Whether it's for presentation or preservation, it makes no difference. Laminated documents are always more impressive and more durable than any old piece of paper. Colors are brighter and the pages are cleaner. The laminators that make this possible utilize several different modes to get the job done.

Here are your options when it comes to laminators:

* Roll Laminator: Roll laminators are used for bigger materials or high volumes of smaller materials. They are most often used for posters and signs. This type of laminator is usually owned by a larger company. These are also commonly used by schools and print shops.

* Pouch Laminator: Pouch laminators use laminating pouches to get the job done. These laminators are usually owned by smaller establishments, such as home offices or small businesses. Pouch laminators are also commonly used by print for pay organizations and for making name badges and ID's.

Now that you know the two main types of laminators, you have to decide whether hot or cold lamination is what you are looking for. Hot laminators heat up to somewhere between 180-300 degrees Fahrenheit. They work by melting the adhesive to the paper. Hot lamination makes for longer-lasting and more durable documents.

Cold lamination is sometimes used when the documents are heat sensitive, this can include faxed documents or materials printed on special kinds of paper. Cold laminators function by applying a specific amount of pressure to stick the adhesive to the paper. These machines are considered safer than hot laminators because they don't use heat and often don't even require electricity. However, options for cold lamination are often more limited than options for hot lamination.

What Next?

Once you have your documents laminated, its time to take the next step in creating an impressive presentation. For manuals, reports and other related documents, it's wise to have the materials bound together. Special binding machines can be purchased to finish off the job. Both the binding machines and laminators can be purchased from office product manufacturers.

Binding machines offer several options for putting together the necessary materials. Comb bindings use plastic teeth that insert into each tiny hole in the paper. Coil bindings use one long coil that spirals through the holes. Lastly, wire bindings, form a double loop through the holes. Coil bindings are by far the most durable.

All of these binding options allow the documents to lay flat and coil binding and wire binding can be folded from the front to the back. This makes documents easy to use, for everything from a church phone directory to a new business proposal.

Whether you choose hot or cold lamination, wire or coil binding, you will also need various lamination and binding supplies. These materials can usually be purchased from the same companies that sell the machines. Cost depends on which supplies you are purchasing and how much you need.

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