What is lamination in printing?
Lamination bonds a thin plastic film to a printed sheet, usually in gloss, matte or soft-touch, to protect it from wear, moisture and tearing and to change how it looks and feels.
What it means for your file
It is thicker and tougher than a liquid coating, and common on business cards, book covers, menus and packaging. Gloss film makes colors look deeper; matte and soft-touch films mute them slightly. Laminated surfaces don’t take pen well, and laminated card has to be scored before it folds.
For a lighter, cheaper liquid finish, see aqueous and UV coating.
An example
A business card with matte lamination on both sides feels smooth and resists scuffs and bending, and it is the usual base for spot UV, which shines against it. Soft-touch laminate gives the velvety feel used on premium cards and boxes. A menu wiped down every day is often laminated, or encapsulated: sealed in a thicker film that runs past its edges.
A common mistake
Judging colors on a proof without the lamination. Matte and soft-touch films soften dark areas and mute colors a little, and gloss film makes them richer, so a color that matches on the proof can shift once laminated. If a color matters, ask for a proof with the finish applied, or a printed sample of an earlier job on the same finish.
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