Frequently Asked Questions

Whether you want an effective way of slowing down the wear and tear of your important documents or precious photographs over time, or if you’re just looking for an easy way of jotting down notes on a piece of work, laminating pouches will forever be your best friend!

Laminating pouches have been designed to act as a protective covering to paper or card. When such paper articles are placed in the pouch, these are sealed together using a laminating machine, offering a sturdy, yet flexible solution to protecting any types of paper products.

Our range of laminating pouches are available to purchase direct from our online store!

Available in A4, A3, A5 and small sizes (perfect for laminating ID cards and photo sizes), DESKit provides professionally finished laminating pouches in a variety of thicknesses, applications and pack sizes.

If you’re interested in making a purchase via our online store, DESKit also offers free delivery on orders over £25.

Unlike many Suppliers, at Deskit our range is simply focused on the optimum thicknesses for all usages. To avoid confusion: We offer 3 types of thicknesses 100, 150 and 250 Microns. A lower number in our case 100 Microns, means your finished product will be more flexible once laminated making them ideal for everyday use. A higher number in our case 250 Microns means your finished product will be extra strong and more rigid once laminated - ideal for long-lasting projects. Please refer to our guide to help you pick the right micron for your project.

Often the Microns are being broken down to represent the thickness for each sheet within the pouch before laminating. Once laminated a 2x75 Microns pouch becomes a 150 Microns sheet. You should always refer to the laminated total number to help you understand how rigid you wish your project to be.

Laminating pouch film thickness is measured in thousands of an inch, referred to as mil. The higher the mil, the thicker and more rigid the laminating will turn out. Pouch films generally come in 1.5 mil, 3 mil, 4 mil, 5 mil, 7 mil, and 10 mil. Thicker laminating pouch films, such as 7 mil and 10 mil, will often be very stiff and sturdy. At DESKit we mainly work with Microns as a thickness indicator.

Of course you can, this can save you time and money. Try these steps:

1. Place your items e.g pictures, ID cards or recipe cards inside your laminated pouch, make sure you leave at least ½ inch of space inbetween for trimming once laminated.
2. Place onto your laminating machine, sealed side first, we would recommend you use our DESKit Laminating Machine which also includes a trimmer and corner cutter. Allow to cool
3. Hand cut each item which should be perfectly sealed all the way around if set at the right temperature.

Notes: Avoid cutting the shapes before laminating which result in them getting stuck in your laminating machine. Avoid laminating official documentation such as ID card or driving licence.

All our standard sized pouches have a small margin around to ensure it’s fully sealed all around. For instance our A4 size laminating pouch is the perfect fit for any A4 sized document and includes a small margin all around once laminated.

We have 2 great solutions for you:

-DESKit Magnetic laminating pouches work the same way as a classic laminating pouch with the added value of a magnetic backing to stick on stainless steel, these are also available as a variety pack of A5 and A4 which means you have the flexibility to laminate different types of items.

-DESKit 250 Microns laminating pouches offer extra strength and longevity

One of the key advantages in shopping with us is that you can buy a variety pack which gives you various sizes within one pack saving you time and money. We offer a combination of popular sizes so there is something for everyone.

We do not recommend this as it may jam your laminating machine

We recommend any item no thicker than a cardstock

- Make sure first you fully follow the instructions of your laminating machine, especially leaving enough time to warm up.

- Make sure your paper is clean from dust or specks as well as your surface area. Unfortunately some types of prints or textures may present some issues with laminating such as highly coated paper, gloss paper etc. which may cause some bubbling.

- Always insert sealed edge first.

- Check your item fits perfectly within the pouch leaving a small margin all around.

- Your item shouldn’t be thicker than cardstock.

This can happen when your temperature is too low, so try to raise the temperature or wait until it’s fully heated before putting it through the laminating machine again.

In some cases, if your item is too thick the pouch may be letting air bubbles through and struggling to seal it.

Of course you can, like on a whiteboard you can reuse it repetitively when you wipe it clean.

Yes you can, please follow the manufacturer’s instructions to get the best result.

For a professional finish that works every time, we’d always recommend using a laminating machine to make sure you get the desired results when laminating your important documents.

If you are in a position where you urgently need to laminate without a machine, one tried and tested method is using an iron and high quality laminating pouch to seal the plastic. If you decide to try this method, please do not allow children to be involved, and take care when handling the iron and sealed laminating pouch.

1. Heat the iron to the lowest or cotton setting and slide your selected document into the pouch
2. Place a piece of thin cardboard, or old t-shirt of tea towel over the top of the pouch
3. Gently iron over the pouch side to side, covering the document entirely, two to three times
4. If this doesn’t seal the pouch, use a slightly higher setting and try again
5. Once the pouch has been sealed, trim the excess plastic surrounding your document for a professional finish

We always recommend testing out this method on a piece of scrap paper to ensure you’ve grasped the technique.

Although we recommend using a high quality laminating machine to professionally laminate your paper documents, many people have tried and tested the iron method to seal laminate pouches when there isn’t a machine to hand.

If you decide to try this method, please do not allow children to be involved, and take care when handling the iron and sealed laminating pouch.

1. Heat the iron to the lowest or cotton setting and slide your selected document into the pouch
2. Place a piece of thin cardboard, or old t-shirt of tea towel over the top of the pouch
3. Gently iron over the pouch side to side, covering the document entirely, two to three times
4. If this doesn’t seal the pouch, use a slightly higher setting and try again
5. Once the pouch has been sealed, trim the excess plastic surrounding your document for a professional finish

We always recommend testing out this method on a piece of scrap paper to ensure you’ve grasped the technique.

Although our laminating machine offers a cold laminating setting, our laminating pouches are most commonly used traditionally on a hot lamination setting, ensuring the best possible results.

The hot lamination setting is much more effective and inexpensive than a cold laminating setting.

Yes!

As our range of laminating pouches are made of fully recyclable PET material, they can easily be recycled with other plastic waste.

Yes you can laminate, A4, A5 and Photo size pouches.

Unfortunately not, but you can add some DESKit laminating pouches to your basket.