Reviewing the GBC Catena 35 Roll Laminator

A good roll laminator can offer you a way to
create professional-looking documents without a lot of effort. With
these devices, you can create signs, posters, trade show graphics, and
other large items. You can also laminate smaller documents. One of the
best roll laminators available is the GBC Catena 35. It does have a few
minor weaknesses, but they're not too bad. Therefore, let's see what
strengths the Catena 35 has to offer, as well as consider its
weaknesses.

Strengths:

• This is one of GBC's smaller roll laminators and this is
  reflected in its laminating width. The largest document you can process
  with it can be up to 12 inches wide.
• The Catena 35 is a great
  if you want to process your documents quickly. It has variable speeds
  and is capable of processing between 1.5 and 5 feet of material per
  minute. This machine would be perfect for large items such as posters
  and banners.
• With this machine, you can use varying
  thicknesses of laminating film from 3 to 10 mil. The 10 mil film is
  perfect if you'll be creating graphics and signage that will be placed
  outside or will be handled a fair bit.
• If you've ever wanted
  to work with mounting boards, you can do so with the Catena 35. It can
  accommodate boards that are up to 3/16” thick. There are adjustment
  handles that allow you to tweak the gap between the rollers, allowing
  you to process the boards.
• The Catena 35 is pretty easy to
  operate. It has an LCD display right up front so you can keep tracks of
  the machine's status (temperature, speed, ready status, etc.). There are
  even preset settings so you don't have to mess around with the machine
  if you don't want to.
• This laminator has silicone rollers and
  the heating element is made up out of an infrared coil which ensures
  the heat will be distributed evenly. There's also a cooling fan that not
  only cools down the machine, it helps your work remain smooth. This
  means everything you laminate will look fantastic.

Weaknesses:

• You can only use laminating film that has a 1” core.
  Rolls with larger cores are not compatible with this device.
• Since
  this is a roll laminator it will take up a fair amount of space. This
  particular unit's dimensions are 25” (width) x 13” (height) x 18”
  (depth). It will take up a fair amount of room on your work surface.
  Also, this machine weighs 55 pounds, so moving it might be challenging.
• The Catena 35 takes up to 10 minutes to warm up. This is a pretty
  long warm-up time for any laminator.

Sure, the GBC
Catena 35 has a few weaknesses, but overall, you couldn't do much better
when shopping for a roll laminator. Everything you laminate will look
great, the machine is easy to operate, and you get the results you want
in very little time. So if you need a high-quality roll laminator, look
no further than the Catena 35.