Skip to content

Printed or Clear Packaging Film? A Guide to Making a Choice

 

 

The choice between printed/laminated and clear packaging film depends on many factors. Of which, can include branding, product visibility, environmental impact, and cost to name a few. This article will provide a general breakdown to help determine which option may be best fit for your product.

1. Branding and Marketing of Consumer Goods

• Printed Film: Printed film is ideal for products that need strong branding or design to stand out amongst similar products on store shelves. Logos, color schemes, nutritional information, and eye-catching graphics can be printed directly on the film, helping with brand recognition and communicating details at a glance.

• Clear Film: Clear packaging film allows the product to be visible to consumers, which can be a strong selling point, especially for high-quality or fresh items. It can give customers confidence in the product since they can see it before purchase.

2. Product Information, Nutrition Facts and Regulations

• Printed Film: It can be convenient for regulatory compliance if important information like ingredients, usage instructions, or safety warnings are required. Printed film provides a permanent place for this information, which is especially beneficial for products requiring detailed labeling.

• Clear Film: If the product doesn’t require much printed information or if labeling can be done with pressure sensitive labels, clear film might be more cost-effective and simpler.

3. Environmental Impact of Packaging Films

• Printed Film: Printed films typically contain inks and sometimes laminates, which can complicate the recycling process, making them less environmentally friendly. Depending on the structure, adhesives and the different melting points of materials often increase time and cost for processing.

• Clear Film: Clear films are often more recyclable because they lack inks and laminates, which makes them easier to process in recycling facilities. For a more sustainable choice, clear films with recyclable or biodegradable materials could be advantageous. Clear films are typically mono-layers which have a single melting point allowing for ease of recyclability.A food packaging production line using BOPP film

4. Cost of Packaging Films

• Printed and Laminated Film: Generally, these films are significantly more expensive due to the additional printing and laminating processes. Costs may further increase with more complex designs or colors. Often, printed films require a large commitment from brands and are not efficient for small production runs. As such, this increased cost is often passed along to the consumer.

• Clear Film: Clear film tends to be more cost-effective, particularly for smaller quantities. For companies looking to reduce costs while maintaining product visibility, clear film is a practical choice. This choice allows for flexibility if ingredients change, for example.

5. Protection and Shelf Life of Consumer Goods

• Printed Film: Some printed films use layers and inks that can enhance protection, making them suitable for products that need UV protection or a barrier against oxygen and moisture.

• Clear Film: Clear film can also offer these protective qualities, but it may require specific materials or coatings.

Conclusion

• Printed Film: This is ideal for strong branding needs, required product information, and unique designs, though it’s typically more expensive and less recyclable.

• Clear Film: Most beneficial for product visibility, lower costs, and efficient recyclability. Ultimately making it a good option for minimalistic branding and eco-conscious companies.

If environmental impact and cost are major concerns, clear film, especially recyclable materials, may be the best choice. However, for strong brand recognition, shelf presence, and product information, printed film may offer more value.

At PennPac, we strive to reduce materials going to landfills. We proudly manage programs and procedures which limit our plastic waste to less than 2% of our production total each year!

Our commitment to delivering innovative packaging solutions and personalized customer service enables us to establish lasting partnerships with our clients. Contact us today to learn more about our sustainable packaging solutions and how we can partner with you.