Lamination & Print Finishing: Matt, Gloss, Soft-Touch & Encapsulation

Lamination bonds a thin plastic film to printed sheets, transforming durability and feel. Lamination coats the printed faces; encapsulation seals the sheet inside plastic with a welded edge all round — fully wipeable and near-waterproof. Choosing between matt, gloss and soft-touch changes how a piece looks, feels and survives handling.

Matt vs gloss vs soft-touch

Finish	Look & feel	Best for
Gloss laminate	vivid, shiny, colour pops	photography-led covers, menus with food shots
Matt laminate	muted, premium, fingerprint-resistant	business cards, brochures, covers
Soft-touch (velvet)	suede-like, luxurious	premium cards, invitations, high-end brochures

Matt is the safe modern default; gloss when imagery sells; soft-touch when the piece itself is part of the pitch.

Lamination vs encapsulation

• Lamination: film on the faces, trimmed edges. Cards, covers, presentation pieces.
• Encapsulation: sealed border of plastic beyond the sheet edge. Daily-handled and wet-environment items — café menus, price lists, safety notices, kitchen documents, outdoor-adjacent signage.

If it gets wiped, splashed or handled dozens of times a day, encapsulate.

What's worth laminating (and what isn't)

Worth it: anything customer-facing that lives more than a week — menus, brochure covers, business cards, reusable price lists, training materials. Skip it: one-shot items like flyers for a single event or door drops, where the cost per unit matters more than longevity.

One caution: laminated sheets can't be written on with normal pens — if a form needs filling in, laminate the template areas only, or don't laminate.

Other finishing options

• Spot UV — gloss highlights on a matt base (logos that catch light)
• Foiling — metallic press for invitations and premium cards
• Rounded corners — cards and tags
• Creasing & folding — required on heavy stocks (250gsm+) so folds don't crack
• Binding — stapling for booklets, wiro/comb for reports and manuals

FAQs

Does lamination make print waterproof? Lamination resists moisture on the faces; encapsulation's sealed edge makes the piece effectively waterproof for indoor and sheltered use.

Why did my folded card crack along the fold? Heavy stock folded without creasing. Any fold on 250gsm+ should be creased first — the laminate then folds cleanly too.

Is lamination expensive? As a per-item add-on it's modest, and on items that would otherwise be reprinted (menus, price lists) it usually pays for itself in the first reprint avoided.

Can you laminate something I've already printed? Usually yes, subject to size and ink type — bring it in to Tacket Street or call 01473 933888 to check.