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Packaging Design

Pouch Packaging Design & Inspiration

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Pouch Packaging Design & Inspiration

Pouch Packaging Design & Inspiration (w/ Free Printable Templates)

Think of a few of your favorite brands.

Is their product packaging bright and cheerful, minimalist and sophisticated, dark and elegant, or something else entirely?

Many of us simply “choose” a product on autopilot. We seldom stop to consider why we picked up that specific product off the shelf. This is the power of good branding!

The design of your pouch packaging is the first interaction you’ll have with a potential customer.

What kind of impression do you want to make? How will your branding communicate the values of your business and the quality of your product?

These are important questions to ask yourself when thinking about design elements of your pouch packaging. Your packaging is more than just a way to seal your product. Compelling packaging is a visual canvas that can help to differentiate your product from competitors and allow you to stake a unique identity in the market. Through your design, you can communicate specific emotions, desires, and values to your customers. And thoughtful branding does this all at a subliminal level.

Eye-catching graphics, carefully chosen typography, and unified color schemes, can also significantly influence purchasing decisions and help your product stand off the shelf.

Compelling branding gives your product longevity; reeling in new customers with your design, and turning them into loyal, long-term brand advocates through your product quality and values.

But it’s not just as easy as slapping a logo and some colors together and calling it a day…

With an endless combination of colors, fonts, and design styles to choose from, creating a compelling and unified visual brand can feel intimidating. Not all of us have the time or energy to learn what feels like an entirely new language.

Keeping this in mind, we’ve highlighted some unique and varied brand identities below to help give you some inspiration and useful tips for your pouch packaging.

Better Coffee Co: Bold Coffee Branding

Better Coffee Co chose a playful and bold design that pays homage to the groovy typefaces of 60’s counterculture. The packaging gives their product both a casual and refined feel. A light airy pink and blue creates bold juxtaposition and contrast, and reflects their brand’s slogan “no weak beans, only big, bad, and bold”.

Their design also is influenced by the popular “Corporate Memphis' ' branding style; which emphasizes bold and cheerful color palettes, exaggerated shapes, and a playful minimalism. It’s familiar yet also refreshing and new. This gives their packaging a sense of easiness and comfort, while retaining a distinct and original feel.

Roastworks: Elegant And Luxurious Coffee Packaging

In contrast, Roastworks Coffee Co chose an elegant luxury feel for their coffee packaging. The black bag, gold serif lettering, and a deep mahogany colored sleeve take inspiration from the timeless styles of other luxury brands, such as Tom Ford and classic British car manufacturer Bentley. This combination contributes to a sense of exclusivity and refinement; this is coffee for people who care about good coffee.

The subtle embossed details on the raised serif font logo and sleeve draws in the customer's eyes and speaks to the importance of craftsmanship of their product. With the bright gold color helping the product to stand out on store shelves, Roastworks shows how classic elegance and attention to detail create a distinct first impression.

Portland Pet Food: Straightforward Pet Treat Branding

Portland Pet Food shows how an uncomplicated branding style can still stand out.

Compared to the often chaotic and crowded packaging designs of large name brand pet treats, Portland Pet Food emphasizes simplicity. By using negative space and a large confident font styling and pairings, their dog treat branding gives an impression of homemade quality that speaks for itself. By including a plastic window, trust is also built with consumers who aren’t looking for highly processed and low-quality products.

This classic paper pouch design emphasizes a commitment to the natural products they use in their treats, and pairs well with their slogan, “Crafted by humans, loved by dogs.”

If you’re looking for a simple and cost effective branding style, consider taking inspiration from Portland Pet Treats

pet treat branding Pouch Packaging Design & Inspiration

Sandro Desii: Classic and Refined Packaging

Taking inspiration from the symmetry and expertly crafted simplicity of their product, Sandro Desii chose an elegant and modern packaging design with geometric shapes inspired by their pasta. The circular patterns do more than provide texture to their packaging, it also frames and centers the eye on the product window and description.

A high contrast, dark typography integrates a simple sans-serif with classic and historically influenced italic serif font. Which gives their packaging a feeling of both old-world familiarity and modern elegance.

If you’re looking to showcase your product with a contemporary and clean design, this packaging from Sandro Desii can serve as a tasteful inspiration.

Macaroots: Simple Earthy Pouch Packaging

When you’re hungry for a snack, you often grab the first thing that catches your eye.

With this in mind, Macaroots created a fun and casual pouch packaging design that stands off the shelf.

The simple and warm palette connects the primary ingredient and flavor of each snack to the packaging color. And rather than go with bright and loud color tones, Macaroots chose an earthy and retro feel that speaks to their use of natural ingredients and health focused convenience.

The bold white typography also helps the product catch consumer attention, speaking to the unique aspect of the product itself. These aren’t chips, bars, or granola snacks; they’re bites and they have one primary ingredient.

By choosing a darker, complimentary shade for the product description copy, the consumer's eyes are drawn immediately to the primary text. This gives the illusion of minimalism from afar, while still providing the detailed product descriptions that health conscious consumers want.

earthy pouch packging Pouch Packaging Design & Inspiration

Haven’s Kitchen: Stylish Clear Pouch Packaging Design

With their clear packaging pouch design, Haven Kitchens takes you as close as they can to their sauces without putting it directly on your plate.

As a reflection of their detail to quality and freshness of ingredients in its sauces and herb blends, they opted for a unique and minimalist see through pouch packaging option. Approachable, distinct, and captivating to the senses, the rich colors of their sauces speak through the monochromatic black and white design. While other brands hide their sauces, Haven Kitchens puts them right in front of the consumer, letting their product speak for itself.

By proudly displaying the product, they also minimized the need for complex branding and lettering design. A simple three-tiered sans-serif primary typography moves the eyes down the packaging, where specific instructions are subtly placed between. The result is a contemporary design that speaks to the foodie who doesn’t feel like whipping up an extra sauce for dinner.

clear packaging design pouches Pouch Packaging Design & Inspiration

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Sustainable Packaging

Biodegradable vs Compostable

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Biodegradable vs Compostable

Biodegradable vs Compostable: The Main Differences

The terms "biodegradable" and "compostable" are often used interchangeably, but they actually mean two completely different things! In short, all compostable products are biodegradable, but not all biodegradable products are compostable.

In this blog, we'll explain what the terms biodegradable and compostable mean so you can choose between a biodegradable product, compostable plastics, or similar organic materials. With either choice, you can avoid toxic waste in landfills and reduce the accumulation of plastic products in the oceans. Leave toxic waste behind!

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What are Compostable Materials?

Compostable materials are any materials that can disintegrate into non-toxic, natural elements. Since compostable products break down into natural elements via a composting process, they cause no harm to the environment.

When it comes to biodegradable vs compostable materials, we'll explain both below so you have more context, in addition to the compostable definition and what the term biodegradable means.

Advantages of Compostable Products

The primary benefit of compostable plastics is its environmental benefits, which can also improve consumer perception of your brand. Since compostable items break down naturally, they don't contribute to fossil fuels, carbon dioxide, or other negative biological processes. Simply put, getting on board with the "zero waste" ethos by using compostable products will keep your customers happy.

If the compostable items can be composted in a home compost pile, this is an added benefit. This way, users can compost their items in a compost bin or home compost environment.

Disadvantages of Compostable Products

Of course, there are some disadvantages to everything, including using a compostable product. First, compostable plastics aren't as strong as other plastics. They also have a lower barrier to oxygen and moisture, which means they aren't the best option for all products.

Finally, some compostable bags can only be composted in an industrial composting facility. Unfortunately, not every city has access to industrial composting facilities, which can make recycling compostable packaging difficult for the end user.

If you're using commercially compostable plastic, you'll want to include special messaging on your compostable goods about how to find commercial composters or an industrial facility (in addition to pointing out the compostable waste must be free from inorganic compounds and food scraps!)

What are Compostable Materials?

When it comes to biodegradable vs compostable materials, we'll explain both below so you have more context, in addition to the compostable definition and what the term biodegradable means.

What are Biodegradable Materials?

Biodegradable products do not use toxic chemicals. When compared to regular plastic, they will degrade in a more timely manner (without requiring a compost bin) and won't leave behind any toxic residue. They do not need to be recycled in a home or industrial composting environment.

Since biodegradable bags are made from organic materials, they consume less energy during manufacture, especially when compared to petroleum-based plastic.

disadvantages-of-biodegradeable-material

Disadvantages of Biodegradable Material

Unlike compostable materials, using a biodegradable material for biodegradable plastic bags requires more crops and croplands to produce biodegradable products. Additionally, they cannot decompose in the ocean because the water is too cold. This can leave toxic residue behind in the oceans, impacting our sea life. naturally occurring microorganisms, and other organic matter.

Thankfully, this can be avoided by following best practices for customary disposal.

Biodegradable vs Compostable: Which is Better?

Both biodegradable and compostable plastics (made from polylactic acid or bags made from other compostable materials) are better than standard plastic materials made from polyethylene.

They both reduce organic waste and only one requires using industrial aerobic composting facilities. Whether you choose compostable packaging, oxo-biodegradable products, or packaging made from another type of organic matter, both remove plastic waste from the landfills.

Both biodegradable and compostable products result in recycling organic waste, which is a win for our environment.

biodegradable vs compostable better Biodegradable vs Compostable

Biodegradable and compostable plastic FAQs

As a leader in the biodegradable, compostable, and organic packaging industry, we get a lot of questions about compostable and biodegradable materials. Here are a few of the most common.

Can biodegradable items be composted?

No, not every biodegradable product is compostable. The terms biodegradable and compostable are list nesting cups. All compostable bags are biodegradable, but not all biodegradable bags are compostable. Compostable products biodegrade in a predetermined amount of time, based on a testing standard, while biodegradable bags have no set timeline for biodegrading.

Do compostable items break down in landfills?

It's not clear, they should if it is exposed to the right mix of moisture, oxygen, and bacteria.

Is bamboo biodegradable or compostable?

Since bamboo is a natural element, it's biodegradable. It is also compostable, though, and will break down within 2-6 months, depending on the material and composting method.

Purchase Compostable and Biodegradable Packaging from CarePac

Whether you choose biodegradable or materials that can be turned into usable compost, we're here to help. We have been manufacturing packaging made from compostable and biodegradable materials for years, and are ready to help you in any way we can. Connect with us today to discuss all things biodegradable, or get a Quick Quote to get your project started.

purchase-biodegradable-packaging-from-carepac

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Food Industry Packaging

SQF and ISO 9001: What You Need to Know

What is ISO 9001?

Like ISO 9000, 9002, and other certification standards, 9001 is a quality management system/standard that can be applied to many different industries.

The regulations focus on recognizing companies that maintain the highest possible standards, including, but not limited to, customer satisfaction, continuous improvement of their processes, a desire to improve quality, an excellent training process, and a commitment to risk management.

Compliance with these regulatory requirements shows a company's strong commitment to constantly improving its quality management systems for its customers.

ISO certified SQF and ISO 9001: What You Need to Know

What is Safe Quality Food (SQF certification) for food safety?

Add a subheading SQF and ISO 9001: What You Need to Know

SQF certification primarily focuses on food safety management systems. This quality management standard focuses on the food and beverage industry, and its main purpose is to ensure food safety and quality.

The SQF program is also referred to as "safe quality food SQF", and SQF looks at a foodservice providers product quality, the efficacy and safety of their food supply chain, and the internal systems of food manufacturing companies within the food industry.

The current scope of the "safe quality food SQF" standard, which is approved by the Global Food Safety Initiative GFSI, includes various aspects of the safety of food products, including:

Food hazard analysis
Food safety plans
Compliance with regulations ensuring food safety

The Safe Quality Food SQF certification, specifically, is typically issued by an organization or regulation body that specializes in the SQF program and the Food Safety Initiative GFSI. If you want to show your organization's commitment to food safety and quality, you cannot go wrong with SQF certification.

