Question Help! Cold Laminator keeps wrinkling prints!

We had the same issue with a laminator and the problem was the top roller was warped. The pressure on the center was much more than the sides. If possible have a tech check the pressure across the rollers. If it was used primarily for mounting that could have been the cause of the warping. Check the manual as you may be able to adjust the rollers yourself.

 

Large format laminator rolls are supposed to be larger in the center. The correct term is crowned not warped. This helps push the air back and out. Here is the first article that I found talking about it.

 

It's hard to tell what the problem is without seeing it in action, but how you load the laminator and start your print can be a large part of your problem. If the problem happens within the first few feet, it's more than likely something your doing. If it builds slowly over time, it's probably the laminator.

If it starts quickly, add a foot of leader to your print. Start it normally, then when you get enough of a tab behind the laminator to grab onto (reaching in behind the top roller and under the laminate), raise the top roller and pull the laminated print a couple of inches and close it back down while maintaining tension. Works better with 2 people, but you can equalize/normalize the tension across the roll and typically fix feed issues.

 

Welcome to the group and to sign making!
Laminating can be tricky. Don't be too hard on yourself. I've been using a similar cold laminator for over 10 years, and still struggle from time to time.

Speed - go slow.

Tension - I adjust the tension each time I change the roll of laminate, and sometimes also during laminating. In general, I try to use the least amount of tension that I can get away with. When I'm changing rolls of laminate, before I web or attach the film, I release most of the tension, so that the laminate roll spins rather easily & freely. I then slowly increase the tension just until there is just a bit of resistance, and the roll can't free spin. Then I "web" or set-up the laminate. As a print goes through, if you see wrinkles forming in the laminate, especially wrinkles out on the sides/edges (in a "boat wake" pattern), increase the tension a little more. In most cases, wrinkles in the laminate indicate that some more tension is needed.

Getting started - Before I put a print through, I do something similar to what Jester1167 mentions above. I run a bit of lam through on its own (no print), until there is a few inches out the back for me to grab onto. I raise the roller, and tug/pull a few inches or even a foot of film out. You might have to put a bit of slack on the craft paper first if the roll is super heavy. This helps even the tension across the entire roller. I often do this in between prints to ensure a good start. It's handy if there is someone that can help lower the roller while you're pulling the laminate taut/tight.

Wrinkles and bubbles in the laminate is one thing, but if the print itself is wrinkling and creasing over onto itself...
- the issue might be with how you are sending the print in (perhaps to fast)
- this can also happen if the print hasn't had enough time to dry or has too heavy of an ink load (make sure it appears smooth & flat before laminating...no buckles or wavy areas)

The type of laminate you are using plays a role too. The thickness/thin-ness of the films will have an impact. Years ago, I started off with Avery laminates, and my results were hit & miss. I switched to Oraguard laminates for a few years and had good results. Now I mostly use 3M laminates and find that they are more forgiving and yield great results (but I still have trouble with the cast gloss #8518).

Good luck and let us know how you make out!

 

No, not with the backing still on. But I think I see the problem. If you put the laminate through by itself (without the backing), it gets stuck to the rollers. It's because you don't a have a roll of craft paper to act as the "carrier". I'm not sure if the laminator you have can accept a roll of craft paper, but here's a photo of mine. The craft paper goes on the bottom, Laminate film in the centre, and liner paper take-up reel on top. The craft paper acts as a carrier sheet to prevent the laminate from getting stuck on the rollers (and for when you have prints that are smaller than the width of the laminate film).

If you can't use craft paper (based on the photo in the link you gave, I don't think your laminator is designed for this), you could try using a thin sheet of coroplast or sintra, or even a sheet of cardboard would work as the carrier. Just make sure whatever you use doesn't have sharp edges that could cut or gouge the rollers.

 

Using the liner/backing paper from the laminate as your "sheet underneath" is better than nothing, but because it's so thin and flexible, it might be causing you some trouble. Something stiffer and rigid, like cardboard, coroplast, sintra, or polystyrene might be better. If you need to, you can use masking tape to attach the vinyl print onto the cardboard before you send it through to help keep it in place. In the laminating world, these stiff carriers are called "sleds".

https://signs101.com/threads/laminator-sled-material.58168/

This isn't quite exactly the same as how our laminators work, but here's a video that shows the concept of the sled. You can place or attach the print onto the sled, and then send it through.

 

Lots of people forgo the kraft paper and use scrap vinyl between prints, or leave longer tails and leading edges on their prints to keep the laminate from sticking to the bed or rollers. I have used both and they both work fine. The kraft paper is really cheap if you buy it in bulk and guarantees you can laminate by yourself even if it walks slightly. It's my preferred method. You can also use the paper to wrap up your prints for shipping or transport, but you end up making a lot more waste...