These instructions are adaptable to any PDA. The handheld market benefits the most I think since they have no screen protectors available commercially and these sheets will fit them great.

Use a product called LaminateIt! by GBC. I found some at my local Office Depot for $7.99 that has ten 8-1/2 by 11 inch sheets available online at OfficeDepot Item# 953053.

Use any of the alternative materials listed below in lieu of LaminateIt! based on your preference of adhesion properties, stylus feel and availability of material.

Alternative Materials

Avery Self-Adhesive Laminating Sheets I have found to be excellent. They don't distort the screen at all and the strong adhesive doesn't remain on the screen when it is time to replace it. A side benefit is it has a nice glossy finish to it so when the unit is off you can actually use it as a mirror. Your use will vary based on how much scribbling you do. You will also need some scissors for this project, a Fiskars Paper Trimmer from Wal-Mart works for making perfectly straight and perpendicular cuts on the laminate sheets. Much faster and far better than scissors.

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Step 1: To help me in marking the laminate sheets for cutting I designed a simple Screen Protector Template in MSWord. I tried printing directly to the backing of the laminate sheet but it is "waxy" and the ink-jet ink would not dry. [UPDATE Tip: If you use the Window Decal as your material of choice you can print directly on the sheet.] Printing out the document will reveal 9 pre-measured Casio sized screens. Lay the Template over the top of a sheet of the laminate.

Align the template so that the top and left edge of the laminate is matching up on the lines. This will minimize the amount of cutting needed and will take advantage of existing straight edges of the sheet. I used a simple pushpin to punch through the template page and into the laminate at each of the corner boxes. You can then use a straight edge to "connect the dots" and cut with an Utility knife or draw lines to cut with scissors. Since I have the Paper Trimmer I didn't have to punch pin holes but instead just simply marking the laminate with an Ultra Fine Point Sharpie at each of the box corners would work. You can actually place the Template under the LaminateIt and barely see-through where to place your marks.

Step 2: When using the Paper Trimmer I found it very helpful to have the backing side down . It seem to make a much cleaner cut when I tried it that way. It only takes a couple minutes to completely trim a sheet into all 9 screen protectors. You can test the exactness of your final cuts by simply placing them on top of the screen. They should fit fully inside the screen without any overlap onto the case.

Pull back the clear laminate and cut about 1/2 inch off the top edge of the screen protector backing. This will help you position the protector properly without to much trouble of it adhering prematurely. LaminateIt! instructions suggest you simply fold back the 1/2 inch. This is a good time to cut a tiny notch out of one of the corners to allow for easier removal later. [UPDATE Tip: Holding the corner of the sheet between your thumb and forefinger as seen in the picture allows this corner to pull up easier for later removal due to fingerprint oils or bending up a portion of the corner will leave a tiny "pull tab" for later removal too.] It is important to have clean hands and LCD screen before putting on the protector. Any fingerprints or dirt that is trapped underneath will show. According to the Casio Hardware Manual never use thinner, benzene, cosmetics, or other volatile agents to clean the the screen ! Use a soft cloth moistened with a weak solution of water and mild neutral detergent.

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Step 3: Do not touch the adhesive under the laminate or your fingerprint will remain. Carefully align the protector by positioning it along the left edge of the screen then allow it to make contact along the top. [UPDATE Tip: Try putting down the bottom edge first making sure its straight then slowly put down the protector from the back to the front allowing the adhesive to make contact last.] Lift up the sheet and begin to peel off the backing slowly as you simultaneously use the credit card as a make shift squeegee. This is the real key to making a good application. Do this in one constant motion by slowly pressing the laminate sheet onto the screen using the credit card to apply the laminate. If the laminate sheet makes contact with the screen before the credit card has a chance to press it on the screen you will have air bubbles. If you start, stop, start, stop when you are applying instead of one constant fluid motion you may see light lines across the screen where you stopped. It is a lot easier than it sounds but it does take some practice to get the knack of it. Don't worry about a lot of these minor imperfections when applying because either they go away with use or you don't even notice it when the screen is turned on. After only one try I was able to make a perfect application without any bubbles and with correct alignment. After the protector is in place use the edge of the credit card to seal around the screen.

Comments: The whole project takes only minutes and it is so easy to do. It's well worth the time as it protects your hard earned investment to keep your screen looking as new as the day you got it

I bought a Palm Vx a couple of weeks ago and, after incurring the first couple of small scratches, knew that I needed to get some type of screen protection. I purchased the WriteRight screen protectors (Concept Kitchen), but found them, among other things, to be expensive and, when applied to my Palm, extremely difficult to look through.