Which is the better food safety standard?

Simply put, Safe Quality Food SQF is the only standard of the two that focuses solely on food manufacturing and a supplier's food safety.

This quality management standard is extremely helpful for food companies or primary producers of a product for the food industry supply chain. As mentioned, Safe Quality Food is regulated by the Global Food Safety Initiative, a company committed to food safety and quality. If your company operates in the food industry, this is a quality certification to go after.

ISO and SQF program FAQs

Here are some common questions food companies tend to have about ISO and SQF certification and the certification process.

What does ISO mean in OSHA?

ISO stands for the "International Organization for Standardization," and its standards are crucial in promoting product quality, safety, and satisfaction of customers across a variety of industries.

Is CarePac ISO certified?

Yes, we currently have our 9001 certification. We went through the entire certification process and are proud that our management system and internal protocols resulted in certification.

If working with a packaging supplier with ISO certification is important to you, you can trust our quality systems. Contact us today to discuss your next project.

What ISO is SQF?

SQF is an international standard that focuses specifically on food safety and quality. The process includes the SQF institute looking at companies that supply various elements of our food chain and ensuring they meet the outlined standards.

Art File Setup

Granola Bar Wrapper Template (Printable)

The perfect packaging for your granola bars depends on great artwork, and great artwork can only be accomplished with high-quality, printable granola bar wrapper templates.

These templates are technically referred to as “dielines”, and allow designers to mockup your design, review its most intricate details, and download your bar mockup PSDs or PDFs directly from your inbox. It really is that simple!

Granola Bar Super fit packaging Granola Bar Wrapper Template (Printable)

We’ve worked with thousands of designers throughout the years, and we’re confident that we can help you, too. Our easy-to-use templates make it easier than ever before to download PDF versions of your granola bar packaging and put in an order directly from our website.

Why dielines matter

Dielines are vital in the design process. Think of them like a blueprint for a house -- would you build a house without one? Dielines are the blueprint of your design, and ensure that all the physical elements of the final packaging are up to par. This includes the packaging sizing and scale, and the location of all the visual elements, the placement of any folds or creases.

Granola Bars bag Dieliens Granola Bar Wrapper Template (Printable)

Contrary to popular belief, dielines aren’t used exclusively for boxes or other rigid packaging. They’re used for a wide spectrum of packaging, including beverage bottles, food packaging, and even brochures or business cards. Essentially anything that’s customized can make use of a dieline.

Tips for creating dielines

At the end of the day, a dieline is a collaborative effort between you and your design team. Whether you engage with CarePac and make use of our design team, or work with a team internally, there are a few tips to keep in mind as you dive headfirst into dielines for your granola packaging:

Dielines must be created as vector art.
Keep your entire creative team involved and updated, especially early on in the process.
Knowing exact specifications is crucial, and can help save you money and time down the line.
You may want to consider making a hard copy of the dieline before sending the design to print. This can help you catch minor errors before production.

As you can see, dielines are all but an essential part of the granola packaging design process. Have questions? We’re more than happy to help!

Download Your Free Printable Granola Bar Dieline

Granola Bar Super fit Granola Bar Wrapper Template (Printable)

At CarePac, we love to share our knowledge and passion for design with our customers. Use the button below to download your free printable wrapper granola bar dieline.

Remember, this is a sample so if you’d like us to help you design a fully customized wrapper for your granola bars, we’re more than happy to help.

DOWNLOAD (140x178)

DOWNLOAD (140x168)

Granola bar packaging & dielines: FAQs

Whether you’re new to designing granola bar packaging or simply need a refresher, here are some of the most common questions we get about granola bar wrappers and dielines.

What packaging is used for granola bars?

Usually granola bars are packaged in individual-sized wrappers, which provide a barrier that protects the honey granola or nutty granola bar from the elements. This way, your product stays fresh and your customer stays happy.

Should I use parchment paper for granola?

While parchment paper might be suitable for home use, we recommend against using parchment paper for commercial sales. Simply put, the barrier of the parchment paper is too low compared to other alternatives and the granola will dry out too quickly.

