If you are getting into printing UV DTF stickers, you have probably seen that the desktop UV printers all have their own laminator you can buy. And they are not cheap.
The question I keep getting is whether the laminator you already own will work. I put both my cheap Amazon laminator and a cold laminator I had to the test to see if we could save you some money!
Do You Need the Expensive UV DTF Laminator?
Before we get into it - I have the Eufymake E1 and the Eufymake laminator ($399). I've used them in combination to make stickers in the past. It works great.
The laminator has a roll of laminate in it so you just put the printed sticker in, it's automatically fed through, and you get a finished UV DTF sticker.
But with the launch of the xTool Omni UV I keep getting asked if the $400+ laminator is really needed or if a cheaper one will work. For making UV DTF stickers, the Omni laminator will work the same way as the Eufymake laminator with one big exception - it has the ability to also hook up inline with the Omni UV Printer. When paired with the roll feeder you can have a completely automated UV DTF sticker printing system. The laminator and roll feeder combination cost close to $900.
Keep those prices and features in mind as we go through this.
Testing Cheap UV DTF Laminators
I put both the $20 Amazon laminator that I've used for years and the 14" cold laminator I bought a few years ago to the test. The cold laminator I got off Amazon but it was a more expensive - about $129. Still a big savings over the manufacturer laminators.
I wanted to be able to answer the questions: "does hot vs cold matter?" and "does any laminator really work?"
I printed two of the same UV DTF sticker designs on my Eufymake E1 (at the time of this publishing, I don't yet have the Omni set up in my office). They were printed on UV DTF A film. That's the adhesive film needed for uv stickers.
I had this generic roll of blue UV DTF B film (that's the laminate) in my craft room. There's no branding on it but B film for UV DTF stickers is all pretty much the same.
I placed each of the stickers facedown on the laminate.
Then cut the laminate off the roll close to the size of the sticker sheet. This is actually one of the huge benefits of laminating this way - you significantly limit the waste.
I ran one through the hot laminator at 3mm thickness. (This is a different sticker design because I forgot to take a photo of the basketball sticker going through the hot laminator.)
I ran the other through the cold laminator a few times.
Laminating UV DTF is just pressing your A and B film together, and the film is exactly the same no matter which laminator you use. So a basic laminator hot or cold - it turns out - can do the job!
Both stickers easily lifted off the A sheet and were applied to the tumbler.
I put one on each side of the same tumbler.
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And since I know you'll ask - this tumbler has been in my dishwasher on daily cycles for weeks and the stickers are holding up just perfectly.
Pros and Cons of Using a Cheap Laminator
Aside from the cost savings, one of the biggest benefits of using one of these more inexpensive laminators is that they don't laminate off a roll of material. Instead you place the laminate on your sticker before sending it through. This gives you a huge amount of control over how much laminate you're using.
Both the Eufymake and Omni laminators use a roll of laminate and the full width is used regardless of how large or small the UV DTF sticker is. So a 5" sticker will waste a good amount of laminate.
A few downsides to going the money-savings route - only the Omni laminator can be hooked up to that UV printer for an automated setup. If you are cranking out stickers, you are not standing there feeding each one through by hand. It just runs. That is a big benefit if you are running a sticker business at any kind of volume. Just be aware you'll need the roll feeder too - and together those are an investment, but for a business they may be well worth it.
The Omni laminator also has a large adjustable clearance allowing it to take thicker materials like 8mm acrylic for foiling.
Also the cheap hot laminator kind of melted the excess laminate around the sticker.
It does not hurt the sticker itself, and it is not any different from what my eufyMake laminator does (see the photo above with the sloth sticker), so it is normal. But if you're sending a sticker to a customer, you'll probably want to trim that excess off with a paper trimmer first. The cold laminator did not do that.
So the trade off is basically convenience versus cost. If you are making stickers here and there, the laminator you already own is going to be fine and you can save yourself hundreds of dollars. If you are running volume and your time is worth more than the price difference, the in line setup is worth looking at.
Watch Me Test Both on Youtube
I put both to the test on real stickers so you can see exactly how they come out over on my Youtube channel.
Shopping List for UV DTF Stickers
No matter which laminator you use, you still need your A and B film. That part does not change.
- A and B film for UV DTF stickers: Shop here
- Cheap Amazon hot laminator (mine is so old it's discontinued, but this one will work): Shop here
- The cold laminator I used: Shop here
- Desktop UV Printers: Shop here
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine!
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