Tutorial: How To Laminate DIY Book Covers [VIDEO]
Creating laminated covers for your DIY bookbinding projects requires nothing more than an inexpensive hot laminating machine and a simple trick to keep the laminate only on one side of the paper. The process involves creating covers two at a time.
I have tried a number of options for creating a laminated book cover over the years. My first option was using a sprayed-on coating. This was very messy and smelled bad. The results were okay, but they didn’t provide the professional look I was after. Next I tried cold laminating film. This was very fiddly to work with and the laminate started to separate from the paper almost immediately. After I invested a few dollars to purchase a hot laminating machine (they are very inexpensive these days) I would never bother with another technique.
Products Used In Tutorial:
Do you know a better technique for laminating covers or a suggestion for a future tutorial? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!
How To Create Paperback Book Covers For Your Self-Published Books | DIY Bookbinding
February 2, 2018 @ 9:37 pm
[…] out this new revised tutorial on Heat Laminating Book Covers – a BIG […]
September 28, 2020 @ 1:01 pm
We have one laminator for a school that has PreK – 8th grade. No one is exactly sure how old it is, just that’s its an archaic dinosaur. It is difficult to use – changing rolls is beyond troublesome; heating up takes forever, etc. We desperately need a new laminator!
October 8, 2020 @ 8:26 pm
Large roll laminators are tricky beasts. I have access to one at work, but never use it because of the effort involved. It takes forever to heat up (you are 100% right about that) and you have to be very careful to set the correct temp based on the film you are using. It also tends to jam very easily. If you aren’t careful the outfeed curls under the unit and feeds back into the lower film roll and then you have to cut everything out and re-thread the film – that is another difficult task. Beyond the inconveniences, the unit is huge, heavy, and requires a lot of workspace.
If you have lots of laminating to do, or need to laminate very large surfaces, these beasts are worth the effort and cost. But, I was very happy to find an affordable pouch laminator that works with tabloid size paper. It cost a fraction of the price for the big roll units and handles everything I need to do.
May 21, 2022 @ 1:41 pm
What is that tool you were creasing with? Where can I find one?
March 15, 2023 @ 3:23 am
I use a bone folder to crease the paper. It’s a great little tool – I have a couple of them!