Plastic Sleeves, Pouches, and Pockets

Plastic sleeves and pouches (envelopes) come in a variety of sizes, colors, and thicknesses but generally, the sleeves are made in 6 mil to 10 mil clear plastic.

Thicknesses on the plastic sleeves are indicated as 'mil' or gauge. So, when we refer to the plastic sleeves as having 7.5 mil, the plastic is .0075 which is a standard thickness for medium sized or small sized sleeves with standard usage or environments.

Plastic sleeves are made out of a variety of materials. We are often asked what the difference is between plastic sleeves and vinyl sleeves. In short, vinyl also known as pvc, is a type of plastic. The vinyl pouches are most commonly used for presentational purposes because of the better look and feel. Plastic sleeves are more commonly used for storage and applications that require less clarity and heft.

The finish of the plastic sleeves are usually determined by the application. For example, when the sleeves are used for presentation materials, document storage and collector pieces the plastic sleeves are clear or polished clear. The sleeves provide storage and protection for the documents or article while offering a package that is waterproof and has very low visual distortion. This allows the items or documents within the sleeve to be read or handled freely without direct contact which can be important to preserving the coin, document, or item. For more challenging environments or applications, such as holding a menu, the plastic sleeves should be purchased with a thicker plastic so that the packaging may be more durable.