I often tell clients: “Cheap films can be very expensive.” Many only focus on unit price and overlook hidden operational costs—such as rework due to poor heat sealing, customer complaints from delamination, or missed deadlines that violate contracts.
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I once worked on a project where the client insisted on using a BOPP film that was $0.15/kg cheaper. Problems surfaced quickly: ink came off, registration was unstable, and mass repairs were needed. After reviewing the situation, we found that rework and delays cost the company over $100,000 in just two months.
Before selecting any film, I always clarify the intended use and structure, as BOPP films vary greatly in performance and cost:
Transparent film: For display packaging
Pearlescent film: Offers opacity and premium visual texture
Heat-sealable film: Works with low-temp, high-speed packaging machines
Matte/aluminized film: Used for high-end cosmetics or gift packaging
Key technical specs to assess include:
Uniform thickness
Surface tension ≥ 38 dyne/cm
Suitable tensile strength and COF for automation
These parameters determine whether the film can be printed, sealed, die-cut, and labeled effectively.
I once saw a client use untreated BOPP film for 4-color UV printing—resulting in bubbling ink, color distortion, and 50,000 labels being scrapped. Print compatibility depends on surface energy, corona treatment, and coating structure.
It’s not just about the film—printing method, ink, and plates all matter. I always advise clients to test small samples across gravure, flexo, or UV processes before full production, to ensure results are replicable and reliable.
A South American client once faced returns due to warped seals and curled labels after using domestic film for fruit snacks stored in Amazon’s hot, humid warehouses. I recommended a heat-sealable BOPP film designed for humid environments, lowered sealing temperatures, and improved durability. Complaints dropped to nearly zero.
Variables like transportation routes, storage humidity, cold chain logistics, or hot-filling must all be factored into film selection.
Many think Technical Data Sheets are a formality—but to me, they’re the first step in evaluating a film’s reliability. Key indicators include:
Surface energy
Tensile strength
Shrinkage
Coefficient of friction
But data alone isn’t enough. I live by this rule: "No sample testing, no bulk orders." Sampling prevents 90% of selection errors.
One of my proudest cases: A label converter client suffered poor adhesion, color issues, and edge warping. After reviewing, I proposed:
Switching to high-rigidity single-layer film
Using a medium-temp sealing film to speed up production
Replacing general film with coated high-energy film for better UV ink adhesion
The result: 20% faster printing, 35% fewer defects, and a total cost saving of nearly 300,000 RMB in one year.
Client: Dried fruit exporter
Film: High-transparency heat-sealable BOPP (20μm + 25μm)
Problem: PE film required high sealing temps that deformed pouches and emitted odor.
Solution:
Switched to low-temp BOPP, reducing sealing temp by 30°C
Increased stiffness and improved shelf display
Low odor migration protected food flavor
15% faster production with fewer rejects
???? Key Benefits: Better branding, food safety, and efficiency
Client: Mid-size winery label printer
Film: 38μm high-rigidity BOPP with one-side corona
Problem: Previous film caused registration issues, curling, and jams
Solution:
Replaced with label-grade BOPP
40 dyne surface energy matched UV flexo inks
Clean die-cutting and smooth labeling improved post-print efficiency by 25%
???? Key Benefits: Quality boost, waste reduction, stable labeling
Client: Snack exporter to South America
Film: Pearlized BOPP + co-extruded heat-seal layer (45μm)
Problem: Softened film and seal failures in humid logistics environments
Solution:
Switched to moisture-resistant composite structure
Pearlized film offered opacity + barrier
Heat-seal layer improved durability
Product acceptance rose from 92% to 99.5%
???? Key Benefits: Consistent export quality, fewer returns, happier clients
Focusing only on price → leads to high rework costs
Ignoring print compatibility → corona issues cause ink failure
Using packaging film for labels → poor rigidity = bad die-cut
Wanting transparency but choosing pearlized film → poor visibility
Thinking all BOPP films are the same → huge variance in coatings and processing
???? Tip: Create a table before choosing—list usage, parameters, and compatibility
Here’s the decision model I use for 90% of projects:
Confirm usage: Label? Food pack? Courier bag?
