|
FILM TYPES
Film
thickness of 1.5, 3, 5 and 10mil are available in clear
finish. Matte film finishes are available in 1.5 only and
3, 5 & 10mil by special order only. Specialty film
such as satin, lay flat, glueable / stampable and others
are also available but may be a special order film. Please
call for availability and delivery time prior to
scheduling commitments with your customer.
top
|
LAYOUT REQUIREMENTS
For
parent sheets that will be trimmed down after lamination,
leave at least ½” space from image area to edge of
sheet on all four sides. Image area is anything the press
puts on the sheets including varnish and aqueous coating.
If varnish or aqueous coating runs past the image area and
close to the edge of the sheet, special handling may be
necessary which may also require additional fees (see
aqueous coating below). Always supply a rule-up sheet
indicating where the lamination is to be applied as well
as gripper & guide sides. If the piece is to be
laminated with a sealed edge, please supply sheets trimmed
to the final size. We do not recommend applying film
heavier than 1.5mil to one side of any stock as this will
cause the sheet to curl. top
|
AVOID THE FOLLOWING
For
best adhesion results, ink, varnish and aqueous coatings
must be free of waxes, silicones and Teflon additives.
Also, special attention should be given to press chemistry
as alcohol substitutes and one step fountain solution
contain glycol, an oil based product. Lamination will not
adhere to oil. Again, please consult your supplier to be
sure of product compatibility. top
|
AQUEOUS COATING
Aqueous
coatings must be used with caution as they may impair
adhesion of the film to the substrate. If AQ coating must
be used they should be specially formulated for use with
lamination. In addition, the press sheet must be free of
AQ coating within ½” of the edge of the press sheet to
insure proper film separation between the sheets. If AQ
coating is closer than ½” of the press sheet edge,
sheets will have to run at sub-standard production speeds
resulting in up-charges to the customer. top
|
FOIL STAMPING/EMBOSSING
Foil
Stamping should be done on AGS (glueable / stampable) film
only. We recommend Embossing / Debossing after laminating
as the pressure from the laminating rollers can crush the
Embossing / Debossing, and leave air bubbles around these
areas. top
|
SCORING AND
GLUING
Scoring
should be done after laminating on 1.5mil film and before
laminating on 3, 5 and 10mil laminates. Always allow 24
hours between the laminating process and scoring and even
cutting as the laminate will need time to set-up to avoid
releasing and peel back. Areas that are to be glued
require AGS (glueable / stampable) film unless the glue
tab(s) can be laid out so a to spare out the laminate
avoiding the glue tab(s). Feel free to check with WESTLAM
personnel regarding your layout prior to printing to avoid
the cost of AGS film use.
top
|
OFFSET SPRAY
POWDER
If your press sheets have visible amounts
of powder prior to laminating, the powder will be more
prominent after laminating. Please keep the use of powder
to a minimum or plan on a dust pass on both sides of your
press before scheduling a pick-up for laminating. top
|
PAPER STOCK
Film laminate will pick-up the texture of
any stock used and cause a silvering affect where the
adhesive on the laminate will fail to fill in the pores of
the paper stock. Smooth paper stocks will have a better
look after laminating than rough paper stocks. The thicker
the laminate the less apparent this affect will have as
the thicker laminates have more adhesive. top
|
DIGITAL PRINTING
The
use of Fusion Oils in the transfer of toners in Digital
Printing inhibits adhesion with Thermal Film Laminating.
When asking for a quote for Digital Printing, please be
sure to specify
which digital press the job was printed on so the proper
film type will be used.
top
|
