What is curling?
Some types of film laminating material on some types of paper will stretch when heated and contract while cooling. When this happens, the film will draw up causing the printed sheet to curl. A skilled operator will control the curl and will know how much curl is acceptable. In some cases, depending on the application, curl may even be desirable, depending on the final application.
Like its landlocked cousin, golf, the origins of the sport of curling are murky with both the countries of Holland and Scotland claiming birthrights. Scotland stakes its creationist laurels on the oldest known curling stone with the date 1511 inscribed on its surface. The best evidence trotted out by the Dutch, who popularized ice skating and would seem to have an historical pedigree when it came to games played on the ice, is a painting from the mid-16th century by the Flemish painter Pieter Breughel. The canvas depicts a spirited game of curling on a frozen city canal, replete with curling stones and broom-wielding players. Regardless of its rudimentary beginnings, contemporary curling is a gift of Scotland. The sweeping of stones worn smooth from the scraping of the North Sea across frozen lochs was an established Scottish game by the 1600s and the modern version of curling was a national mania by the 1800s. In 1838 the Royal Caledonian Curling Club (originally called the Grand Cale
Curling is quite easily noticeable. The print is not flat. When the image exits the back of the laminator the image will “curl” either upwards towards the top of the laminator or downwards towards the bottom of the laminator. The cause for curling is “brake” or tension applied to the roll of material. Upward curl implies too much brake on your top roll of material, Downward curl implies too much “brake” on the bottom roll of material. Reduce the amount of brake on the proper roll of material and the “curl” is reduced and eliminated.
