Incrementally stretched films with tailored properties and methods for making the same

An incrementally-stretched thermoplastic film formed by incrementally stretching an initial thermoplastic film having a first ratio of machine-direction tear resistance to transverse-direction tear resistance between 0.3 and 1.6, comprising:

• a first set of alternating thicker ribs and thinner stretched linear sections extending across the thermoplastic film in a first direction parallel to a direction in which the thermoplastic film was extruded;
• a second set of alternating thicker ribs and thinner stretched linear sections extending across the thermoplastic film in a second direction transverse to the first direction;
• a machine direction tear resistance that is greater than a machine direction tear resistance of the initial thermoplastic film;
• and
• a transverse direction tear resistance that is less than a transverse direction tear resistance of the initial thermoplastic film;
• wherein a ratio of the machine direction tear resistance to the transverse direction tear resistance between 1.90 and 3.00 and that is between 1.5 and 4.9 times greater than the first ratio of machine-direction tear resistance to transverse-direction tear resistance of the initial thermoplastic film;
• wherein a gauge by weight that is between 0.91 and 0.53 times a first gauge by weight of the initial thermoplastic film.