Fix it

Shop-floor fixes for the problems people keep asking about. Start with the cheapest check first.

• Bubbles and silvering under laminate: causes and fixesSilvering is a hazy, silvery sheen, usually in dark solids. It means the adhesive hasn't fully flowed into the print surface. Bubbles are trapped air or gas. In most cases the cause is heat, pressure, moisture or ink that isn't dry.
• Laminate wrinkles, waves and creases: how to stop themWrinkles nearly always come from uneven tension, a roll that isn't centered, too much heat, or uneven roller pressure. Work through these in order before you blame the film.
• Why laminated sheets curl and how to keep them flatCurl comes from unequal stress: one side is laminated and the other isn't, the top and bottom films are under different tension, or the base film and the paper move differently with humidity.
• Laminate peeling off heavy or coated stockIf you can peel the film off cleanly, the adhesive never bonded with the paper fibers. Thick stock soaks up heat, coated or varnished surfaces repel adhesive, and heavy toner or ink coverage gives the adhesive nothing to grab.
• Laminate won't stick to digital toner printsStandard EVA thermal adhesive was designed for offset ink on paper. Digital presses leave fuser oil, waxy toner or polymer ink on the surface, and plain EVA has trouble bonding to any of them.
• Choosing film for your laminator: width, thickness and core sizeBefore you compare brands, three numbers have to fit your machine: core size, maximum width, and the thickness range your laminator can handle.
• Cloudy, milky or hazy laminate: what it meansThermal film looks cloudy on the roll because the adhesive layer hasn't been activated yet. If the finished piece is still milky, the adhesive never fully melted and flowed.