A preform is provided for blow-molding to form a container. The preform includes a finish portion for rotatably engaging a closure to seal contents within an interior of the container. The finish portion comprises a cylindrical body that begins at an opening to the interior and extends to and includes a tamper evidence ledge. A bevel at a beginning of the opening receives a plug seal of the closure. A sealing surface adjacent to the bevel is disposed along an interior of the finish portion and includes a polished buffer zone to cooperate with the plug seal to seal the container. A transition surface extends from the sealing surface to a handling surface that receives equipment to form the preform into the container. In some embodiments, the transition surface includes a polished buffer zone to cooperate with an end of the plug seal to seal the contents in the container.

A nozzle is provided for engaging with lightweight preforms for blow-molding the preforms into plastic containers without damaging the finish portion of the preforms. The nozzle includes a seal configured to engage with a stepped interior of the finish portion and enables stretching and/or blow-molding the preform into a container. The seal tightly engages a smooth surface inside the finish portion without damaging the surface or a sidewall of the finish portion. In some embodiments, the seal includes a profile shape that mates with a transitional surface comprising the stepped interior of the finish portion. The profile shape distributes the contact force of the seal over a maximal area of the transition surface so as to minimize the total pressure exerted onto the finish portion. The profile shape reduces potential cracking of a thin-walled region of the finish portion during stretching and/or blow-molding the preform to form the container.

Blow molded articles having a predetermined feature incorporated into the wall provided by variations in the thickness of the wall of the article corresponding to a predetermined pattern etched into the perform from which the article was formed. Also, etched performs for making blow molded articles and methods for making such performs and articles.

Method for making blow molded articles having a predetermined feature incorporated into the wall provided by variations in the thickness of the wall of the article corresponding to a predetermined pattern etched into the preform from which the article was formed.

Blow molded articles having a predetermined feature incorporated into the wall provided by variations in the thickness of the wall of the article corresponding to a predetermined pattern etched into the preform from which the article was formed. Also, etched preforms for making blow molded articles and methods for making such preforms and articles.

Method of making a blow molded article from a preform including: a) providing a preform of a thermoplastic material having a plurality of effect structures each having an effect surface having a normal with an orientation, the preform having a body with one or more walls and an opening, wherein at least a portion of the one or more walls of the preform has a three-dimensional pattern of cavities and/or protrusions thereon; and b) blow molding the preform to form a blow molded article, wherein the step of blow molding the preform changes the orientation of the normal of at least some of the effect surfaces of the effect structures to create a visual effect in at least one wall of the blow molded article.

Article having a visual effect created by selectively varying the orientation of effect structures, such as effect pigments, within the walls of the article.

A blow molded article formed from a preform having an exterior surface including at least one etched region. The article includes a body portion including one or more walls surrounding an interior space. A cavity region corresponding to the etched region in the preform is disposed on a portion of the article outer surface and a non-cavity region is disposed adjacent the cavity region. The adjacent cavity and non-cavity regions form one or more visual effects and at least one of the one or more visual effects includes a portion having a 95% Delta E Value of at least 3.0.

A finish portion of a preform for rotatably engaging with a closure to seal contents within an interior of a container includes a body that begins at an opening to the interior, a sealing surface adjacent to the opening and including a first polished buffer zone configured to cooperate with a plug seal, and a transition surface extending from the sealing surface to a narrower handling surface. The first buffer zone is polished by way of a machine polishing technique.

A finish portion of a preform for rotatably engaging with a closure to seal contents within an interior of a container includes a body that begins at an opening to the interior, a sealing surface adjacent to the opening and including a first polished buffer zone configured to cooperate with a plug seal, and a transition surface extending from the sealing surface to a narrower handling surface. The first buffer zone is polished by way of a machine polishing technique.