PVC is the third most widely produced synthetic plastic. It is a versatile and cost-effective thermoplastic with good dimensional stability and impact strength as well as excellent weather resistance. It can be easily extruded,calendered and die cut, and can be printed using traditional screen printing and offset printing methods.

Depending on the ingredients, it can be clear or matte, colored or white, rigid or flexible. It can also be easily reprocessed using heat. PVC has a fairly polar backbone with strong intermolecular interactions. Therefore, it is rigid at room temperature.

However, it can be easily softened by mixing with plasticizers during manufacturing. This versatility is a major advantage of vinyl polymers. PVC film without plasticizer is called rigid vinyl film, while plasticized PVC is called flexible vinyl film.