William Lipovsky
With the rise of digital record keeping, fewer people own laminating machines. The digital age is convenient and helps cut down on waste, but there are still times when you may need to laminate something. Fortunately, several stores have lamination machines and will laminate your documents and projects for a fee. Alternatively, you can try laminating at home, either with your own lamination machine or a do-it-yourself option using some household items. Below, we explain where you can get something laminated as well as how to do it yourself.
What We Recommend
When you have frequent lamination projects, an economical option is to buy your own laminating machine and thermal plastic pouches so you can do the work yourself from the comfort of your own home, without having to make a trip every time you need to laminate something. You can also try a DIY lamination option, though you will still need to buy the plastic pouches.
If you have a large number of documents or projects that are unusually shaped, you may need to get them professionally laminated, and the most affordable options with nationwide availability and same-day turnaround times are Staples, FedEx, and Office Depot/OfficeMax stores.
The List
The following stores offer lamination services for a fee. We’ve ordered the list below starting with the most budget-friendly options and those with the most nationwide availability.
Staples
- Service offered: Lamination of documents ranging from letter size to large format up to 24″ x 36″[1]
- Turnaround time: Lamination can be done the same day if you arrive before 2 p.m.; it will be completed the next day if you arrive after 2 p.m. unless you pay a rush fee of 30% of the laminating costs to have it completed the same day.[1]
- Price range: Starting just below $2; varies by location and thickness of lamination[2][1]
- Find a Staples
FedEx Office
- Service offered: Lamination of papers and posters up to 36″ x 48″[3][4]
- Turnaround time: Lamination can usually be done the same day, but you may want to come back the next day depending on how many projects are in the store’s queue.[3]
- Price range: Typically $1.99 for 8.5″ x 11″ and $3.99 for 11″ x 27″, and $3 per square foot for oversized projects[5]
- Find a FedEx
Office Depot/OfficeMax
- Service offered: Lamination of documents ranging from letter size to large format.[6]
- Turnaround time: Same-day pick-up is available for orders placed in-store or online before 2 p.m.; this is only available for orders of 15 documents or less.[6]
- Price range: For letter size and legal size, prices start at $2.49 a sheet; for ledger size, prices start at $3.49 per sheet; for 16″ x 20″ and 18″ x 24″, prices start at $5; for 24″ x 36″ and above, the price is $10.[7]
- Find an Office Depot or OfficeMax
Minuteman Press
- Service offered: Lamination of documents ranging from letter size to large format[8]
- Turnaround time: Choices range from the same day to four business days. The option you choose affects the price.[9][10]
- Price range: Standard 8.5″ x 11″ sheets with 3 mil lamination thickness cost $0.99 to be completed within two to four business days and $1.44 to be completed the same day.[9] Prices for larger format lamination begin at $40.[10]
- Find a MinuteMan Press
The UPS Store
- Service offered: Lamination of documents ranging from letter size to large format[11]
- Turnaround time: Same-day lamination is available.[11]
- Price range: 8.5″ x 11″ page is typically $1.95[12]
- Find a UPS Store
Local Teacher Supply Stores
Note: This is a type of store that you can usually find somewhere nearby. They often have lamination services, but you should check your local store’s website or call to confirm.
- Service offered: Lamination of documents ranging from letter size to large format
- Turnaround time: Varies; contact a local store for turnaround times and service options
- Price range: Most are reasonably priced, and start at just $0.50/square foot.
- Find a store using a Google search for “teacher supply store near me.”
Laminating at Home
With a Laminator
If you need to laminate things frequently or only have large or uniquely shaped documents, a home laminating system might be right for you. Homeschoolers, teachers, and business owners will often find it useful to own a laminating machine. You may need to laminate signs that are posted around an office or factory, restaurant menus, nametags, or directional signs for conferences. Home use of lamination can include making placemats that are easy to clean, preserving a child’s artwork or school projects, creating a chore chart that functions as a dry-erase board, or protecting learning materials that are used often or by many different children.
You can find tabletop laminators starting at around $30 on Amazon, while more complex machines can cost more than $1,000. The larger the machine, the more expensive it will be.
Also, keep in mind that you’ll need to buy plastic laminating page pockets to operate the machine. These supplies will increase the cost of laminating. You can find laminating sheets for about $15 per pack of 100 on Amazon, but prices will vary depending on how thick you want the lamination to be.
Without a Laminator
If you want to laminate at home but don’t want to invest in a machine, there’s an easy way to do a DIY lamination project. You’ll still need to buy the thermal laminating pouches used in home laminating machines. Simply place your item in the pouch and put it on an ironing board. Put an old towel or cloth over the page and run a hot iron (no steam) over the towel to laminate the page. You’ll want to spend a few minutes doing this and make sure to get the corners. Once completed, your documents should be fully sealed as if they had passed through a laminator.
For step-by-step instructions about this method and other home lamination methods, see the video below:
