Where to Get Something Laminated: 7 Laminating Services Listed

With the rise of digital record keeping, fewer people own laminating machines. The digital age is extremely 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^[1]
• Turnaround time: Lamination often can 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.^[1]
• Price range: Starting just below $2, and up to $2 per square foot^[2]
• Find a Staples

FedEx Office

• Service offered: Lamination of papers and posters up to 36″ x 48″^[3]
• 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^[4]
• Find a FedEx

Office Depot/OfficeMax

• Service offered: Lamination of documents ranging from letter size to large format.^[5]
• Turnaround time: Stores can laminate while you wait, or you can pick up your project the same day or the next day depending on the number of projects in front of yours.^[5]
• Price range: Starting at $0.49 per page; a standard 8.5″ x 11″ sheet typically costs $1.99 to laminate.^[6] Contact your local store for pricing on other sizes.
• Find an Office Depot or OfficeMax

Minuteman Press

• Service offered: Lamination of documents ranging from letter size to large format^[7]
• Turnaround time: Smaller pieces in standard sizes (8.5″ x 11″ and 11″ x 7″) are available for same-day lamination. Larger sizes take two days to complete.^[7]
• Price range: Standard 8.5″ x 11″ sheets is $2.50 each. Prices are reduced as quantity increases. If your project isn’t a standard size, it will probably expensive to laminate unless you have a very large quantity (prices may be as much as $9/square foot). At Minuteman, a better option for oddly sized papers or documents is to print posters directly onto plastic.^[8]
• Find a MinuteMan Press

The UPS Store

• Service offered: Lamination of documents ranging in sizes. Some stores may offer larger sizes, but others only have a machine that can accommodate letter-sized documents and smaller.^[9]
• Turnaround time: Same-day lamination is available. The process takes about 10 minutes per page.^[10]
• Price range: 8.5″ x 11″ page is $3.50^[10]
• 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.

How to Laminate at Home 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: