Selective densification of expanded polyethylene

A method of creating a pattern on an expanded polyethylene (ePE) substrate, the method comprising:

• applying heat and pressure to an ePE substrate using a patterned component, the ePE substrate having a first density and a first size, the patterned component selectively densifying a first portion of the ePE substrate to a second density such that the ePE substrate has a first densified pattern at the first portion of the ePE substrate;
• shrinking the ePE substrate to a second size such that the first densified pattern is reduced into a second densified pattern having a set of features, the second densified pattern being smaller than the first densified pattern.

An article of expanded polyethylene (ePE) comprising:

• an ePE substrate having been formed into an ePE article, the ePE article including a fine pattern, the fine pattern being formed by selective densification patterning and shrinking process.