The whole idea behind laminating paper is to protect it from damage either from water, stress, or other factors.

This is normally achieved by covering the paper with tough, waterproof plastic material.

If you have some posters you’d like to keep in good condition for a long time, lamination would definitely be a great step.

Read on to find out how to laminate a poster at home and discover how much it costs.

Different Ways of Laminating a Poster

There are two main ways of laminating a poster:

1. Using self-adhesive sheets
2. Using a laminating machine/laminator

How to Laminate Posters Using a Laminating Machine

• Get a laminating machine that is big enough to handle the size of your poster.
• Switch on the laminator and let it heat up. Normally, a good laminator has a light to indicate the machine is hot enough and ready to laminate.
• If you have a temperature-adjustable machine, set it to medium heat level; that should be enough for laminating a poster.
• Put the poster inside the laminating pouch. Align the poster carefully, so it has a uniform border all around.
• Put the pouch with the poster in the protective carrier, ensuring the pouch’s sealed end snugs against that of the carrier.
• Run the carrier through the laminator. Avoid applying too much force while inserting the carrier, as the machine should grab it and do its laminating work (fusing the sheets) slowly.
• When the pouch emerges from the other side, give it a few moments to cool off then remove the poster.
• If need be, trim the edges with a pair of scissors but leave a bigger border at the upper part where you will attach the hanger.

How to Laminate Posters Using Self-Adhesive Sheets

You can get self-adhesive sheets from a stationery store.

Try to get the ones that have a grid at the back, as the grid guides you and helps you position the poster accurately.

But if you feel confident that you can place the poster properly without a grid, you can get self-adhesive sheets that don’t have a grid.

Follow these steps to laminate the poster:

• Take off the backing from the sheet to uncover the adhesive, taking care not to touch the adhesive, so your fingerprints aren’t left on there.
• Lay the poster on the sheet and align it properly at the center, so the border is even all around. The grid should guide you, but once again, if you feel confident enough, you can do without it.
• Once the poster is in position, lay the upper adhesive sheet, ensuring the placement is perfect and in line with the lower sheet. When you’re done, the poster should be in between two adhesive sheets.
• Use your hands or a tool to smooth the paper, so there are no air bubbles or wrinkles.
• Lastly, trim the edges using a pair of scissors if there’s a need for it. But, remember to leave enough border on the upper side where you’ll attach the hanger.

How Much Does Laminating Cost?

Let’s break down the cost of laminating your posters:

Laminating posters using a laminating machine

A good laminating machine can cost you as little as 20 bucks, and a packet of laminating pouches containing 50 pouches will cost you around the same amount.

So, that is 40 bucks for the first time, and virtually nothing from there on because you’ll already have a machine and you’ll still have some pouches from the first packet.

Laminating posters using self-adhesive sheets

If you decide to use self-adhesive sheets, you will pay around 20 dollars for a packet of 25 sheets, meaning you will use around one dollar per poster.

Note, we’re basing these estimations on Amazon prices.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What’s a laminated poster?

A laminated poster is just a poster that is encased between two plastic sheets.

Lamination is done with the purpose of protecting the poster from fading, tearing or other damage that comes from water and other factors.

Can lamination be undone?

No. once you have laminated your poster, the process is not reversible without damaging the poster, so it’s good to carefully evaluate the need for lamination before going ahead with it.

Can I iron a laminating pouch?

Yes. If you don’t have a laminating machine, you can use an iron instead. It will be tricky to achieve the quality of work that’s done by a laminating machine though.

Just set the iron to medium heat level and apply medium pressure with your hand while ironing the pouch. Don’t forget to place a cloth over the pouch to avoid burning it.

Conclusion

Laminating your posters is that easy, and honestly, it’s a little fun if you love DIY projects.