Laminating is a process of applying a film to either one side or both sides of a printed document. Lamination adds luster to a printed product. It provides stability to the sheet, allowing it to be more durable. Laminated documents are waterproof, tear proof, and tamper proof.

Laminated films provide both decorative appeal and protective qualities. They are also designed to increase the life of printed products. They give the printed products much longer shelf life and help retain the pristine look of freshly printed work for longer.

Many of the films used for laminating are available in various thickness and finishes ranging from clear gloss to delustered. The three main film materials are:

• Polyester- The excellent combination of optical, physical, mechanical, thermal and chemical properties of the polyester films is driving the growth of the specialty films market.
• Polypropylene- These are heat sealable films for flexible packing and have high tensile strength. The film can contain colorants, stabilizers, or other additives, and can be coated for the improvement of performance properties.
• Nylon- Has excellent scratch resistance and non-curling properties. They are widely used as book jackets.

Types
Laminated films are of the following types:

• Pouch Laminating Films- Are like envelops and are sealed on one edge. They come in many sizes to accommodate standard items such as letterheads or business cards.
• Roll Laminating Films- Can consist of a layer of film that is applied to the front side of the document or it can be two layers of film in which the document is sandwiched between the layers and sealed.
  Roll Laminating Films are further classified into the following:
  • Clear Laminating Films- Clear is an everyday film that will adhere to most ink lay downs.
  • Matte Laminating Films- Matte is a high quality film that has a glare finish. It has a slightly granular texture that is frosted to reduce glare.
  • UV Laminating Films- It has an added advantage of UV protection.
  • Pressure Sensitive Laminating Films- The film is applied by an adhesive rather than a glue. It does not require heat.

Methods of Lamination
Thermal Lamination- Laminate usually consist of 2 plies with each ply made up of overlaminate film and an adhesive. The document is placed between the two plies and passed through the equipment where the dry adhesive is made tacky by heat. The adhesive is then pressed onto the document under high pressure. After cooling, the adhesive solidifies.

Cold Lamination- It is a process in which only one side of the document is laminated. This lamination is done when the ink or paper used for a document is too sensitive to heat. The surface of the document is flooded with a water-soluble adhesive. It is then sent through a set of rollers with the laminating film rolled onto the top of the adhesive and the document. Pressure is applied to bond the film to the document.

Applications
Laminated Films are used for wrapping posters, maps, calendars, food labels, price tags, membership cards, business cards, placemats, badges, covers, certificates and many other. They perform a wide range of applications in industrial, food and agriculture industry. They are used to make various packaging products like:

• Soft furniture overwrap
• High performance film for automatic horizontal packing of horticulture goods
• Protective covers for furniture
• Over wrap for mobile
• Winter boat wrap
• Automatic packaging of foam cups
• Packaging of chicken, poultry and pork
• Packaging of soil, fertilizers, soil mix
• Food packaging laminates
• Pharma packaging materials
• Dairy packaging
• Laminated aluminum foils
• Aluminum sheets

Lamination films are used to manufacture various packaging products like Blister packs, Packaging pouch, Aluminum laminated foil, Aluminum laminated sheets, Packaging rolls, Packaging bags, Medical Packaging, Industrial Packaging etc.