High gloss coating is what you’re used to on most of the folders you buy at the store. It’s shiny and helps protect the ink from getting scratched. It doesn’t add much durability to the folders, and it’s very difficult to write on—even with a marker, which might smudge and take a long time to dry. But high gloss coating is economical and works well for a standard general-use folder.

High gloss lamination is thicker than high gloss coating, so it adds a certain level of durability to the folders. High gloss lamination can also be written on with a marker, but it’s difficult to write on it with a pen. It’s also shiny, which can make reading what’s written on it difficult.

Unlike the high gloss options, soft touch lamination can be written on with either a marker or ball-point pen, and like high gloss lamination, it’s thick enough to add some durability to your folders. It also has a matte finish, which makes the folders easier to read. It’s similar to the soft matte finish you find on many paperback books these days, except that soft touch lamination is thicker. It’s also not entirely clear, so it does tend to mute ink colors ever so slightly.