A reflective laminate for use in fuel cell manufacture. The reflective laminate includes a polymer sheet and a reflective substrate having a reflectivity greater than 6% at each wavelength from 400 nm to 1000 nm removably adhered to the polymer sheet. The polymer sheet can include a polymer electrolyte membrane such as a perfluorosulfonic acid resin reinforced with expanded porous polytetrafluoroethylene. The reflective substrate can include a metal substrate (e.g., aluminum). The reflective substrate can reflect a portion of electromagnetic radiation traversing the polymer sheet. The portion of electromagnetic radiation reflected by the reflective substrate can be used to determine a characteristic or property of the polymer sheet (e.g., a size of the polymer sheet, a thickness of the polymer sheet, or a defect of the polymer sheet). A catalyst electrode can be applied to opposite sides of the polymer sheet to form a membrane electrode assembly ("MEA").