lamination settings to provide maximum flexibility.
Depending on the complexity of the laminator and the finish required dictates the number of rollers needed. Generally 2 roller systems heat and seal in tandem. For more sophisticated systems the first set of rollers heat the pouch to melt the adhesive and subsequent rollers are designed to seal the document to produce a more professional and higher quality finish.
We strongly advise against laminating multiple cut-outs inside one pouch. Attempting to laminate more than one document in a pouch is likely to result in jamming. Instead, purchase smaller pouches and laminate each document individually.
Never attempt to laminate the following items, as they are likely to damage your laminator or result in jamming. As a general rule, laminators are designed for documents so laminating anything other than a sheet of paper or thin card will greatly increase the risk of jamming.
All laminating pouches have a thickness measured in microns. Laminating pouches enclose the document between 2 sheets and as a result the thickness can be expressed in two ways. For example, pouches can be described as being 2 x 75 microns (mic) thick or 150 microns thick which simply means that 2 sheets of 75 microns are sealed together to make a total of 150 microns. Please see individual models for more details.
Please contact our servicing department for more details or call .
It is generally recommended that you use the Manufacturers branded pouches for their laminators as the products are formulated to work together and will therefore produce the highest quality results. Using unbranded products supplied by OfficeMachines.co.uk is acceptable as all products have been tested and approved, but we would never recommend cheaper lower quality pouches as they can cause jamming, will produce a poor finish, can leave a damaging deposit on the rollers, and can void manufacturer's warranties. Pouches come in a variety of sizes and thicknesses normally from 2x75micron (total 150mic) to 2x250 micron (total 500mic) - ID size to A1 size. It is also possible to use special roll pouches for more professional systems which can be cut as a when required. Please note that you must use specially designed pouches for cold lamination.
If the pouch is jammed inside and is no longer visible from the front or back of the laminator then you will not normally be able to remove it unless you have a model with either an anti jam system like a reverse switch, a release mechanism or easy access lifting lid. Attempting to remove the pouch through tampering with the laminator will void the warranty. If part of the pouch is visible from the back or front of the laminator then you may be able to remove it by pulling the pouch from the front or rear but please note that it might be better to have it removed by a qualified technician as jamming caused by misuse or failing to following the operating instructions is not covered by the warranty.