Identify printing/sealing: UV? Gravure? Low-temp?
Understand logistics/storage: Export? Cold chain? Humid?
Evaluate structure/thickness: Can it hold its shape?
Test samples + verify data: TDS + printing + factory trials
This helps me spot risks fast—and win client trust.
“What printing methods is this film compatible with?” → Understand corona/coating
“What is the sealing temperature range?” → Check machine compatibility
“Any similar clients using it? Can I get TDS + samples?” → Practical validation
Ask smart—not just ask more.
To me, a BOPP film isn’t “just plastic.” It’s the start of cost control, the first touchpoint of user experience, and the foundation of print quality.
I’d rather spend an extra hour choosing the right film than spend three months fixing problems.
If you’re choosing films right now, return to the basics:
How is the product used? Where is the customer? What’s the environment?
Then verify with data, samples, and real-world trials—not gut feeling.
1. What is BOPP film, and where is it used?
BOPP (Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene) is a lightweight, high-clarity plastic film ideal for food packaging, labels, sealable bags, and window pouches.
2. How do I know if BOPP film is printable?
Check for corona treatment with surface energy ≥38 dyne/cm. Confirm with TDS and sample testing.
3. What’s the difference between heat-sealable and regular BOPP?
Heat-sealable BOPP has sealing layers for low-temp sealing; regular BOPP lacks this, used more in laminates.
4. How to choose the right film thickness?
15–30μm is standard. Labels use 20–30μm, pouches over 25μm for rigidity.
5. If ink peels off after printing, is it the film’s fault?
Could be the film or ink system. Check if the corona is fresh and matched to ink chemistry.
6. Can general BOPP be used for labels?
Not recommended. Label-grade BOPP has higher rigidity, better die-cutting and adhesion properties.
7. Can BOPP be used for freezing or hot-filling?
No. Choose specialty BOPP or switch to PET/CPP for extreme temperature needs.
8. How to prevent moisture-related film deformation?
Use barrier films like pearlized or laminated structures. Add desiccants and seal rolls during shipping.
9. What’s the difference between BOPP and PET film?
BOPP is lighter, cheaper, more flexible. PET is stronger, heat-resistant, ideal for hot-fill.
10. Why do same-thickness BOPP films differ in price?
Factors include resin blend, processing, corona treatment, coating uniformity, and certifications (e.g., FDA, RoHS).
BOPP films can be made both mechanically and manually. It is used for packaging, labeling and laminating. The various benefits provided by the BOPP films are: the high quality, high sustainability, increase shelf life of products, better looks and low density. Because of the numerous benefits provided by the BOPP films make it the most in demand material for packing food.
In virtually every industry, strategic packaging materials influence everything from product safety to supply chain mobility to how a product sells.
This makes selecting the right bag for your industry or application essential for success.
After all, today’s bags aren’t just bags. Far from it. Modern bulk bags, such as flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs), have been exhaustively engineered and tested by experts to work well under specific conditions.
For your bag to work well under your specific conditions (e.g., where your warehouse is located, what type of filling apparatus you use, the nature of your product), you need to know which type of bag you need.
Knowing how to tell if your specific type of bag is well made? Also key.
Here’s a quick primer on three types of bags that are overwhelmingly popular across several industries and how to determine which type is perfect for your needs.
Let’s start with some definitions.
The letters “PP” in PP, OPP, and BOPP stand for polypropylene. Polypropylene is a polymer that is strong, resistant to many chemicals, and has favorable heat and barrier properties.
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In other words: It makes for a durable and versatile bag. Polypropylene is often used to make coatings, films, tapes, and printed FIBCs on a mass scale.
Polypropylene can be manipulated to produce OPP and BOPP materials, or oriented and biaxially oriented polypropylene.
