Custom Pouches

Flat Pouches

Flat Pouches built to your specification — your dimensions, your board, your print.

Minimum order
100 units
Production
3–5 business days
Construction
pouch
Delivery
US, UK, Canada, Australia

No obligation

Start a quote

Name, email, phone and what you are packing. Attach artwork if you have it. We reply with a specification and a written price, usually within one business day.

The more detail you give, the more accurate the quote.

Drop files here or browse

PDF, AI, EPS, SVG, PNG, JPG, WEBP or ZIP. Up to 5 files, 10 MB each.

    We use your details to answer this request only. See our privacy policy for how data is handled.

    What flat pouches have to cope with

    Flat Pouches hold single-serve or sample quantities where standing on a shelf is not required. That is the starting point for the specification, because flat pouches cost less and post more cheaply. If the product is never shelved face-on, the stand-up gusset is money spent on nothing.

    In service they are used for samples, single servings and online-only products that never sit on a shelf.

    Where flat pouches are actually used

    Flat Pouches are specified for samples, single servings and online-only products that never sit on a shelf. Flat pouches cost less and post more cheaply. If the product is never shelved face-on, the stand-up gusset is money spent on nothing.

    • Samples, single servings and online-only products that never sit on a shelf
    • Coffee and dry goods
    • Snacks and confectionery
    • Supplements and powders

    The substrate for flat pouches

    A three-side or four-side seal laminate. Simpler than a stand-up construction and correspondingly cheaper.

    The options we would consider for this format are below; flat pouches cost less and post more cheaply. If the product is never shelved face-on, the stand-up gusset is money spent on nothing.

    • PET/MPET/PE laminate
    • Kraft paper/PE laminate
    • Clear PET/PE laminate
    • Recyclable mono-PE
    • Compostable kraft/PLA

    Holding flat pouches before service

    Nothing structural — the risk is choosing flat for a product that needed shelf presence and losing the facing.

    Paperboard also absorbs moisture from the air until it equalises with its surroundings. If stock sits more than about six weeks in unconditioned space, a moisture-resistant coating is worth its small premium.

    Comparing the substrate options

    The honest trade-offs between the stocks we would consider for this format.

    MaterialBarrierRecovery route
    Uncoated kraftNoneDry goods, short shelf life
    Aqueous coatedLight moistureKeeps paper recyclable
    Foil laminateOxygen and moistureLongest shelf life, not kerbside recyclable
    Mono-material filmGood, shorter lifeStore drop-off recycling

    Printing flat pouches

    Full-face artwork works well because there is no gusset distortion. This is the format where a photographic design reproduces best.

    Rotogravure, Digital film printing, Flexography are all available for this format. Run length usually decides which is cheapest: digital removes the plate cost on short quantities, offset and flexo overtake it at volume.

    Finishing flat pouches

    Full-face artwork works well because there is no gusset distortion. This is the format where a photographic design reproduces best.

    Each finish below is a separate pass on the press or the finishing line, which is why they are quoted individually rather than bundled.

    • Matte film
    • Gloss film
    • Soft-touch film
    • Spot gloss over matte
    • Metallised layer

    Sizing flat pouches

    Small and flat, from sachet size up to about 6 × 8 in, with no base gusset.

    Send the contents rather than a box size. Flat is chosen on cost without checking whether the product will be shelved face-on or sold in a basket.

    Preparing artwork

    Build artwork to the flat pouch dieline including the gusset panels, and keep barcodes on a flat face rather than across a seal.

    Supply a print-ready PDF or vector file with fonts outlined and images at 300 dpi. Our prepress team checks every file before a proof is issued. On a pouch the check that matters most is that copy clears the seal areas, which are not printable.

    How an order runs

    Start with dimensions and quantity. If you already run something similar, a physical sample tells us more in a minute than a specification does in a page.

    A dieline template follows, sized to your product. Prepress checks your artwork against it and issues a proof; nothing runs until you sign that off.

    Testing the fit first

    Ask for an unprinted sample if the question is fit, or a printed prototype if the question is colour. They answer different things.

    Sample costs are normally credited against the production order.

    Reference

    Flat Pouches at a specification level

    ProductFlat Pouches
    CategoryCustom Pouches
    ConstructionPouch
    StructureMulti-layer laminated film
    BarrierMoisture and oxygen barrier available
    ClosureHeat seal, optional resealable zipper
    MaterialsPET/MPET/PE laminate, Kraft paper/PE laminate, Clear PET/PE laminate, Recyclable mono-PE
    PrintingRotogravure, Digital film printing, Flexography
    FinishesMatte film, Gloss film, Soft-touch film, Spot gloss over matte, Metallised layer
    Minimum orderMinimum order is 100 units on any format, and unit cost falls sharply as the quantity rises.
    Lead time3 to 5 business days after artwork approval
    ShippingAcross the US, UK, Canada and Australia

    Specification builder

    Specify Flat Pouches in under a minute

    Set what you know, leave the rest. Everything here travels with your request, so nothing gets retyped.

