Shrink wrap film, whether it is a centerfold roll or a shrink bag, comes in different thicknesses. The thickness of shrink film is referred to as the gauge. Many customers call asking which gauge they need for their product. The answer the question, “Which gauge thickness should I use?” depends entirely on what you will be packaging.

One hundred gauge film is 1 mil thick (0.001″). That gives you an idea on just how thick the shrink film is that you will be using. Remember that as the film shrinks it gets thicker. This is because the surface area of the film shrinks when direct heat is applied. As the surface area shrinks, the film thickness increases. Most shrink film shrinks about 40% its original size when in contact with a heat gun or tunnel.

Most shrink wrap film is available in 60, 75 and 100 gauges. This isn’t always the case, but is the norm. The higher the gauge number, the thicker the film is. Shrink wrap film comes in 2 different flavors, PVC film and Polyolefin film. PVC film, which is more common, has a tougher texture and feel to it, where Polyolefin has a more pliable / stretchy feel to it. Polyolefin is safe for use in direct contact with food.

PVC shrink film is almost always available in 75 or 100 gauge thicknesses and Polyolefin film comes in 60, 75 an 100. Polyolefin film is available in 60 gauge, because the thinner film is more durable than PVC film. A 60-gauge thickness in PVC film would be too thin and would break too easily.

As a general rule, if you are only packaging a single item, the thinner film is almost always fine. That means if you are packaging a single DVD, CD or box, 75 gauge PVC or 60 gauge Polyolefin is almost always more than enough to keep things coated and protected. This isn’t, however, the case when bundling multiple items together.

If you are bundling multiple items together, let’s say 2-3 DVDs, you will want to use a thicker film. The thicker film helps prevent movement and is less likely to break apart in shipping or while being handled. This means if you are bundling multiple items together, you may want to consider 100 gauge PVC film or 75-100 gauge polyolefin film.

Hopefully this helps answer the question, “Which film thickness should I use?” If you need additional clarification, or simply have a shrink wrap packaging question, please contact one of our specialists at 1-800-658-8788.

You can find our entire selection of shrink wrap film here and our entire selection of shrink wrap machines here.

PVC shrink wrap bags provide a quick and easy way to quickly package a wide variety of material. These bags make packaging products as easy as inserting something into a heat shrink bag, sealing it shut and shrinking it down using a heat gun or shrink tunnel. The entire process takes just seconds and it is remarkably affordable. We have added two different types of shrink wrap bags to our site.

Dome Shrink Wrap Bags (found here)

The first type of bag we offer is called a dome shrink wrap bag. This bag has a special rounded dome end to it, which is primarily designed to fit around objects such as gift baskets. In fact, our dome bags are often referred to as gift basket bags. Simply open the bag, insert the basket and either tie or seal off the open end. The next step involves shrinking the film down.

Our dome heat shrink bags can be shrunk down using a heat gun or a shrink tunnel. This film has a 40% shrink rate, which means it will shrink down 40% from its original size. This provides a nice tight seal around everything. Because the PVC film is 100 gauge thick, it doesn’t easily tear or rip. The film is crystal clear once shrunk down. Our dome shrink wrap bags are also FDA approved for indirect contact use with food.

Square “Super Shrink” Stock Shrink Wrap Bags (found here)

These bags are more similar to what you imagine when you think of a shrink wrap bag. These bags are square in shape and can be used to package CDs, DVDs, video games, magazines, books, gifts, paper and much more. Using these bags is extremely easy and requires just a few basic tools. The open end of these bags can be sealed and cut off by using an I-bar shrink wrap machine or a heat sealer with a cutter. Shrinking can be done via a heat gun or heat shrink tunnel.

Our Super Shrink heat seal bags also have a 40% shrink rate, allowing them to quickly shrink down and wrap around corners and various shapes. Because the film is micro perforated, air is able to easily escape during the shrinking process. Our square shrink wrap bags are made from PVC and are 80 gauge thick.

Both our dome and square shrink wrap bags are very affordably priced and ship out quickly. We currently offer these bags in 1,000 count bulk quantities. If you plan on purchasing thousands of these, we may be able to offer a quantity discount. Call 1-800-658-8788 for more details.

You can find our entire selection of shrink wrap film here and shrink wrap machines here.

If you’re an electrician, or have worked with electrical wiring, you probably know that the lower the gauge number, the thicker the wire. For example, 16-gauge wire is actually significantly thinner than 10-gauge wire. This almost goes against common reasoning as higher numbers typically represent bigger or thicker. So is this the case with the gauge of shrink wrap film?

Shrink wrap film is commonly available in 60, 75 and 100 gauge thicknesses. As you might understand, many people wonder if 60 or 100 gauge film is the thickest. Shrink wrap film gauges, contrary to electrical wire gauges, are actually thicker as the number goes up. One-hundred gauge film is in fact thicker than 60 gauge shrink wrap film.

