Lamination advice for spoke cards
 

I need to print and laminate 60-70 spoke cards for an alleycat. I can fit 6 on an 8.5x11 sheet o' paper, and am thinking that, to save money, I'll just laminate a sheet at a time (not individual cards) at Kinko's. If I do this, what is the best way to seal the edges of the card? I don't think I'd be able to with straight lamination, right (I'm cutting the cards out of the sheet)? Anyway, please help. Thank you kindly.

Typically you would want to trim them, then laminate. Otherwise, there isn't a seal on all the edges, and it will peel off. Your best bet would probably actually be to have them laminate on the roll laminator behind the counter. It's a little lighter, but should still hold up OK. The real expensive part is having them trim out the cards - you can do that yourself on the trimer in the self serve area.

What's better is if you can find someone that works the third shift there that's into bikes and will cut you a deal... Not sure if that's an option for you.

Well, I do have a connection for laminating at Kinko's. Not sure when he works though. So, if possible, should I cut the cards and have them laminated individually? How fragile will a card that is laminated in a sheet and then hand cut be?

It depends a little on the lamination used and the coverage, but you'd be pretty much assured that it would start peeling off the lamination after a few days, or the first rain. You want at least an eigth of an inch around all sides of the card for the best results.

what he said

what he said

OK, I'm looking for something better than that. Thanks for the help, I'll see what I can do.

Wut they sed....
To keep it weather proof it needs to be sealed all around. High millage lam sheets too....
A friend to ruff-cut the sheets with a box cutter, a cheepo guilitine cutter to final cut them
and a bottle of Old Crow would make short work of getting them trimmed out.

I think it's only like 75 cents a cut or something to get them to cut them all out at once, too. You might want that so they're all exactly the same size.

And ixnay on the guilitine (sp?) cutter - the sliding ones are a lot more accurate and neater. Plus less likely to chop off your fingers, expecially when the old crow is factored in.

^^^^ I was just thinking a lot of quick print places (including a few I worked :eek: )
cant take time to put the stuff on the sheet straight and you end up having to do them
one-at-a-time so the cheep and readily available guilitine would be an easy DIY.
I know I could guilitine 600 in quick time but yeah, if you arent used to using one, it could
get ugly :eek:

::::EDIT:::: %$$#@!!!! ME !! I just re-read...I dont knwo where my extra "0"
came from. 60 !! Big difference !!! Sorry ...please disregard previous drivel..
Yikes...I gotta get some sleep :cry:

isn't there a diy lamination process? i read about it in that one paper thingy crimethinc puts out. harbinger.

Do you mean just buying the sheets and ironing them? That's all I know about a DIY way.

If you don't mind them being a touch on the smaller side, you can get 3"x5" heat-seal pouches at OfficeMax, and design cards that are around 2.5"x4.5". When you cut them out, you can just center them in the pouches and seal them with a hot iron.

Hmm...And how much might these heat-seal pouches set me back? The cards are already pretty small.

ok. here you go. Find a kinkos that has a self serve lamination area. Go there and steal alot of laminate. It is not that hard now becasue they have made all their copiers self serve as well so if you go in make a few coopies and leave they will never suspect. Now you have the laminate, Trim the cards down from the original 8.5x11 to the size you want. get an iorn and set it on high. place the card in the laminate and put that into an minilla folder. iorn until it seals. This takes a little practice to get right but it will work. then cut out the card [edit]: scissors work fine. or you can go to target and get a laminator for 30 bucks. I just did after doing 53 cards and this new way, sans iorn, is great. And as far as weater proofness, once it is sealed you are good. I have been riding cards for about 9 months and they are still dry. Just make sure you leave enough of a boarder. All it is is putting paper between plastic and using heat to seal it together!