Tips & Tricks - The X Test
This Tips and Tricks video details how to perform and X-Test on a laminated piece to check for proper film adhesion. Thermal roll lamination film can very and include standard (homo-polymer), low-melt (co-polymer), digital and extra bond. Standard films work best with uncoated stocks printed with text or primarily text and some full color images. Low melt films are better suited for prints with more color coverage and may work with some coated films. Digital films are typically meant for wide format full color prints and activate at a lower temperature than standard or low-melt films. In some instances, extra bond film is needed. Extra bond film is specially formulated for full color prints produced on color copiers/digital color presses that utilize fuser oil or wax based particles to adhere the toner to the paper. Xerox EA (emulsion aggregation) toner is produced using the Emulsion Aggregation method, in which resin, pigment, and wax particles are aggregated to form toner particle in wet process. It was created to correct problems that could be caused by fuser oil, but did not eliminate issues with laminating color prints with heavy-coverage or full color.
Most pouch lamination film is produced using low-melt films. Lamination pouches work for most prints. However, full color prints with EA toner and coated photo papers may result in lamination failure. The coatings can prevent adhesives from getting into the fibers of the paper resulting in bubbles or lamination separating from the print.