Print Finishes: Lamination

At Colour Print, our services don’t stop at the production of the printed page. We offer a range of finishes that can really make your printed materials stand out. If you are considering lamination, embossing/debossing, foil stamping, stitching or die-cutting – we can supply it. Our experience means we can advise on the most effective techniques and achieve them in the most cost-efficient way. We can provide so many different print finishes that we have decided the topic needs a series of blogposts in order to do it justice. This week, we’re looking at lamination.

What is lamination?

Lamination is the process of bonding a thin film of plastic to the printed page. Because the plastic provides protection, laminated pages are more durable than un-laminated pages. If your printed material is to be handled a lot or displayed in a place where there is likely to be some moisture, laminating it will significantly improve its longevity.

What are the standard types of lamination?

The most common types of lamination are Gloss, Matt and Silk. A Gloss laminate gives a shiny, highly reflective appearance whilst Matt or Silk laminates both offer a subtle sheen. A range of HD Gloss, Silk and Matt laminates are also available and will provide improved mark resistance.

What are the specialist types of lamination?

We can also provide specialist laminations including holographic, textured - linen, leather and sand - and biodegradable. Soft touch lamination creates a distinctive feel that will also resist marking and fingerprints. All laminates will provide additional protection where there is the possibility of damage through shipping or display.

Can laminate be applied to just part of a page?

Laminates are applied to the whole page. There is a separate technique known as Spot UV Varnish that can be applied to make a specific area of your printed page glossy. Naturally, we offer this service as well.

How thick will the lamination make my printed page?

Laminates are available in a variety of thicknesses and can be applied to one or both sides of the page. How thick the final page will be will depend on what options you choose. We’re happy to share examples that will give you an idea of how to achieve the effect you are looking for.

Will lamination make my page waterproof?

Lamination adds a degree of moisture protection. To make a page waterproof, we can encapsulate it. This involves applying laminate to both sides of your page. The plastic is cut so it extends past the edges of the page and will bond with itself when run through the laminator, thus sealing the page in protective plastic.

For more information about lamination or any of our other print finishes, please contact the office on 01603 488001 or email any questions to sales@col-print.co.uk.

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