Laminating documents may appear to be a waste of time today. The majority of documents can now be obtained on the web in a short period of time, allowing a person to replace any that are lost or damaged without delay. However, there are numerous uses for laminating machines today that are often overlooked. Following are some documents any person may wish to consider laminating.
Business Cards
Standing out at a conference or trade show can be difficult. There is an easy way for a company to set itself apart from the competition. Simply laminate business cards that will be passed out at this event and ensure they make it home with the visitor in excellent condition.
However, the right type of lamination machine and supplies are essential when securing the business cards using this method. The pouches used with many laminators might secure a number of business cards simultaneously, but the seal may not be as strong in the center of the pouch as it is at the edges. Keep this in mind and choose the appropriate supplies for the project to be completed.
Visa
A visa is used to provide proof that a person has been granted entry to a country. Imagine traveling in a foreign land only to have the document damaged by water or another substance. The risk of this happening is greatly reduced when a person has laminated the visa prior to traveling.
Work Permits
The same is true of work permits. An individual who has been asked to work in another country may be asked to provide this document at any time. Make certain it is available and easy to read at all times by laminating prior to leaving the home country. Doing so takes very little time and effort and the benefits are priceless.
Reusable Documents
A person may wish to create a document and use it again and again. Laminating the document helps it withstand this frequent use. A good example of this is a homeschooling parent or teacher who may wish to create handwriting sheets for students. The lamination allows the student to use dry erase markers to carry out the work and these markings can then be removed so the document can be used again in the future.
Documents That Should Not Be Laminated
Certain documents, however, should not be laminated. For example, a social security card or birth certificate must not be laminated, as the lamination can interfere with the security features on these documents. In fact, certain places won’t accept these documents if they have been laminated and people need to be aware of this. Always check the guidelines before laminating any official documents to ensure no problems will arise in the future.
Photos should also not be laminated. The process can actually do harm to the images and nobody wants this to happen as the memories may be gone forever. There are a wide variety of ways to preserve old photos but lamination is not one of them.
Once a person discovers how helpful a laminator is, he or she will likely want to laminate numerous things. Always check before doing so to ensure lamination will not cause problems now and in the future. However, those documents that can be laminated should be treated in this manner to protect them from damage at all times and make certain they are available when needed without delay.
