Custom Paper Bags

How a paper bag is folded and glued

A tube of paper is folded into a flat bag with a square base and pleated sides, then fitted with handles.

The front and back panels are joined down one seam, and the sides are folded inwards into a pleat called the gusset. The bottom is folded and glued into a rectangle, so the bag opens into a box shape and stands up on its own.

The top edge is usually folded over inside to make a stronger band, and the handles are glued or knotted into that band. The gusset is what gives a bag its depth: a wide gusset carries boxed items, a narrow one suits flat goods such as clothing or prints.

• Gusseted sides give the bag its depth
• A glued square base lets it stand
• Handles are fixed into a folded top band

Handles and what they carry

The handle and the top band take the whole load, so they decide how much a bag can hold.

Twisted paper handles are the everyday choice: they are glued inside the top and carry a good weight for their cost. Flat paper handles are wider and sit lower against the bag, which suits takeaway food and supermarket-style bags. Send us the weight of a typical full bag and we suggest the handle.

Rope or ribbon handles are threaded through punched holes and knotted inside, usually with a card strip behind the holes to stop them tearing. They look more premium and suit gifts and boutiques, but they add steps to making the bag.

• Twisted paper: everyday retail
• Flat paper: food to go, heavier loads
• Rope or ribbon: gifts and premium retail

Paper weight and finish

Heavier paper carries more and feels better in the hand, at a higher cost per bag.

Paper is measured in grams per square metre (gsm). Lighter papers suit small, light purchases. Heavier papers stand up straighter, resist tearing at the handles, and feel more substantial, which matters when the bag is part of the gift.

Brown kraft is strong and reads as natural. White kraft prints colours more brightly while keeping the same strength. Coated art paper gives the smoothest, most vivid print and can be laminated, but a laminated bag is harder to recycle than plain paper.

• Brown kraft: strong, natural look
• White kraft: brighter colour
• Coated or laminated: premium, harder to recycle

Sizing a bag

A bag is sized by its width, its gusset (the depth) and its height, measured on the bag laid flat and opened.

Start from the largest thing it will carry. The width and gusset should clear the item's footprint with room for tissue or a box, and the height should cover it with space left for the handles to close above it. Send us the size of that largest item and we suggest the width, gusset and height to match.

Most shops need two or three sizes rather than one: a small bag for jewellery or cosmetics, a medium bag for most purchases, and a large one for bulky items. Using the same print on all of them keeps the brand consistent at every till.

Printing a carrier bag

Bags are printed before they are folded, so the design has to allow for the gussets and the base.

The front and back panels are the main billboard. The gussets fold inwards when the bag is flat, so anything printed there is only seen when it is open. Artwork near the bottom fold or the top band can end up folded under or glued over, so we mark those areas on the dieline.

Kraft paper absorbs ink and changes its colour, so bright colours look deeper and white ink is needed to print light colours on brown paper. A one- or two-colour logo on kraft is a common, economical look.

Carrier bag or mailer box?

A paper bag is the pick for carrying a purchase out of the shop. A mailer box is the pick when the order goes in the post.

Wet, very heavy or sharp-edged contents are the limit of paper. Paper weakens when it gets wet, so bags for chilled or dripping food need a liner or a different material. Very heavy goods strain the handles and the base, and sharp corners can tear the paper from inside.

A carrier bag is also made to be carried, not posted. For shipping, choose a mailer box or a corrugated box, and put the branded bag inside it if you want the unboxing to include one.