Oriented polypropylene
, or OPP, is a type of polypropylene film that is stretched in one direction. This offers better strength, clarity, and printability when compared to PP film. OPP tends to be used for labels and small film bags.
Biaxially oriented polypropylene
, or BOPP, is a type of polypropylene film that’s been stretched in two perpendicular directions. This offers even more strength, printability, and clarity when compared to PP and OPP materials. BOPP film is used to laminate over woven tapes often used in packaging. And because BOPP has innate printability, it’s commonly used for intricate branding and printing details on midsize or large bulk packages.
As we mentioned above, each type of bag is great for specific applications, as each offers unique strengths.
It’s worth discussing with your FIBC supplier which type of bag will work best for you, but here’s a quick overview:
Polypropylene (PP) bags are great for FIBCs, sandbags, and geotextiles. They’re fantastic multipurpose bags because they’re versatile, durable, and cost-effective.
Oriented polypropylene (OPP) bags excel when used to create small packaging materials, often in the medical, pharmaceutical, and food industries—particularly when they don’t need to carry much weight.
Biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) bags are best suited for packaging that needs many of the same qualities as OPP bags but also must support more weight. BOPP film is often used with woven tapes to create durable packaging materials. BOPP film is especially common in the pet food and food ingredient industries because they require bags that can carry 25-50 lbs.
When you choose a specific type of bag, you need all of the information in front of you.
We’ve discussed general definitions of each type of bag and the industries they support best. To round out this guide, here’s a quick rundown of the pros and cons of each type of bag (save this post for later reference):
Pros and Cons:
PP bags are sustainable, moisture-resistant, durable, and chemical-resistant.
They’re also highly flammable, offer limited printability, and do not necessarily protect existing printing detail.
Pros and Cons:
OPP film bags are strong, hard to puncture or tear, and have a transparent, glossy finish. These bags are also moisture- and dust-proof.
OPP film bags are difficult to stretch, and there’s a limit to how much weight they can carry.
Pros and Cons:
BOPP bags provide high tensile strength, excellent clarity, and a high degree of dimensional stability and flatness.
These bags have a low electrostatic charge, present a barrier to water vapor, and are resistant to oils and greases.
Aesthetically, BOPP bags provide several perks: They have a high-gloss finish, offer reverse printing ability, and perform well in high-speed printing applications.
Finally, BOPP bags are not affected by moisture. They don’t wrinkle or shrink with environmental changes. Plus, they’re recyclable!
The disadvantages are limited, but BOPP bags are not biodegradable. However, they are considered recyclable and classified in the No. 5 plastic recycling stream accepted by some recycling facilities.
One long-standing disadvantage of BOPP bags was sealing. However, Sonoco has recently announced the first heat-sealable BOPP barrier bag available for industrial bulk packaging applications, such as animal and pet food manufacturing.
Need help figuring out which bag is best for you? Consider these questions:
What grade of safety does your product require (e.g., food-grade, medical-grade)?
How important is crystal-clear branding for your product’s success?
Think about the equipment and processes you already have in place. Do you heat-seal your bags, for example?
Do you require a specifically sized bag?
If you’re interested in speaking with a packaging expert to determine the best bag for your needs, reach out to Sonoco. Our friendly representatives and materials science engineers will be more than happy to discuss your packaging needs!
BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene) films are widely used in various industries for their versatile attributes. One significant use of BOPP films is in packaging applications. Due to their high clarity, good gloss, and excellent printability, BOPP films are commonly used to package products, such as snacks, chocolates, and confectionery items
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Bopp is abbreviated as biaxially oriented polypropylene; BOPP film is flexible in both machine and transversal directions, creating molecular chain orientation in 2 directions. BOPP film is developed by a cannular process, in which a cannular bubble is blown up, or a tenter frame procedure, in which a heavy extruded sheet is inflamed to its buffering point and is automatically extended by 300–400%. Stretching out in the tenter cast procedure is commonly 4.5:1 in the simple machine direction and 8.0:1 in the transversal direction, while these ratios are amply adaptable. It is a widely utilized procedure, more common than the cannular procedure, and a shiny, transparent film is developed.
