Cloudy, milky or hazy laminate: what it means
Thermal 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.
Fixes
- Raise the temperature in small steps, or slow down to give more dwell time.
- Remove or account for carrier sheets. A carrier absorbs heat and needs a higher setting.
- Check the film's recommended range. A standard film on a low-melt setting will stay cloudy.
- On matte films, a little haze is normal. Compare against a known-good sample.
Related
See bubbles and silvering. It's often the same root cause showing up as a patch.