Whether they’re used as promotional giveaways, advertising on vehicles, or gifts for friends and family, magnets have become a popular way of sharing favorite photographs, brand messaging, contact information, and more. Despite their popularity, making custom magnets has typically been a time-consuming, multi-step process that made creating small runs of professional-looking magnets an unrealistic prospect for most businesses. To make custom magnet production faster, easier, and more cost-effective, MagnetPouch has introduced an innovative series of products that eliminates the challenges faced by many previous production methods.
MagnetPouch magnetic laminating pouches combine every aspect of custom magnet production into one easy process that requires only a pouch laminator. Each magnet pouch is made up of two layers – a high-clarity, 3 mil, thermal laminating film layer (available in soft-touch matte or gloss finish) and a thin, high-strength magnet layer that is coated with an aggessive, thermally-activated adhesive. To create a magnet, the printed artwork is placed between the laminating film layer and the magnet layer, then the pouch is fed through the pre-heated pouch laminator. Below is a guide to creating magnets with magnet pouches:
- Preheat your pouch laminator. We recommend using a laminator that has six or more rollers for best results. While you may be able to make magnets using a laminating machine with fewer rollers, it may require multiple passes through the machine in order to fully activate both adhesive layers. The optimum temperature will vary depending upon the thickness of the stock that is being used in your magnet. For lightweight stocks (5-7 pt), set the temperature to 230-250 deg F. For cardstock, set the temperature to 250-270 deg F.
- Insert your document into the magnet pouch, aligning it as desired. Multiple smaller pieces of paper can be placed side-by-side into a single pouch, however fine wrinkles may occur during lamination.
- Place the pouch into a carrier sheet. Always use magnetic pouches with a carrier sheet to protect your laminator from potential damage.
- Insert the carrier sheet into the laminator, ensuring that a slow laminating speed setting is selected.
- Remove the magnet from the carrier as soon as it exits the laminator. Place the magnet onto a flat surface to allow it to cool.
- Trim as desired. Note: To create a borderless (or “flush-cut”) magnet that is water-resistant, you will need to print your artwork onto synthetic paper. Contact us for specific recommendations on which variety is best suited to your project.
MagnetPouches magnetic laminating pouches are available in a range of sizes, including photo, letter, and car magnet.