BOPP can be utilized as heat-shrinkable Bopp films in shrink-wrap coatings or heat adjust to allow multidimensional stability. Heat sealing off is hard in BOPP films. Still, it can be made more facile by either covering the film after working on it with heat-sealable stuff (specified as polyvinylidene chloride) or by co-extrusion with single or, more excellent extent, copolymers before processing to get different layers of film. Copolymers utilized in sealing off layers must have rich gloss and transparency and should have low sealing off temperatures to keep aberration of the oriented polymer during waterproofing.
Random copolymers carrying 3 to 7% ethene are often utilized as sealing levels; the lower melting point (<132°C; <270°F) leads to a 30% addition inline races, and they can be reprocessed without any significant loss of durability or lucidity. Coating or coextrusion step-ups the barrier attributes of BOPP film, diminishing its permeability to gases. Basic barrier polymers are ethene vinyl alcohol, polyamide, and polyvinylidene chloride, 5 or more levels might be coextruded or laminated, or the barrier polymer can be distributed in the matrix polymer.
Unique Attributes of BOPP Films as base material:
These are such films that have BOPP as the primary material. Its unusual and unique attributes are listed below:
These BOPP films have a concentration more approximate to 0.90 g/m, and thence it delivers high yield at as is the price as compared to additional films, that is to say polyester films.
BOPP films have the first-class gloss and advanced transparency that make it a fantabulous look and superior finish.
Additional polyester films are not resistive to external pollution, whereas BOPP films play an adequate moisture resistive barrier and are inclined to defy pollution and adverse chemicals.
This Bopp film has a spectrum of an extensive range and is very readily available, that is to say. Dull, Glossy, Silky count, and so forth.
Excellent lucidity.
Best multidimensional constancy and flatness.
Very low electrostatic charge.
Presents as an effective barrier to water vapor.
BOPP films maintain good and optimal performance on the eminent speeding printing process.
Aside from being resistive to adverse chemicals and pollution, these Bopp films play as resistive to oils and lubricating oil.
Good puncture and flex crack resistance over a wide range of temperatures.
In addition, BOPP films are not impressed by the moisture and do not crinkle or flinch with modifications in the environment.
They are reusable.
Benefits of BOPP Films:
BOPP films have bang-up benefits suchlike:
They are really environmentally friendly.
They are very light in weighting.
They are recognized easily all over the world.
The harm of the production due to transport, weather condition, and so on are brought down to the great extent.
Has the disposition to keep the product air-dry.
Zero de-lamination is needed.
They have sound clarity and are resistive to ultraviolet light or rays.
BOPP Films Applications:
BOPP films have an extensive range of product applications.
Grade F1 Bopp films are utilized for packing of food, and their lock-in.
Basic BOPP films are being used for electrical applications, printing processes, and lamination.
Textbook coating.
Additional applications let in extrusion application, flower packing, backward printing, and lamination.
They are as well utilized as adhesive material tapes and pressure tender tapes..
White and glaucous colored Bopp film is utilized for general functions like printing process protruding, cable over wraps up, strip packaging for coughing drops, and estrus sealable BOPP films used for all-purpose and overwrapping up.
Drawbacks of using BOPP Films in packaging:
All the same, BOPP lamination films have a few drawbacks, viz.
BOPP sealing is not too much strong.
On that point, there is an advanced range of crystal explicit nature in BOPP films as the shallow of these films is nonionic.
The functioning of this film in the printing process is short and has deficient relativity as to ink as of down surface energy.
Despite a couple of drawbacks, BOPP films have turned the most advanced buzzword in the food packaging and another packaging arena, and they are really in the good books of both the producers and the end-users or the buyers. Bopp film is widely used nowadays almost in every food packaging.
The company is the world’s best BOPP Transparent Film supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.