A packaging article has tear initiators for initiating a manual tear that can be propagated to open a package and allow a product to be readily removed therefrom, without the use of a knife or scissors or any other implement. The packaging article is made from a heat-shrinkable multilayer film having at least one layer containing an incompatible polymer blend, and/or a layer containing an inorganic filler, and/or a layer having a high Young's modulus. The film also has a Peak Load Impact Strength of at least 50 Newtons per mil, The tear initiators can be used to generate a manual machine direction tears to open the package, with the manual machine direction tear being capable of propagating in the machine direction to the opposite edge of the packaging article. A process for making a package and manually opening the package is also disclosed.

A package for collating a plurality of smoking articles includes a substantially cuboidal pouch including: front and rear major portions, top and bottom minor portions, and first and second side portions. The pouch is formed from a wrapper folded and sealed by: first, second, and third fin seals extending along the length of the front major portion, the top minor portion, and the bottom minor portion, respectively. The first seal is folded to overlap with each of the second and third seals. The first seal is at a distance from each side portion such that, at each overlap with the second and third seals, the first seal only overlaps with two other layers of the wrapper. A tear tape is attached to the pouch and extends along the front and rear major portions and the first and second side portions. A line of weakening is parallel to the tear tape.