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Why Should I Put UV Coating on My Trade Show Posters?
Should I laminate my trade show poster or just have it reprinted for each of the trade shows my firm is visiting? Such was the devil’s alternative that many business owners who needed a poster for an impending trade show used to face.
Neither of these choices is very good.
In “Printing and Design Tips,” Steve Waxman notes that laminating processes employ a type of plastic, and this plastic is made from petroleum. Printing processes that use petroleum release toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, thus damaging the environment. The chemicals used to clean the inks are similarly harmful.
Thus, lamination is not the way to go, even though it does make for a durable, high-quality trade show poster.
Reprinting a poster that is thrown away at the end of every trade show is another option. Reprinting avoids the petroleum-related environmental problems that come with lamination, however, reprinting has a few such problems of its own.
First, reprinting posters wastes paper. Wasting paper contributes to deforestation and increased use of fossil fuels in logging. Both of these things damage the environment. Yes, there’s recyclable paper available, but the energy and effort that it takes to print a new poster would be better spent elsewhere.
This means reprinting is no better an option than lamination. So what’s a socially responsible, would-be green business owner who still needs their trade show posters to do?
The answer is simple: get a poster printed using a UV coating print finishing process.
The durability of a UV coating means that one trade show poster can be reused many times, just as if it was laminated. This saves the paper that reprinting would waste.
UV coatings are scratch-resistant, add thickness to the paper, and make the colors pop much more dramatically, so it’s a much better option, graphic design-wise too.
Finally, since UV print finishing techniques take substantially less energy to produce than many other such processes, they help the environment in still a third way. The next time your firm needs trade show posters, do the earth (and yourself) a favor and get it UV coated!
Business Card Laminating Pouches
Whether you’re laminating business cards, customer loyalty cards or wallet cards, these business card sized laminating pouches (2 1/4″ x 3 3/4″) are perfect for the job.
How are they Used?
Just like any other laminating pouch, simply slip the business card or wallet card into the pouch, add a carrier cover if it’s needed and run it through the laminating machine. These pouches can be used with any brand of laminator and come in three different laminate thickness sizes (5 mil, 7 mil and 10 mil).
I use them at home for laminating important cards that I want to keep protected or intact or even laminating my business card for use as an ID. I just laminate it, strap it to my laptop bag and I’m good to go.
And How Much Does it Cost?
A box of 500 business card sized laminating pouches at Lloyd’s is $12.53. That price will decrease when you order higher quantities, dropping to just $10.02 per box when you order 20 or more.
For more information on our business card laminating pouches or to place an order, please visit the Lloyd’s website.
School Size Laminating Pouches and Supplies (2 1/2″ x 3 5/8″)
School size laminating pouches are designed to protect standard-sized school documents from everyday wear and tear and potential damage.
How are they Used?
Just like most of our laminating pouches, simply slip the appropriately-sized school document into the laminating pouch, add a carrier cover if it’s needed and run it through the laminator. These pouches can be used with any brand of laminating machine and come in three different laminate thickness sizes (5 mil, 7 mil and 10 mil). But before you purchase a thicker laminate, like the 10 mil option, make sure your laminating machine can handle it.
These pouches are crystal clear, simple to use and designed to protect important documents against UV light, moisture in the air, dirt and regular use.
And How Much Does it Cost?
A box of 500 school size laminating pouches at Lloyd’s is $9.98. As the size of your order increases, the price per box will decrease – dropping to just $7.98 per box when you order 20 or more.
For more information on our school sized laminating pouches and supplies, or to place an order, please visit the Lloyd’s website.
Drivers License Size Laminating Pouches (2 3/8″ x 3 5/8″)
Where there’s a standard-sized document, there’s a laminating pouch and while our driver’s license sized laminating pouches can be used for any standard ID card, they were originally designed for state licenses.
How are they Used?
Like most laminating pouches, simply take the ID card and insert it into the laminating pouch. If the laminating machine manufacture recommends using a cover carrier, use one, and then run the pouch package through the heated machine.
You can use our driver’s license size laminating pouches with any laminating machine. That said, you may want to check the laminate thickness threshold on the machine before you attempt to run our 10 mil laminate pouches through. The glossy pouches come in three different levels of laminate thickness – 5 mil, 7 mil and 10 mil.
And How Much Does it Cost?
A box of 500 driver’s license sized laminating pouches at Lloyd’s will set you back $9.43. That works out to just under $0.02 per pouch. Order 20 boxes at once and you’ll pay just $7.54, or $0.015 per pouch.
For more information on our driver’s license sized laminating pouches or to place an order, please visit the Lloyd’s of Indiana website.
Credit Card Laminating Pouches
These laminating pouches may be credit card sized, but that doesn’t make them credit card specific. You can use them for making wallet cards, IDs or customer loyalty cards for your business.
How is it Used?
Just like any other laminating pouch, simply slip the wallet card into the pouch, add a carrier cover if it’s needed and run it through the laminating machine. They can be used with any brand of laminator and come in 3 different laminate thicknesses (5 mil, 7 mil and 10 mil).
The lamination process will protect your wallet cards from UV light, wear and tear and possible water damage. This makes them an ideal protective coating for cards that are going to be used regularly. So, if you run a business where you’re giving loyalty cards to customers, do them a favor and laminate them.
And How Much Does it Cost?
A box of 500 credit card laminating pouches at Lloyd’s is just $7.98. Meanwhile, a pack of 25 at an office supply store will cost you anywhere from $10-$25, so this is a huge savings.
For more information on our credit card laminating pouches or to place an order, please visit the Lloyd’s website.