Composite file folder

A method of manufacturing file folders comprising moving an elongate paper substrate past a laminating station, providing at said laminating station a reinforcing film having a matte finish recording surface and an underlying thermal adhesive layer, heating said reinforcing film to activate said thermal adhesive layer, aligning said reinforcing film such that at least one edge of said film overlies one edge of said paper substrate, securing said multi-layer reinforcing film to said paper substrate such that said reinforcing generally extends across at least 50% of the width of said paper substrate, said reinforcing film being secured to said paper substrate by applying pressure to said recording surface forcing said thermal adhesive layer into intimate contact with said paper substrate, folding and adhering said paper substrate to form a reinforced edge with said matte finish recording surface located about said reinforced edge, die cutting said reinforced edge to form a series of labeling tabs, cutting said substrate across the width thereof to form discrete file folders, and folding said discrete file folders about a hinge line to form front and back panels with said labeling tabs on side edges of said back panels and said reinforcing film to the exterior of said panels and across said hinge line.

A file folder comprising a body of paper stock and an exterior film substrate secured to said paper stock, said file folder having a front face and a rear face attached by a fold line, said front face being of a shorter length to define at one edge of said folder perpendicular to the fold line a labeling tab, said film substrate also being secured to cover the exterior surface of said file folder and covering both sides of said labeling tab;

• said film substrate comprising a underlying polypropylene layer and an overlying polyethylene layer wherein said polypropylene layer has been thermally activated and secured to said paper stock, said polyethylene layer having an treated surface finish which varies the depth of said polyethylene layer, said treated surface finish having superior properties with respect to receiving and retaining ink from ball point pens or lead from pencils relative to a polyethylene film having a smooth surface.

A recyclable file folder comprising a paper stock substrate folded to form a front panel, a back panel and a labeling tab along one edge of said back panel, said file folder further including a cellulous based reinforcing film adhered to both a front and rear side of said labeling tab and extending over at least a border region on an exterior surface of said back panel.