A laminator takes any kind of paper document, photo, or sign,and places it in a laminating "pouch", which is passed through the machine and sealed. The end result creates a hardened clear plastic covering, making the paper impermeable to water, scratches, tears and other types of damage. Practically any flat surface can be laminated.

There are many advantages to owning a laminator. And depending on whether you will be needing one for the home or your business there several different options from which to choose from.

A Hot laminator is the most common type,it uses heat to activate an adhesive material onto the paper. The paper is placed between two sheets of adhesive paper, and slid through the laminating pouch. On average a hot laminators should take around 3 to 5 minutes to warm up and use. A cold laminator is not as popular, but is easier to use. Since it works without heat; the papers are pushed through two rollers and a type of pressure sensitive adhesion is used to bind the lamination to the paper.

High performance laminators are ideal for use in an office setting, most are now conveniently designed to be user-friendly, and usually can fit on top of a desk. They are meant to be energy efficient and are built to withstand large volumes of work, with multiple options for laminating documents, posters, business cards, and different types of media. Technologically, many of the newer types now have advanced features such as LCD readouts, a built in trimmer and a protective shield. However, the best part about high performance laminators is that most come equipped with both options to use hot and cold lamination, different speed settings, as well as an auto shut-off to prevent overheating when the machine is not in use.

For home, first determine the capacity of its intended use; whether for pictures and creative decorating ideas, or for letters and documents, the quality of your projects depends on the type of laminator you choose. Sometimes the use of hot laminators on family photos may damage the original picture quality, so the best choice for the home might be a personal laminating pouch, which also has the option to use either hot or cold lamination, and most are conveniently no larger than 9-10 inches wide, so they take up minimal space. They handle everything from standard sized documents, to photos, and now even different types of card stock. They aren't very expensive and can be bought with multiple options, such as jam release buttons, and adjustable temperature control settings.