What is the Advantage and Disadvantage of printed shrink film

You may be familiar with shrink film, but are you familiar with printed shrink film? While shrink film is a great material to package your products with, adding print directly to your packaging film takes things to the next level!

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What are the differences between printed and non-printed shrink film? What are the pros, cons and applications that printed shrink film can best be used for? Is it a good fit for your packaging line and your products? Let's figure this out together.

What Is Printed Shrink Film?

There are two main types of printed shrink film. Polyolefin and polyethylene. Polyethylene shrink film, which is most commonly sold by OEMs, is thicker than Polyolefin. Polyolefin shrink film is more commonly sold by distributors and tends to produce a tighter shrink on the products it is used to package.

At its core, printed shrink film is practically identical to a non-printed film. However, unlike regular shrink film, printed films have the ability to place branding imagery and eye catching graphics directly on the packaging. Printed polyolefin shrink film negates the need for labels and spruces up the packaging with colorful graphics.

It is used by many high-volume CPG businesses and is an important option. Printed shrink film has a minimum order quantity (MOQ) and may not be a good fit for low-volume applications. The minimum order for printed shrink film is generally around 50,000 impressions. An impression is the length of film to wrap one bundle.

Pros Of Printed Shrink Film

Printed shrink film has a significantly greater shelf appeal as it can be printed with full color, high quality graphics and imagery. This makes it far more eye-catching to consumers than non-printed shrink film. In this respect, it is also superior to paperboard boxes in regards to carbon footprint, visibility and shipping cost.

Printed shrink film maintains it's graphics integrity for long periods of time and allows for your product to be vibrantly differentiated from your competitors products in the marketplace. It is a strong and beautiful material that many companies are choosing over clear, non-printed shrink film and other common packaging supplies.

With bold and vivid color combinations, printed shrink film gives your products a psychological advantage in relation to brand awareness and marketing applications. When placed next to a similar product from a competing company who does not utilize printed shrink film, you can be sure consumers will reach for your items first.

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Printed shrink film is also fantastic for blocking out individual UPCs while simultaneously boasting the ability to showcase printed content on all sides of a multipack. For some multipacks, it can eliminate more expensive and less environmentally friendly options such as paperboard boxes.

Items that commonly use these features would include but are not limited to multipacks of tissue boxes, condiments, pasta, rice and other similar products. Furthermore, printed shrink film allows for multipacks of various products to be easily unitized without trays in various put-ups.

Recap Of The Pros Of Printed Shrink Film

• Greater Shelf Appeal
• High Visibility
• Blocks out individual UPCs
• Multipack unitization
• Printing on all sides
• Printability on lighter gauge films result in more footage per roll, which in turn means in fewer roll changes in production
• Reduced Waste
• Light-weight
• Source reduction benefits
• Differentiator in marketplace
• Maintains graphics integrity 

Cons Of Printed Shrink Film

Of course, like everything else in the world, there are some drawbacks to using printed shrink film. Although it is more expensive than clear shrink film... the costs are often offset by other factors. Again, as a premium product, most vendors selling printed shrink film require minimum order quantities.

The cost of these larger orders may prove to be overly expensive for certain companies. That being said, printed shrink film negates the need for labels and reduces labor. Depending on your particular application, printed shrink film may actually be cheaper for your packaging line.

There is an initial setup and cost associated with printed shrink film as printing plates are required for each design, which may also be the case for labels.

In this respect, printed shrink film is best suited for companies who will be packaging a very large volume of products. Smaller applications may be better off using clear and non-printed shrink films. When this is the case, you will need to use printed labels for required information and graphics.

Other potential cons include that additional equipment may be needed for date coding on certain applications. Printed shrink film requires equipment that has a print registration unit. Additionally, If your equipment does not have a print registration unit, or it can not be retrofitted, it may require additional equipment.

Unfortunately, printed shrink film is not recyclable. If you wish to use a recyclable material, you will want to consider a clear plastic shrink film or perhaps bio-degradable shrink films.

Recap Of The Cons Of Printed Shrink Film

•  Minimum order quantity restrictions
•  May require an upgrade or replacement of machinery
•  Not recyclable

Conclusion

Printed shrink film is a good choice for those companies who have the right equipment and a budget that can justify the high cost of implementation. In this respect, printed shrink film is a highly useful tool. Boasting much greater shelf appeal, beautiful full color graphics and high strength, printed shrink film can put you ahead of the pack (pun intended)!

With bold, beautiful and vibrant color combinations, the eye catching appeal of printed shrink film is guaranteed to give your products multiple advantages over competitors who do not utilize said material.

Ultimately, the true value of printed shrink film to your company is decided by your budget restrictions and production volume. If you have the capital to invest and are packaging a high volume of products, using printed shrink film can ensure greater profitability, higher visibility and expansive brand awareness.

Despite the issues with recycling, printed shrink film is still a far better option in regards to sustainability as it has a significantly lower carbon footprint than the most common packaging materials. Glass, cardboard, metal and paper will all produce a greater carbon footprint and a higher shipping cost than printed shrink film. When it comes to reducing your brand’s overall carbon footprint for sustainability, printed shrink film is an excellent choice.

Are you a seasoned veteran in packaging or a start-up getting ready to package your products? Either way, finding the appropriate packaging for your products, is essential.

