On occasion, customers will ask me, “I see a few lamination options available on your website in different thicknesses, but which one should I order for my printing program?” Well, there really is no right or wrong answer to that question.
A "mil" is defined as one one-thousandth of an inch of the actual thickness of a laminate. A 1.0 mil laminate is the thickest and provides the most protection for your ID card. A .6 mil is the next thickest and second most protective in the thickness line-up. Both the 1.0 and .6 mil laminates are referred to as a “patch laminate”. Like you might expect, it’s an actual patch that lies over the top of the card.
Patch laminate is the most protective form of lamination. It’s said that a laminated card is 15 times more durable than a non-laminated card. The thinnest, and least protective laminate is a .25 mil laminate. This form of laminate – a .25 mil – covers the entire surface of the card and will not leave a gap around the borders of the card like a 1.0 and .6 mil patch laminate will.
Some people like the added protection the thicker patch laminates offer and are willing to live with the tiny border gap around the edge of the card. Others prefer the 100% coverage of the card’s surface and are willing to live with the thin .25 mil laminate. No matter which laminate option you choose to help protect your ID cards, all of them are effective in adding surface protection for your ID card.
If you have questions about which laminate or patch laminate you should use for your organization’s ID card program, give an ID Professional a call at (800) 321-4405 today! The Difference Between .6 & 1.0 mil Patch Laminates
On occasion, customers will ask me, “I see a few lamination options available on your website in different thicknesses, but which one should I order for my printing program?” Well, there really is no right or wrong answer to that question.
A "mil" is defined as one one-thousandth of an inch of the actual thickness of a laminate. A 1.0 mil laminate is the thickest and provides the most protection for your ID card. A .6 mil is the next thickest and second most protective in the thickness line-up. Both the 1.0 and .6 mil laminates are referred to as a “patch laminate”. Like you might expect, it’s an actual patch that lies over the top of the card.
Patch laminate is the most protective form of lamination. It’s said that a laminated card is 15 times more durable than a non-laminated card. The thinnest, and least protective laminate is a .25 mil laminate. This form of laminate – a .25 mil – covers the entire surface of the card and will not leave a gap around the borders of the card like a 1.0 and .6 mil patch laminate will.
Some people like the added protection the thicker patch laminates offer and are willing to live with the tiny border gap around the edge of the card. Others prefer the 100% coverage of the card’s surface and are willing to live with the thin .25 mil laminate. No matter which laminate option you choose to help protect your ID cards, all of them are effective in adding surface protection for your ID card.
If you have questions about which laminate or patch laminate you should use for your organization’s ID card program, give an ID Professional a call at (800) 321-4405 today!