    • 100-unit minimum
    • 3–5 day production
    • Free dieline
    • No obligation
    Approximation only — proportions, colour family and finish character. Not a colour proof, and the panel shown is a placeholder, not your artwork.
    Packaging type
    Box style
    Quantity
    Colour
    Material
    Printing
    Finish

    Drop files or browse

    Up to 5 files, 10 MB each.

      Prices start from $0.30 per piece for large-volume orders. Final pricing depends on size, material, printing, finishes, and quantity.

      In practice

      What you get with this format

      Sized to the contents

      Small and flat, from sachet size up to about 6 × 8 in, with no base gusset.

      The failure we design out

      Nothing structural — the risk is choosing flat for a product that needed shelf presence and losing the facing.

      What it is specified for

      Specified for samples, single servings and online-only products that never sit on a shelf.

      The detail that matters

      Flat pouches cost less and post more cheaply. If the product is never shelved face-on, the stand-up gusset is money spent on nothing.

      This format sits in our custom pouches range, alongside 26 other made-to-order formats.

      Answers

      Flat Pouches: questions buyers ask

      Specification, minimums and lead times for flat pouches.

      What barrier do I actually need?

      It depends on shelf life and what degrades the product — oxygen, moisture or light. A higher barrier costs more and is usually harder to recycle, so the right answer is the lowest barrier that holds your product for as long as it needs to.

      Can I have a full barrier and full recyclability?

      Not currently, and it is better to be straight about it. Multi-layer laminates block best precisely because they combine materials, which is what makes them hard to recycle. Mono-material films are recyclable through store drop-off but give a shorter shelf life.

      Can you add a resealable zip or a valve?

      Both are standard options. A zip suits anything the customer opens repeatedly; a one-way valve is for products that off-gas, such as freshly roasted coffee, where a sealed bag would otherwise inflate.

      What is the minimum order for flat pouches?

      A flat 100 units on any format. Most pouches in this range are quoted from 100 units upward because unit cost falls sharply above that, but the minimum exists so you can validate a structure first.

      How long do flat pouches take to produce?

      3 to 5 business days after artwork approval, plus freight. Pouch runs with applied finishes can take longer because each finish is a separate pass, and we confirm a firm date in writing with the quote.

      What do flat pouches cost?

      Prices start from $0.30 per piece for large-volume orders. For this format the biggest levers are quantity, print route, board grade and how many finishing passes are involved. We quote each element separately so you can see where the money is going. On this format the film structure and whether you need a zip or a valve move the price more than quantity does at small volumes.

      Can I see a sample first?

      Yes. We can send a plain unprinted sample so you can check the fit and structure, or a printed prototype for colour and finish. Sample costs are normally credited against the production order. A plain sample answers fit and structure; a printed one answers colour. On flat pouches it is usually fit that is worth checking first.

      Can you match packaging we already use?

      Send the current specification or a physical sample and we will quote to match it rather than proposing an alternative you would then have to re-approve internally. A physical sample tells us more than a specification sheet — board caliper and coating are usually described loosely and measured exactly.

      Where do you deliver?

      All 50 US states, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, on the same timeline everywhere: 3 to 5 business days of production after artwork approval, then 5 to 7 business days in transit. Every run is made to order and shipped directly to your address rather than pulled from stock, so you receive current production rather than whatever has been sitting in a warehouse. Freight is costed separately by weight, volume and destination. This format nests or lies flat, so a large quantity takes up far less freight volume than the finished pack suggests.

      Can I order flat pouches in a custom size?

      Every run is cut to your dimensions — there are no stock sizes here. Send the product measurements rather than a box size and we will build the pouch around them, then send a dieline template you can design onto.

      What happens after I approve the quote?

      We issue a dieline template sized to your product, prepress checks your artwork against it, and a proof comes back for sign-off. Nothing runs until you approve that proof, and pouches then take 3 to 5 business days.

      Can you hold the specification for repeat orders?

      Yes. Once a first run is approved we hold the board, structure, dimensions, print method and finishes against your account, so a reorder references the same specification exactly rather than being re-derived. It also means a reorder can be priced against a larger quantity without re-opening the specification.

      Next step

      Get a price for Flat Pouches

      Send the dimensions and quantity you need. We reply with a full specification and a written price, usually within one business day.