A

Additive:

a chemical compound added to the resin to give the end product-specific physical properties

Antiblock (A/B):

an additive that prevents polyethylene film from adhering to itself

Antistatic or Antistat (A/S):

an additive that protects products from the buildup of static electricity

B

Bags Individually Cut (BIC):

bags that are sealed, separated, and boxed individually

Bags on Roll (BOR):

bags that are perforated and rolled onto a cylindrical core

Barefoot Polyethylene:

polyethylene film with no additives

Biodegradable Films:

films that degrade by natural means without leaving toxic byproducts.

Bleed:

a defect that occurs when inks run from their original print position to other parts of the film

Blocking:

the tendency for the film to adhere to itself

C

Carbons:

overheated resin pellets burned in the extrusion process, making them look like tiny black dots in the film, and considered an aesthetic product defect, but in some rare cases can affect product integrity.

Centerfold Sheeting (CFS):

sheeting folded at the center and rolled onto a core

Coextrusion:

a process of manufacturing film with multiple layers.

Core:

a cylinder, typically made of cardboard or rigid plastic on which the film is wound.

D

Density:

A measure of the distance between the resin molecules, changing the material’s chemical and functional properties.

Double Wound Sheeting (DWS):

sheeting that is layered on top of each other and wound to come off as two separate sheets.

E

Extruder:

a machine used to manufacture polyethylene film.

Extrusion:

the process of turning resin pellets into a blown film.

F

Flame Retardant:

an additive that prevents the spread of fire through the film.

Flexographic Printing:

printing process where rubber or silicone printing plates are placed on a metal cylinder, dolled in ink, then rolled onto the product to create the desired graphic.

G

Gauge:

the thickness of the film, typically measured in mil (0.001in) or microns/micrometers (0.001mm)

Gels:

resin pellets that do not melt during the extrusion process, leaving the resin pellet floating in the film. Gels are an aesthetic product defect, but in some rare cases can affect product integrity.

Gloss:

a measure of the reflectiveness of a film

Gusset:

folds on the film’s outer edge that expand to half the gusset length, increasing internal capacity.

L

Layflat:

extruded tubing or bags without a gusset

Liner:

film used to line the inside of a box

M

Micron or Micrometer:

unit used to measure the thickness of polyethylene films (1micron = 0.001mm)

Mil:

unit used to measure the thickness of polyethylene films (1 mil = 0.001in)

O

Opacity:

the measure of a film’s transparency.

Opaque:

a film with an opacity level of 1.0

P

Pantone Matching System Number:

a color numbering system used to communicate specific printing colors clearly

Printing Plate:

rubber or silicone plate placed on a cylinder rolled in ink and then rolled onto the film to

R

Random Print:

print in random places on the film

Registered Print:

print on a specific location of the film

Registered Vent Holes:

holes in the film at specified locations

Resin:

the raw material of polyethylene film that starts as pellets, is mixed with additives, then heated, blown, cooled, and formed into a final product.

S

Single Wound Sheeting (SWS):

sheeting wound on a cylindrical core in a single sheet

Slip:

a film’s ability to move along surfaces. Additives are used to increase or decrease the slip in a material.

T

Tint:

colored film with an opacity level below 0.25

Translucent:

colored film with an opacity level between 0.25 and 0.75

Treatment:

process to allow inks and tapes to adhere to a film

Tubing:

polyethylene product extruded as a cylindrical tube

U

Ultraviolet Inhibitor (UVI):

an additive that slows the degrading effects of light on films

W

Weld Seal:

seal created by melting the film together

Wind:

how the film is rolled onto its core