The difference between cast and calendered film

Published On: January 1, 1970

Choosing the most suitable media for a wrap application means understanding the difference between the two main categories of film: cast and calendered.The decision depends on the amount of time the product will be in use and the type of vehicle being wrapped.

Cast film—or 2 mil film—is a premium product that typically gives the best conformability and longevity of the graphic. It has less shrinkage because it is produced through a “casting” process.

Calendered film—or 4 mil film—costs considerably less and is appropriate for relatively flat applications that will be used for shorter periods of time. Since the manufacture of these films involves being run through a series of calendering rolls, the film is more prone to returning toward its original form.

Sigrid Tornquist is a freelance writer and associate editor of InTents, a publication of the Advanced Textiles Association.