Shrink wrap rolls

Shrink wrap roll sizes, gauges, and lengths, what a roll costs per 1,000 feet, how many packages a roll wraps, and when to buy shrink bags instead.

Updated October 2, 2026

Roll formats

Shrink film for small and mid-size packaging comes in three forms:

• Centerfold rolls. Film folded in half lengthwise and wound on a core. The listed width is the folded width. This is what I-bar kits and L-bar sealers use. Side sealers also use it: Conflex says a side sealer uses “a center-folded roll of shrink film and an inverting head”.
• Single-wound rolls. Flat film. Uline’s polyethylene bundling film is all single wound and is “widely used with automated packaging equipment with integrated heat tunnels”.
• Shrink bags. Pre-made bags sealed on three sides. No roll dispenser is needed. Whether you need a heat sealer depends on the bag and the closure it requires. See shrink bags below.

Common centerfold rolls are 60, 75, or 100 gauge and 8 to 30 in. wide (folded). They run 500 to 4,375 ft long on a 3 in. core. Uline’s 60 gauge polyolefin rolls weigh 18 to 49 lb depending on width.

Roll prices

Prices seen September 29, 2026, before shipping. Cost per 1,000 ft is our calculation from the listed price and length.

What the table shows:

1. Similarly sized rolls vary in price by seller. A 16 in. × 4,375 ft roll of 60 gauge polyolefin ran from $134 to $285, more than double.
2. Long rolls cost less per foot. Uline’s 500 ft PVC roll costs about 1.4 times more per foot than its 2,000 ft roll.
3. The lowest per-foot price in this sample is 60 gauge polyolefin. Compare the same width, grade, and order quantity. Thickness alone does not establish puncture resistance or total packaging cost.

Pick the right roll

Choose the material and gauge using the shrink film guide before comparing sellers. Then match the purchasing specification to the machine:

1. Format and width. Specify centerfold, single-wound, tubing, or bags. For centerfold film, confirm that the quoted width is the folded width. Use package sizing as the starting point for a supplier trial.
2. Core and outside diameter. Give the supplier the machine’s limits for both. A roll can have the correct width and still fail to fit the cradle.
3. Roll length and weight. Confirm usable length and a handling arrangement suitable for the machine and operator.
4. Exact film grade. Record the maker’s product code, gauge, and perforation. Also record any documents your application requires. Two rolls with the same dimensions need not behave alike.
5. Delivered cost. Compare like-for-like grades and widths, including freight, order quantity, and lead time. Price per foot alone does not settle cost per package if the bag length or reject rate changes.

Use cost per finished package to include startup waste and rejects.

Packages per roll

Divide the roll length in inches by the film each package uses (the cut-off length). A 4,375 ft roll is 52,500 in. At 10 in. per package it theoretically wraps 5,250 packages before startup waste and rejects. Industrial Packaging notes that cutting the cut-off from 11 in. to 10 in. saves 9.1% of film.

At $120 for that 4,375 ft roll, film costs about 2.3 cents per 10 in. package.

Shrink bags

Shrink bags are pre-made and sealed on three sides. Follow the supplier’s closure instructions. Retail bags may require a heat seal. Some gift-basket uses close the bag by gathering or taping it. Compare bag cost with roll-film use, waste, and labor for the same package.

Uline’s polyolefin bags have pinholes to prevent ballooning. Small retail packs of gift basket bags can cost several times more per bag than a carton from a packaging supplier.

See step-by-step shrink wrapping instructions.