Cardstock has a wide range of uses in both personal and professional settings. Whether you want to send out an official memo to your staff or create beautiful party invitations, you can get the job done with high-quality cardstock. But what if you want to laminate your cardstock? Is that even possible?
Fortunately, the answer is yes! You can laminate cardstock and other kinds of thick paper. However, the process may differ a little. So, in today’s guide, we will help you learn how to laminate cardstock using different kinds of materials and equipment!
How To Laminate Cardstock
The easiest way to laminate cardstock is to acquire a laminating machine (also known as a laminator). These often look like traditional printers, but when you put paper in one end, it comes out laminated on the other! The most important factor when choosing a laminator is the maximum paper size it can handle. With cardstock, you are likely not using materials any larger than printer paper, but it is still a good idea to double-check what your laminator can do. A laminator that can handle 8-1/2″ x 11″ paper should be able to handle most laminating projects.
Once you have a laminating machine, you can go through the step-by-step process for laminating cardstock below:
Step 1: Get Your Machine Warmed Up
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Like some printers and copiers, most laminators need a minute or two to get “warmed up.” So, turn on your machine and just let it sit for a few minutes. If you’re unsure how long to wait, don’t worry. The vast majority of laminators have an indicator light that tells you when they are ready. In the event that your machine does not have this feature, just wait 5 minutes to be on the safe side. |
Step 2: Choose Your Cardstock
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Choosing the color, size, texture, and thickness of cardstock is extremely important. Naturally, the color and size will depend on your personal tastes and intentions. If you want something professional, you may choose white with a standard cardstock size. Alternatively, you may want to liven things up with funky colors and interesting textures. However, just remember that most laminators cannot handle very thick paper; standard cardstock (between 80 lbs and 200 lbs) is usually the thickest that will work. |
Step 3: Prepare the Cardstock & Laminating Pouch
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When you purchase a laminator, it typically comes with some sample laminating pouches. However, you may need to buy additional laminating pouches if you want to laminate dozens of cards, invitations, or documents. In any case, to prepare the cardstock for lamination, simply place it inside the laminating pouch. This part is pretty easy, as the pouch is just two pieces of laminate paper connected at one end. If the laminate is not substantially larger than your cardstock (with at least 1 inch of space on each side), then make sure to center your cardstock so that it will be cleanly laminated.
Once the interior of the laminating pouch is ready, you will need to place the pouch inside the carrier. The carrier is another pouch that protects your laminator from the buildup of adhesive materials. |
Step 4: Put the Carrier in the Laminator
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Now that the carrier and laminator are ready, you can begin to feed the carrier into the laminator. Do not force it in, as this could damage your cardstock or the machine. Instead, feed it in slowly until you feel the laminator take hold of the carrier. Then, continue to feed it through, allowing the machine to do most of the work. |
Step 5: Let the Carrier Cool
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Once the carrier comes out on the other side of the laminator, you simply need to set it on a flat surface to cool for a few minutes. This gives the laminate enough time to properly stick to the surface of the cardstock. If you try to remove it too quickly, it may come out with bubbles, tears, or other blemishes. So, once you have let it cool for about 10 minutes, you can remove the laminated cardstock from the carrier. |
Step 6: Finalize Your Cardstock
Now that you have removed it from the carrier, you are likely left with laminated cardstock that has extra laminate along the edges. Simply use a pair of scissors to cut along the edge of the cardstock and remove extra laminate material. If you want, you can decorate your laminated cardstock with additional garnishments that suit your tastes. Either way, you now have laminated cardstock!
Laminating Glitter Cardstock
Laminating glitter cardstock requires the same process as laminating regular cardstock. That said, glitter cardstock can be a little more complicated. Depending on the thickness of the cardstock and the “chunkiness” of the glitter, you could run into issues of bubbles forming on the end product. For this reason, it is best to do a test run and see how your laminator handles glittered cardstock. In most cases, you won’t have any issues. If you do run into bubbles, you may need to choose a thinner cardstock with smaller pieces of glitter.
Laminating Cardstock Without A Laminator
So, what if you don’t have a laminating machine but you still want to laminate your cardstock? Or what if your cardstock is too thick for a standard laminating machine? Thankfully, you can still do it! Read the steps below to see exactly how to laminate cardstock without a laminator:
Step 1: Acquire Self-Adhesive Laminating Sheets
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Self-adhesive laminating sheets are essentially like a DIY lamination pouch. With these, you simply place one on a flat surface, then place your cardstock in the middle before adding a second sheet on top (to make sure everything lines up correctly). Most laminating sheets come with squares to help you line up the sheets and your cardstock perfectly. If your sheets don’t have any lines, you might want to use a ruler to make sure everything is clean and tidy. |
Step 2: Prepare your Laminating Sheets
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When you purchase laminating sheets, they are essentially like stickers. You will need to remove the top layer to expose the adhesive side of the laminate. Be sure to do this part very carefully so that your laminate does not accidentally stick to you or any other surfaces. Also, make sure to grab the sheets by the edges so that you don’t leave behind any fingerprints. |
Step 3: Secure Your Cardstock to the Adhesive
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Since you already examined where you want everything to line up in Step 1, this part should be pretty easy. Simply place the cardstock where you want it to go on the adhesive (usually in the center of the sheet). Then, press down on one corner of the cardstock so that it can stick to the adhesive. Next, using your whole hand, press down and roll your hand along the length of the cardstock. This will press it against the laminate without causing bubbles. |
Step 4: Apply the Second Sheet
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Once the cardstock is attached to the first sheet, you will need to take out a second sheet, expose the adhesive, and gently press it down on top of the cardstock and first sheet. It is generally best to start at the corner and slowly set it down until both sheets line up perfectly. Now you just need to wait a few minutes for the adhesive to really set in. |
Step 5: Cut Off the Excess Laminate
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Finally, you just need to cut off the excess laminate along the edges of the cardstock. Be sure to press and roll out any bubbles before you do the cutting. But once you have cut it to your satisfaction, you’re all set! |
Cutting Laminated Cardstock On Cricut
If you have a cricut machine, you can also use it to cut laminated documents. Cricut cutting laminated cardstock is relatively easy, as long as your cardstock is not especially thick. If you’re unsure if your cricut machine can handle it, just check with the manufacturer.
Ready to laminate cardstock on your own? If so, be sure to check out our high-quality products on Fine Card Stock today, and let us know how you put our cardstock to good use!