Today, I purchased the Avery self-adhesive laminating sheets. I easily made a template from the WriteRight that I took off the screen, and made my first set of homemade screen protectors. After a couple of tries, I discovered that by using a thin lens cleaning cloth (purchased at the local camera store) folded over the "squegee" edge of my creditcard, I was able to remove most every imperfection (airbubbles, etc.) under the protector. It resulted in a level of clarity that was substantially better than using just the creditcard alone to apply the protector.

If your screen ever stops responding to touches, check to see if there is any dirt or a stuck screen protector between the housing and the screen on the edges. This will cause the screen to be permanently touched in this area so it won't respond to actions of the stylus pen. Editor's note: Use a stiff piece of transparency or card to slide under and around the frame to remove any dirt that has accumulated as part of your screen cleaning before installing the protector. A 50/50 mix of vinegar and water on a cloth will remove left over adhesive residue with a little patience. Do not use any ammonia based cleaner like Windex.

If you have any comments or questions I would be happy to respond. Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions to help others with this.

On Palm devices due to the low backlighting level of the screen the LaminateIt! provides a much better looking protector since it applies with better clarity. I would recommend the LaminateIt product for Palm for this reason.

This product has a mild adhesive that's easily removable. It is available at Staples Item #852378 ($7.99 per 5 sheets or $0.18 per protector). The local Office Depot doesn't carry the Xerox product but I got Avery Window Decals Item #7278203276 ($8.99 for 6 sheets or $0.17 per protector) instead.. It appears that the Xerox and the Avery decal products are identical in every way which probably means they really are made by the same supplier, it is just being marketed by the different companies. I used my inkjet printer and printed on the decal backing but I needed to allow it to dry overnight. I have tried the Avery Window Decal now for a couple days and I have found the surface is not as glossy nor as soft as LaminateIt! It's not bad and I like it. The good news is you are able to reposition or remove the sheet very easily since the adhesive is very light. I wouldn't recommend repositioning however once applied due to increased air bubble formation. The plastic itself is stiffer and appears to be much more scratch resistant than LaminateIt!. The not so good news is it is a little tricky to apply a bubble free application due to the light adhesive and stiff plastic. It took a couple tries for me to get a nice looking job and even then it had a couple bubbles that I ended up smoothing out with the credit card and stylus. Using a blow dryer on the protector before application helps with minimizing the air bubbles. I am very impressed thus far with the scratch resistance performance. The couple extra minutes application time to get it right with this product rewards you with a longer lasting protector than LaminateIt!. Please note a potential problem with using window decals if it comes in contact with moisture. There is a thin water soluble coating on the printing surface side of the plastic that allows for ink jet ink to adhere to. Any moisture will smear this coating which in effect distorts the screen.

You can expose the screen protector to hot water vapor and after that cleane it with a piece of cloth. Apparently this really cleans the protector and its surface is very very smooth and works great. Using hot water is easier than using steam.

Avery Self-Adhesive Laminating Sheets Item #7771173602 ($1.39 for two 9"x12" sheets or $0.06 per protector) compare to LaminateIt!. The larger ten pack at OfficeDepot SKU#467142. I think that LaminateIt! has definitely found its match. I found it equal in all respects with a slightly softer feel to it when stylus writing. The adhesive on the sheets I bought provided a bubble free application with a milder adhesive quality when compared to LaminateIt. It is more difficult to apply than LaminateIt because of the softer material but I finally did get satisfactory results after a few tries. The protector removed without many problems of residue being left behind. If any adhesive stays behind A 50/50 mix of vinegar and water on a cloth will remove left over adhesive residue. Do not use any ammonia based cleaner like Windex which can harm plastic over time. Thanks to Ryan Clayton for this update! I also appreciated the convenient package size of only 2 sheets. Here's a tip to remember about the Avery sheets; on the backing there is a small 1/2" pre-cut strip labeled "Peel Off Here". Don't use this end of the sheet because the pre-cut score line showed through on my protector. The plastic is not as hard as the Decal product.

Another source for Laminating Sheets , Wal-Mart. I haven't tried these yet but what value. $3.97

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Set of 10 clear, heavyweight laminating 9x12 inch sheets

Vendor Stock # : 43190 UPC: 0008961243190

K&M Laminating Sheets. I got it from Office Depot Item Number 7771173605.

