Min. 100 units · 3–5 days
Flat Pouches
Custom Pouches
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Stand Up Pouches
Bespoke stand Up Pouches manufactured to order, with material and finish chosen around how the product ships.
- Minimum order
- 100 units
- Production
- 3–5 business days
- Construction
- pouch
- Delivery
- US, UK, Canada, Australia
No obligation
Get a price
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.
What stand up pouches have to cope with
Stand Up Pouches hold retail product that has to face forward on a shelf under its own weight. That is the starting point for the specification, because base gusset depth relative to fill height decides whether the pouch stands when full, half full and nearly empty.
In service they are used for grocery and specialty retail shelves where the pouch competes face-on with rigid packaging.
Presentation on the shelf
Shelf presence is decided at arm's length, not close up. Contrast, the front panel hierarchy and how the pack sits next to competitors matter more than a finish that only reads in the hand.
If stand up pouches will be faced on a shelf, tell us the facing orientation so the strongest panel is the one the customer sees.
Where stand up pouches are actually used
Stand Up Pouches are specified for grocery and specialty retail shelves where the pouch competes face-on with rigid packaging. Base gusset depth relative to fill height decides whether the pouch stands when full, half full and nearly empty.
- Grocery and specialty retail shelves where the pouch competes face-on with rigid packaging
- Coffee and dry goods
- Snacks and confectionery
- Supplements and powders
The substrate for stand up pouches
A laminate structure with a K-seal or doyen base. The base construction is the difference between standing and slumping.
The options we would consider for this format are below; base gusset depth relative to fill height decides whether the pouch stands when full, half full and nearly empty.
- PET/MPET/PE laminate
- Kraft paper/PE laminate
- Clear PET/PE laminate
- Recyclable mono-PE
- Compostable kraft/PLA
Holding stand up pouches before service
The pouch will not stand once partly emptied, so a shelf of half-sold stock slumps forward.
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.
| Material | Barrier | Recovery route |
|---|---|---|
| Uncoated kraft | None | Dry goods, short shelf life |
| Aqueous coated | Light moisture | Keeps paper recyclable |
| Foil laminate | Oxygen and moisture | Longest shelf life, not kerbside recyclable |
| Mono-material film | Good, shorter life | Store drop-off recycling |
Printing stand up pouches
The bottom gusset distorts artwork when the pouch is filled. Keep critical elements on the upper two-thirds of the face.
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 stand up pouches
The bottom gusset distorts artwork when the pouch is filled. Keep critical elements on the upper two-thirds of the face.
Finishes are costed one at a time because each is a separate operation — that way you can see which one is carrying the price.
- Matte film
- Gloss film
- Soft-touch film
- Spot gloss over matte
- Metallised layer
Sizing stand up pouches
Sized by fill volume with a gusseted base — 100g through 1kg covers most retail.
Send the contents rather than a box size. Fill volume is specified and base gusset depth is left to default, but the gusset is what keeps it standing.
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
The useful starting point is the product, not the pack. Give us its measurements and the quantity, and we work the pouch outward from there.
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.
Checking it before you commit
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
Stand Up Pouches at a specification level
| Product | Stand Up Pouches |
|---|---|
| Category | Custom Pouches |
| Construction | Pouch |
| Structure | Multi-layer laminated film |
| Barrier | Moisture and oxygen barrier available |
| Closure | Heat seal, optional resealable zipper |
| Materials | PET/MPET/PE laminate, Kraft paper/PE laminate, Clear PET/PE laminate, Recyclable mono-PE |
| Printing | Rotogravure, Digital film printing, Flexography |
| Finishes | Matte film, Gloss film, Soft-touch film, Spot gloss over matte, Metallised layer |
| Minimum order | Minimum order is 100 units on any format, and unit cost falls sharply as the quantity rises. |
| Lead time | 3 to 5 business days after artwork approval |
| Shipping | Across the US, UK, Canada and Australia |
Specification builder
Specify Stand Up 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
Stand Up
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In practice
Why buyers specify this format
The dimensions that matter
Sized by fill volume with a gusseted base — 100g through 1kg covers most retail.
The failure worth avoiding
The pouch will not stand once partly emptied, so a shelf of half-sold stock slumps forward.
Where it has to work
Specified for grocery and specialty retail shelves where the pouch competes face-on with rigid packaging.
The detail that matters
Base gusset depth relative to fill height decides whether the pouch stands when full, half full and nearly empty.
This format sits in our custom pouches range, alongside 26 other made-to-order formats.
Answers
Ordering stand up pouches: the usual questions
Specification, minimums and lead times for stand up pouches.
Why does my stand-up pouch fall over when half empty?
The base gusset is too shallow for the fill height. A pouch that stands when full can slump once the weight drops. Send the fill volume and we will size the gusset so it stands through the whole selling life.
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.
How does a shelf-ready case open?
Along a designed perforation, which is the hardest part of the structure to get right. Too weak and it fails in transit; too strong and store staff tear it badly. It is decided at dieline stage, and we recommend a sample before committing.
Do I need to match a retailer specification?
If you are supplying a grocery chain, almost certainly. Case dimensions, pallet pattern and barcode placement are usually published and non-negotiable. Send the requirement and we will design inward from it.
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.
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 stand up 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.
Do you offer recycled or recyclable options?
Recycled grades are available across most of the substrates we run for pouches. Recycled content, kerbside recyclability and certified compostability are three different claims though, so tell us which one you intend to print.
Next step
Start on Stand Up Pouches
Send the dimensions and quantity you need. We reply with a full specification and a written price, usually within one business day.