Many of our modern materials have been lucky accidents and laminate is no exception. In the early 1900s, Formica became a brand while searching for a new insulation for wiring. Layers of paper were tightly pressed together, i.e., laminated, to form thin, rigid sheets that were then adhered to a wood substrate. By the late 1920s, new printing techniques provided a way to print texture and colors onto the laminates.