Hopefully this helps clarify some of the confusion out there. While we have established how shrink wrap gauges work, you should be aware that there are two primary different types of shrink wrap film. These are:

1. PVC Shrink Wrap Film
2. Polyolefin Shrink Wrap Film

While both PVC and Polyolefin shrink film gauges are literally the same in thickness, you should be aware that 75 gauge PVC and 75 gauge Polyolefin act very differently.

One of the biggest reasons people go with thicker PVC film is to prevent tearing or breaking of the film. This is because PVC film has a more brittle quality to it than Polyolefin film.

While people increase the film gauge with Polyolefin to help increase the packaging strength as well, Polyolefin film has an elastic-like stretchy quality to it. For this reason, 60 gauge Polyolefin film, while thinner, has just as good an integrity quality as 75 gauge PVC film. Simply put, you don’t need as thick a gauge of Polyolefin film to get the same results as 75 gauge PVC film.

I hope this helps you understand shrink wrap film in a little more detail. We have over 30 years experience with shrink wrap packaging, so please feel free to call us at 1-800-658-8788 with any questions regarding shrink wrap film or machines.

You can find our entire selection of shrink wrap film and replacement parts here and our entire selection of shrink wrap machines here.

I have customers ask me at least a couple of times a week which gauge of shrink wrap film is the best to use. I always answer that question with my own question, “what will you be shrink wrapping?” Answers to this question will help you determine the optimal gauge of shrink film you will need for your packaging projects.

There are two primary types of shrink wrap film. These are PVC film and Polyolefin (Poly) shrink wrap film. Both types of film are made from high quality materials. Both films have similar shrinking temperatures and can be used universally on most shrink wrap machines.  Both of these films are usually available in a centerfold roll format.

PVC film is old school, having been around for some time. PVC shrink wrap film has a harder texture to it and is commonly used for packaging DVDs, CDs, boxes and other material.

Polyolefin film is a little newer than PVC. While it can still be used to package DVDs, boxes and other retail goods, it is also food safe. Poly film also has a more stretchy quality to it than PVC film.

The gauge of shrink wrap defines the thickness of the film. The higher the number, the thicker the film. Many people think that they need a thicker film simply because thicker has to be better, right? I tell most people that they will be fine with thinner gauge film

Thicker gauge film is best used for bundling multiple products together, where the chance of the film bursting or tearing open is higher.

PVC film typically comes in 75 gauge and 100 gauge thicknesses. The 75 gauge continues to be the most popular thickness.

Polyolefin film usually comes in 60 gauge, 75 gauge and 100 gauge thicknesses. Since Polyolefin film is stretchier than PVC film (and tears less easily), you can usually get away with the 60 gauge film without any problems.

You can find our entire selection of PVC shrink wrap film here and Polyolefin shrink wrap film here. If you’re in need of a machine, you can find our entire selection of shrink wrap machines here.

I have had several customers ask me which type of shrink wrap film is the best. Naturally, they want to get the best type for their machine. In order to answer this question, there are some details you will need to be aware of. Here are a few tips that may help you come to a decision.

There are two main types of shrink wrap film used today, regardless of whether it is centerfold or shrink wrap bags. These types of film are PVC and Polyolefin. While the shrink film rolls themselves look very similar, the end results are a little different.

PVC film has been around for years. It is cheap and works on pretty much any machine out there. It has a more brittle feel to it than Polyolefin and is general ideal for use in single-product packaging. It doesn’t hold up as well when packaging multiple items together. PVC film is not safe for use with food.

Polyolefin film has also been around for some time, but is newer on the market than PVC film. Polyolefin is sometimes referred to as poly film. Polyolefin film is more pliable than PVC and is food safe. One thing I really like about Polyolefin film is that it puts off less odor than PVC film during the shrinking process. Poly film is also better for packaging multiple products.

Another thing you will want to take into consideration is the gauge of the film. The higher the gauge, the thicker the film. If you only need shrink wrap film for protecting a product, something as thin as a 60 gauge film may be more than enough. If you will be bundling multiple products together, you may want to go with something thicker, perhaps 75 gauge or more.

Before purchasing shrink film, be sure you know what you will be packaging. You don’t want to end up with a roll of film only to find out it isn’t the right type or the right thickness.

Also be sure and take into consideration the height of the product you are shrink wrapping. Many people don’t realize that increased product height will decrease the packaging width effectiveness of the shrink wrap roll.

Hopefully this information helps you out. If this article has left you with even more questions, please feel free to call one of our shrink wrap experts at 1-800-658-8788. You can find our entire selection of shrink wrap film here and shrink wrap machines here.