Note: I haven't tried the JM product or K&M products yet so I don't know their qualities compared to the others. Please email me with any details good or bad about any products you try so I can post it for others to know.

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A super alternative material to use that lasts much longer than standard transparencies., exposed XRay film.

Avery Sheet Protectors STM-5 #74300 ($1.99 per 5 page or $0.02 per protector)

PV119 Heavyweight Sheet Protectors that are 4mils.

Avery Trading Card Pages Item #TCP76016 ($1.99 per 10 pack or $0.01 per protector) are identical in material as the Heavyweight Sheet Protector the exception being they have manufacturer seams for holding 9 sets of collection cards. This material has better qualities than overhead transparencies because it is more pliable and will allow you to bend it as needed to slip it under the frame without causing a kink in the plastic. I found this type of protector still moves slightly with writing but at least the dirt wasn't as able to work its' way under the protector.

Avery Super Heavyweight (5.0 mils) Sheet Protector, number PVH119, 74129, Diamond Clear. It is as easy to cut as its thinner brother, 3.3 mils. However, it seems to hold up better and longer. In fact, it seems to have the same scratch-resistance qualities of the WriteRight screen protectors. The 15 sheet pack is about $4.99 at Office Max.

My personal preference is still with the adhesive style because it simply stays still when I write and there is no chance of dirt getting underneath the protector.

Anybody else tried material other than LaminateIt! that they are happy or unhappy with? Other material tips include clear vinyl storm window sheeting and clear plastic film used for shipping pallet freight. Let me know as we continue the search for the ultimate screen protector.

It has been brought to my attention that when you are removing the LaminateIt! product from the screen the adhesive is strong enough such that you can actually pull with enough force to distort the top screen layer. This observation is valid and the question is "Does this actually harm the screen?" I have NOT experienced any problems nor has anyone reported actual damage to me. The simple answer - I don't know and right now it is only conjecture. I will immediately post any information when available. IF this is a concern for you I would recommend you use one of the alternative Window Decal materials listed above, Avery's Laminating Sheets have a milder yet still firm adhesive or try the non-adhesive technique described above.

The separated laminate tended to curl right back around to the backing. If the scissors were positioned to trim the backing, the laminate stuck to them. Again, the opposite static charges on the backing and the laminate may have had something to do with this. My solution to this one was to peel almost an inch of the backing away from the laminate and bend it out sharply from the sticky laminate surface. The sharp bend prevented the laminate from curling around to stick to the backing, and I was able to trim the backing. Then, I carefully pressed the backing back down on the laminate being careful not to get my fingers on the exposed sticky part.

Apparently, the credit cards around today are made from 2 different types of plastic, one hard and one soft. I would guess that you used a hard one because you didn't seem to have any trouble using it to smooth out the protector. I, unfortunately, got hold of a soft one. When I attempted to use it as a squeegee, the edge disintegrated into little, tiny, plastic shavings, which, of course, immediately worked their way under the protector and stuck in the glue. I recommend testing the edge of any prospective squeegee by rubbing it on something hard and smooth. If the edge disintegrates, don't use it. Also, somewhere I have seen a device called, I believe, an artist's palette spatula. It looks like a short-bladed putty knife and is made out of hard plastic. Perhaps something like this would be more suitable.

Whatever you do, don't let the laminate develop a crease during installation. A crease is almost impossible to remove and the laminate near the crease will not seat down tight against the screen.

This isn't really a problem, just an observation. But it could be interpreted as a problem by the unwary. Even when applied properly a screen protector can give the screen a finely mottled appearance. This mottling is caused by dozens of tiny voids and irregularities in the adhesive coating on the laminate sheet. These voids and irregularities are essentially tiny air bubbles trapped in and around the adhesive, but no amount of reasonable pressure on the screen of the unit will eliminate them. Fortunately, this mottled appearance disappears when the screen lights up. In normal use, the license, certificate, etc. to be laminated is place between a pair of these laminating sheets and the whole shebang is run through a laminating press, which applies enough pressure to squeeze all these voids and irregularities flat and to squeeze out any trapped air. I certainly wouldn't recommend applying that level of pressure to the screen.

Note: It appears that some of LaminateIt! product is shipping with this "problem" symptom. The mottling is only apparent with the unit off.