Lamination is the process of using heat and pressure to apply a laminate over the surface of a plastic ID card to protect the printed image, text, and graphics from everyday wear and fading.  An overlaminate provides maximum durability and protection from abrasion, color fading and dye-migration. 

Laminating ID card printers have the ability to print and laminate secure and durable photo IDs in a a single pass.  Once an ID card or badge is printed it advances to the lamination stage where a clear or holographic overlaminate is applied.  Holographic overlaminates are either standard images that come with a specific printer model, or they can be customized with a company logo.  Holographic overlaminates add another level of security that make them more difficult to counterfeit.

Adding lamination to an ID card program can provide benefits for a number of different industries:

Airports and Port Authorities - Lamination protects the ID cards of baggage or cargo handlers from damage due to exposure to harsh sun and rain.

Universities - Students use their student ID cards throughout the day for a number of functions from checking out books at the library to paying for meals in the cafeteria.  Lamination helps cards hold up to frequent use.

Government - Adding holographic overlaminates provides another layer of security and makes it easier to verify the authenticity of government ID cards in high-security environments.

Military - Custom-sized overlaminates protect cards with embedded electronics such as smart chips and fortify officer badges that are displayed and used daily.