An apparatus for automatically laminating photoresist dry film onto each of a plurality of panels stacked upright in a panel feed unit with a 10.degree. slant counterclockwise from the vertical, the film being characterized by being easily contaminated, limp and tacky although peelable thereby enabling the use of a polyethylene protective coating, includes a film feed bar for pulling the film from a roll into a laminating station on a 10.degree. upward slant, the polyethylene coating being wound on a take-up roll, and further includes a film hold bar, a film hold cutoff bar and a film cutoff knife for cutting the film precisely to the length required for folding the film over the panel on both sides with no overlap. A panel pick-up unit picks up each of the panels in succession and moves it down into engagement with a transverse center line on the film, through a laminating nip and between heated laminating rolls, delivery belts and cooperating lugs moving the laminated panel to a delivery stack. The film feed, film hold, and film hold cutoff bars, and the panel pick-up unit include vacuum cups and/or cavities for handling the film and the panels. The sequential operation of the several components is controlled by a microprocessor.