Skin pack

Skin pack, or skin packaging, is a type of carded packaging where a product (or products) is placed on a piece of paperboard, and a thin sheet of transparent plastic is placed over the product and paperboard.

The printed paperboard usually has a heat-seal coating. The plastic film (LDPE, PVC, ionomer, etc.) is softened by heat and draped over the product on the card. Vacuum is sometimes used to assist a firm fit. The film bonds to the heat-seal coating on the paperboard. The skin-packed piece then may need to be cut into individual units.

Self adhesive film with uncoated card is also sometimes used.

Skin packaging somewhat resembles a blister pack, with the major difference being that the plastic surrounding the product is formed over the product, instead of being pre-formed.

Types of plastic film:

• Polyethylene
• PVC
• Ionomer
• PET

References

• Brody, A. L., and Marsh, K, S., "Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology", John Wiley & Sons, 1997, ISBN 0-471-06397-5
• Soroka, W, "Fundamentals of Packaging Technology", IoPP, 2002, ISBN 1-930268-25-4