AmazonBasics Thermal Laminator

AmazonBasics Thermal Laminator..

GET AmazonBasics Thermal Laminator By AmazonBasics

Most helpful customer reviews

58 of 61 people found the following review helpful.
Smooth Operator
By Suzinne Barrett
Admit it, wasn't sure how I was going to use this. Never heard of thermal laminators before, but my partner, being very experienced in the graphic arts, suggested that this just might be the ticket for image transfers. Have made transfers using acrylic mediums and plain old packing tape. This item is very lightweight and quite affordable. However, one needs to pay careful attention to the directions before using. Be sure to switch to proper pouch thickness (3 ml or 5 ml) and allow to heat up fully BEFORE feeding your photos through. Also, make sure switch is on OFF before plugging in unit. And make sure the light is GREEN before sending pouch through pouch entrance.

You get two 3 ml pouches with this. Pouches run about $12.99 per 100 (on Amazon). These pouches are fed through the unit, and they in fact provide the gloss that is thermally sealed onto your picture. Do NOT cut the pouch to alter it's size. Most will want to use this for their photographs, business/greeting cards or flyers. Place the photograph in the pouch, centering it within the pouch, leaving a quarter inch perimeter around your image, while avoiding all edges of the pouch. When the unit is fully heated up indicated by the green light, gently feed the pouch through the pouch entrance. The folded side of the pouch is the part that feeds directly into the slot. Helps to use some magazines or books to prop UNDER the pouch so it feeds completely flat and directly parallel to the pouch entrance without any tension or pulling to avoid any wrinkling. My first try resulted with a very strong wrinkle and certainly you want to avoid that. Be careful when handling image directly after laminating, especially the edges. They can get pretty hot.

If you want to create image transfers with fashion magazine images (which is what I use this for), put your photo (cut to fit within the parameters of an 8 1/2 x 11" sheet of paper) and place on a blank piece of paper or preferably cardstock for better support. Place photo FACE UP onto the backing sheet and gently slide into the pouch, folded corner up top, all the while centering it and avoiding edges of pouch. Feed into the slot as outlined above. Recommend you send image through two times for transfers (using same pouch). When laminated image has cooled off, remove backing sheet and place in a tray with a quarter inch of water, image face up. After 5 minutes, remove from water and simply peel off the paper.

Caution: As this unit gets hot and the resulting laminates even hotter, absolutely not suggested for use by children.

No instructions come with the unit, but found the link for the PDF of the manual (see below). Sent PDF to my Kindle device (I-Pad), and that was the easiest way to go. Happy laminating or image transferring!

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/A1DnkIZMgrS.pdf

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful.
Great results but slow.
By Amazon Customer
Edit April 2014: After 6 months of use and hundreds of sheets laminated, it still works perfectly.

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Pretty straight forward laminator that works as you expect.
I use a pro grade one at my office, heavy duty, heats fast and the rollers run quickly to laminate a lot of sheets fast. Bought this one for the home office.

I'm using 5mil sheets with it, the results are perfect, no complaints. Unlike a pro grade heat laminator, you do not use a protective sheet/ pouch with this one. I tried it and the lamination did not melt together sufficiently. Re-read the instructions (RTFM!!) and it did not mention using one, so I re-ran the sheet without it and it came out perfect- sealed, glossy, flat, firm.

Here's what you give up with this fantastic price- it is really slow. The feed rollers turn very slowly. If you are occasionally laminating a few sheets for home or school use, or occasional office use, get it, it'll work great. If you have to have dozens of sheets laminated for work tomorrow or use it regularly, get a pro laminator because you'll be up all night waiting for this thing to process all of those sheets. Considering that we paid a few hundred for the one at the office, that this one gives the same finished results for less than 1/10 the cost is incredible. Add to that that 3mil and 5mil sheets in hundred packs here at Amazon are dirt cheap, you have a winning combo.

Overall, I like it and the price can not be beat. Compact, does the job, etc. Fits in a drawer until I need it. We'll see if it lasts.

Everything that I've bought with the Amazon Basics label has worked well.

40 of 51 people found the following review helpful.
Good Basic Laminator (But You Better Know How To Use It!)
By Rick L. Parrish
This is a good basic laminator put out by Amazon. It is solid and well built and functions easily with a small learning curve. My only gripe is the complete lack of any instructions whatsoever other than an admonition on the box cover to go to Amazon to learn more about the product. I was a complete novice and if someone in this review section hadn't shown the way to a .pdf manual I wouldn't have had the slightest idea how to use it. That is not the way to do business in my estimation. The price is right. The product does what it's supposed to (but get some pouches cause it only comes with two of the large ones). I realize that manufacturers are all cutting back on supplied manuals in favor of downloaded ones but they should at least include instructions for how to do that!!!!
I'm a little disappointed in Amazon on this one.

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