Abstract: Diecut or otherwise cut or formed pieces of a laminate for providing temporary surface protection to the incompletely dry surface coating on a flat or planar article such as metal nameplates, control panel bezels, dials, name tags and the like. Such flat or planar metal articles are widely used on appliances and machines where permanence and good readability are important. The individual laminated pieces are cut, with or without scoring, from sheets formed by laminating a ply of spunbonded polypropylene to a ply of chipboard or other inexpensive solvent absorbing backing material, In use the spundbonded polypropylene surface of a piece of the laminate is placed against the incompletely dry surface coating to be protected of a nameplate or like article and the combination is packaged together with other similar combinations for shipment.