Today, there are thousands of packaging materials to choose from. You have rigid packaging, flexible packaging, and specialized options in between. There are countless packaging supplies to consider.

Industrial Packaging has sold hundreds of thousands of rolls of film. We’ve coached thousands of happy customers on how to select the right type of film.

It may seem like a simple process to buy rolls of shrink wrap. But, there is a lot to consider before choosing shrink wrap as your packaging material. This article will help you understand why you would want to package your products in shrink film.

First, we’ll dive into three primary considerations. These are things you need to be thinking about when it comes to using shrink wrap. Then, we’ll talk about the pros and cons and where it’s best to buy this material.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of stretch hood film. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

The Cost Of Shrink Film

Shrink wrap often comes with a lower price tag than other packaging materials. These other materials include glass, cardboard, and rigid packaging.

The material itself is less expensive. And, the associated costs of the film are also lower. The low costs are especially notable when considering shipping costs. Any packaging material's shipping cost will always be higher the heavier the material.

Shrink film is much lighter than metal, cardboard, glass, and even paperboard. Thus, this film costs significantly less to ship than many alternative materials. Is lowering your cost of product packaging materials crucial to your business? Then, you will want to consider using shrink wrap.

When Is Shrink Film More Expensive Than Alternative Materials?

There are some cases in which using shrink film will be more expensive. This is especially true in the case of printed shrink wrap.

Costly minimum order requirements come with the purchase of printed shrink wrap. A minimum order requirement is the lowest number of rolls required to purchase.

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The Environmental Impact Of Shrink Film

Shrink film is made of plastic. You may wonder why this would be a good choice when choosing earth-friendly materials. Based on science, shrink wrap is one of the most environmentally friendly options.

How is that possible, you may wonder? Simple. It all comes down to the heavy carbon footprint of some packaging materials.

Materials such as glass, metal, cardboard, and paperboard are recyclable. But, due to contamination in recycling, many of those items end up in the landfill.

The Shelf Appeal Of Shrink Film

One of the most sought-after benefits of shrink wrap is shelf appeal. Shrink wrap gives a beautiful glossy sheen to your products. The packaging entices customers to reach for your products.

The film's glossy surface reflects light and shimmers under retail store lighting fixtures. This gives it an upper-hand in the battle for consumers' attention.

For example, as an avid tea drinker, I go through a box or two of herbal tea per week. My two favorite brands are Bigelow and Celestial Seasonings. The latter is not only my favorite brand of tea but also one which uses this type of film in their packaging. The outer barrier of the film on these teas keeps the tea inside fresh longer, and it's easy to open making it a big win for me.

Celestial Seasonings packages their tea in wax paper bags. Then, they are sealed in a paperboard box. Finally, the paperboard boxes are shrink-wrapped in transparent plastic shrink film. The film gives their tea boxes a nice glossy sheen. This separates them from their competitors.

Do you want to use shrink film to help your product stand out? If you want to take shelf appeal to a whole other level, you may want to consider using printed shrink wrap.

Printed film has the same great benefits as transparent shrink wrap. But, it has the bonus of printing and branding capabilities. Printed film allows your product to stand out. It does this while reducing the added costs of printed labeling!

The only downside to adding shrink film to your products is that using additional materials comes with added cost. Adding more packaging may not be something you want to do as a cost-conscious business.

However: 

Think of ways you can utilize shrink film to eliminate other types of packaging you are using. In many cases, shrink packaging can replace alternatives altogether!

The Pros And Cons Of Shrink Film

We have touched upon many shrink-wrap packaging elements. It can be a lot of information to keep track of. Do you want to simplify your buying decision and make the right choice for your packaging needs? Then you need to see the good and the bad. Here, we will review the pros and cons of shrink film.

Pros Of Packaging Your Products In Shrink Film:

• Lower cost than most of the popular alternatives.
• High shelf appeal.
• Eye-catching glossy surface.
• The lowest carbon footprint of most popular packaging materials.
• Takes up less space in landfills than the other options.

Cons Of Packaging Your Products In Shrink Film:

• Hard to recycle.
• Not appropriate for ultra-heat sensitive products.
• Not suitable for interactive products.
• Not always good for luxury packaging applications.
• If used as a secondary packaging material, it will increase the cost of your packaging.

Where Should You Buy Shrink Film?

When it comes to purchasing your film, you have several options. You could buy your film through online vendors with e-com stores such as Amazon. Many people like to buy from online stores to avoid travel and human interaction.

Buying online is also one of the fastest ways to fulfill your orders. But, many e-com stores do not have extensive information about the products. You may not find all the required information necessary to purchase the right film.

Buying directly from the manufacturer is another popular way to buy your film. Many buyers prefer to get their films directly from the manufacturer. They will always have a ton of information about each of the formulations of film they offer. And, they can help you choose the right film for your machinery, packaging line, and products.

Finally, there are packaging distributors, such as Industrial Packaging. While we would love to get your business, we may or may not be the right choice for your needs.

Many people will choose a packaging distributor as a shrink-wrap vendor. They do this because distributors sell multiple film brands and film types. Having a diverse product line means they can help you choose the right one for your needs.

Are you on the fence about using shrink film or unsure if it can be cost-beneficial and more eco-friendly than your current packaging? You may want to chat with one of our in-house packaging experts. They will be able to answer lingering questions and help you make the best choice!