People use shrink wrap all the time without understanding that you can put flexible wrap around a package in many different ways and that different wraps have different properties. This wrapping process applies to plastic film or paper, cellophane, waxed paper as alternate materials that are used to wrap products.

The critical concerns when wrapping a package vary. In some cases, it is a barrier seal on the product to preserve freshness. In other cases it is simply to insure that the product has not been tampered with. Other reasons to wrap include cosmetic appearance – critical to catching the eye of the consumer- or bundling to keep a collection of products together. In some cases the film carries the product message; in others it is an enhancement to the message on the packaging beneath. Some wrapping processes allow for some air circulation; others permit no air. There are as many reasons to wrap as there are products requiring wrapping.