Laminating

[Tdvsko]

Will laminating paper with notes on keep them long term?

How many years will laminated paper last once done is it a good way to protect notes long term?

I am wanting to protect my notes by the best method so they last as long as possible. If you have any other suggestions I would be very interested in knowing.

[Luci_ferson]

Laminating them will definitely make sure that they last longer.
if they are laminated using the heat seal pouches and a hot laminator, they are usually pretty much waterproof.
I used to laminate my maps before going orienteering.
much easier to wipe dirt from a laminated map.

not sure about notes though. since notes you usually want to make additions or changes too. its not easy to do that once laminated.

[Binnie]

If its run through a laminating machine, and sealed all the way round, they should last a very long time.

the home laminating sticky pockets are ok, but they tend to split at the corners.

it might be better getting ziplock bags the same size as your notes?

Oh, PS, laminated paper doesnt take too kindly to being folded, long term it cracks at the folds

[Luci_ferson]

zip lock bags are great.

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cheap too

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slightly not as good as laminating them. but you have the advantage of being able to re access your notes and adjust them
that is a great advantage in itself.

[Tarrel]

Laminating will definitely protect the notes from damage, contamination, etc. I have some notices around our woodland which I printed and laminated five years ago. They've been out in all weathers, 365 days a year, and still look fine.

As for long-term longevity, that might be a different matter. I'm a photographer and, as such, always concerned with the archive-value of prints (ink-jet in this case). The big enemy is acid, as printed material kept in an acidic environment will fade. Photographers use acid-free archival storage for prints. Is a laminating pouch acid-free? Who knows! (But we're talking decades here before there's a problem).

Laminating hundreds of pages of notes would be a time-consuming, expensive task. In this case the zip-lock bags might be a better idea, as you could put an entire stapled document in one bag.

[Highlander]

I think laminated printed matter might be ok if kept in the dark, but certainly not if kept in the light, as they do fade, and quiet quickly, I have laminated signs on my gate, because of my German Shepherds, and they fade within a couple of months, and need new ones printed/laminated

[Tdvsko]

Thank you for the information I will get zip lock bags for my notes.

[Skean Dhude]

I use lamination to seal my notes. As I don't keep them in the light it isn't an issue and I have some laminated notes from more than a decade ago. I've only had problems with corners splitting when I started and didn't laminate them right. They need to be hot and when you do one or two I didn't wait long enough. Now my new laminator has a ready light I don't suffer from split corners.

They don't bend well though. They can roll but I keep mine flat in a folder.

[Hrusai]

storing paper is like storing anything, keep it away from light, air and moisture, so any small air and water tight bag enclosing paper should protect it well, long as theres not much air in the bag with the paper, and the sealed paper is stored in an opaque box