If you read my velcro tips and tricks post, then you’ll love this one. Every day my inbox gets filled up with the same questions all about lamination- so today I’m publicly sharing all things lamination! (and NO… my favorite is NOT scotch…!) Read on to find out everything you need to know about lamination.
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WHAT LAMINATOR DO YOU HAVE?
True story… I have 3. and I had another one that was a huge NO NO from me that landed in the trash. My favorite personal laminator is the scotch. My favorite large laminator (this can do file folders) is this one. DO NOT GET THE AMAZON ONE…. it’s the slowest laminator possible.
I prefer to use the large laminator even for smaller lamination sheets, it’s the best quality and the fastest.
This is the laminator that can do file folders.
WHAT LAMINATION DO YOU SUGGEST?
Nope, it’s not scotch. I have tried literally every brand out there. I prefer thick and SOLID lamination. I LOVE the amazon basics brand lamination… and that is what I always suggest.
Amazon basics doesn’t carry lamination big enough for file folders yet. So I buy this one or this one… whichever is on sale usually!
CUT FIRST OR AFTER?
Ah, one of the biggest debates ever. I DO NOT cut twice… that is for sure. If you use the laminators and lamination I suggest …. you will not see peeling. Save time by only cutting once! I promise you it will be okay. I laminate all of my pages, cut, then add velcro.
What if I DO want to cut first, because my laminator isn’t super hot?
If you do prefer to cut first and don’t want to invest in a new laminator so you don’t have to… you NEED to use a glue stick to attach small pieces to the sheets before running them through the laminator. This is the only way to prevent overlap of pieces!
DO YOU CUT BEFORE OR AFTER VELCRO?
It is most definitely quicker to flip over a full sheet and attach velcro to the squares before you cut! Read more tips about velcro here!
I hope these tips were helpful to you! My favorite is that I DO NOT LIKE SCOTCH SHEETS!
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When laminating file folders they sometimes wrinkle. How can I prevent this? Not sure how to use the carrier that came with the laminating sheets. Any pointers will help!
Hi Joye, you can find my tips for laminating here: https://www.simplyspecialed.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-lamination/
I would suggest the menu sized sheets and the scotch extra large laminator. I have never have has issues with wrinkling.
Hope this helps!
Alyssa