Laminating is the process of having two plastics sheets sealed over a piece of paper. It gives a document a more professional and official look, and ensures that it is protected from damage, tampering and tearing. ID cards and official documents such as passports are usually laminated along with other security measures.

In order to laminate a document you will require a machine called a laminator. These laminating machines come in a wide range of types and sizes. The larger machines are used mostly in commercial businesses or schools where a large amount of laminating needs to take place. The smaller laminators are used mostly in home businesses or for personal use where only a small amount of laminating needs to be done.

If cost is an issue and you only require a limited amount of laminating done then a pouch laminator should be on your shopping list. These type of laminators use two heated rollers to seal a pouch of plastic over the document. A pouch laminator is often cost effective and are great for small business or home use.

Of course, if you require a large amount of lamination done then you will need a more expensive and larger type of machine. Roll laminators fit this bill and are usually used in a commercial capacity, large government departments or schools. As with a pouch laminator, they use heated rollers to work. However, they are able process a larger number of documents in a short period of time. Due to the heat produced they shouldn’t be used on documents that might be damaged by something hot.

The third type of laminating machine is the ID laminator. As the name suggests, these laminators are designed to laminate ID cards. Some machines enable you to insert micro text, micro chips or other anti-forgery designs under the laminate plastic. Others punch holes so that you can attach a lanyard or clip to the ID card.

Not all laminators can laminate different thickness. If you need to laminate a document that is thicker than paper - such as thick cardboard - then you will need to buy a machine that is specifically able to do so. These are usually a little more expensive but they should have the capability to adjust the thickness so that you can use the machine on all different types of materials.

You can buy laminating machines from office stores or department stores. If you want to find one at a cheaper price than retail then it is possible to find them at ex-government auctions, foreclosure sales and second hand office stores. Another option is to investigate well known online retailers like eBay where people often sell their old laminators.