How do you seal granola bars?

Granola bar wrappers are heat sealable because the innermost layer of the material is a heat sealable LLDPE.

What are granola bar wrappers made of?

Laminated Metalized PET is the most common material used for granola bar wrappers. This material is typically between 2-3 mil, and for high-volume production the pre-printed material is supplied in roll stock form and fed into a form fill seal (FFS) machine.

How do you package homemade granola?

If you’re making homemade granola, you don’t have to worry about using commercial-grade packaging the way some of our customers do. As such, you can use glass jars, or for longer term storage, metalized mylar bags.

What are Kind bar wrappers made of?

Kind bar wrappers appear to be made of a thin file metalized Polyethylene terephthalate. If this is the look and style you’re going for, we can certainly help you achieve it.

Create Your Granola Bar Packaging Dielines Today

As you can see, CarePac truly takes the guesswork out of your custom granola bar packaging artwork -- and one part of that is through our easy-to-download PDF dielines.

Before you decide on a final pattern, be sure to double check the size of your granola bar wrappers, the coloring, and granola logo placement before submitting. Once you submit, we’ll send the granola bar packaging template to your email for easy download and use.

Have questions? Need help? Reach out to the CarePac experts today. Or check out our FAQs.

Granola Bar Crunch Granola Bar Wrapper Template (Printable)

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Food Industry Packaging

Food Packaging Design

CarePac’s Guide

to Food Packaging Design - Designing Food Packaging

The phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” doesn't apply in the world of flexible food packaging. Technology has made it easier than ever to capitalize on your new idea and build a brand, but just because the product is great, doesn’t mean that your packaging design is.

food packaging design Food Packaging Design

New innovations in flexible packaging and pouches allow for even more opportunities to establish a unique brand identity with your packaging design. If you’re just “enclosing” your product, you’re missing a crucial opportunity to tell your brand's story and build a lasting visual identity with a unique food packaging design.

So what is the first interaction you want to have with your customer? How will you differentiate your packaging and grab consumer's attention in a crowded market, and communicate the value of your product at first glance? If you don’t know the first thing about design or packaging, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

In this blog, you'll learn how to increase sales, encourage repeat purchases, attract attention, and create a strong brand identity through your product packaging design.

#1. Food Packaging Design & Brand Strategy

The most iconic brands in the world leave an imprint on you.

And the product is only one piece in a larger brand strategy puzzle.

To give your brand the foundation and momentum it needs to become iconic and build brand loyalty, every aspect of your branding (including the packaging design process) needs to be carefully considered.
How is the experience of your product different from other brands? What are the stories, emotions, and narratives that you want your customer to connect with?
It doesn’t matter if sustainability, luxury, or affordability, is your primary identity, the same rules of cohesive branding and product packaging still apply in a consumer's mind.

A brand promoting local tribal artisans, for example, might incorporate indigenous art into its designs or packaging. A brand that focuses on organic produce may want to tell potential customers or their target market about how they source their food products.

brands packaging design Food Packaging Design

A luxury brand will have a more sophisticated and exclusive brand voice. They may want to talk about their different flavors, safety concerns, their use of natural ingredients, environmentally friendly packaging, or anything else their ideal customer may be concerned with.

premium pouch design Food Packaging Design

But brand strategy goes beyond visually appealing packaging and a focus on sustainable materials; think about that first experience your customer has with your product. What emotions do you want them to feel? What type of materials and details can you add for a truly unique brand experience in the grocery store?

#2. Finding The Target Audience of Your Product

Packaging Target Audience Food Packaging Design

If you try to sell to everyone, you sell to no one.
In order for your brand to be successful, it needs to speak to a specific customer avatar.
Is your product for kids or teens? Men, women, or both? Now go deeper. The more layers you can pull back, the easier it will be to market and sell your product. Does your product packaging need to be aesthetically pleasing and forward thinking, or should the label design use bold colors in its unique design?

Let’s look at a quick example.
Are you selling beef jerky to younger men who live an rural lifestyle?
Or are you selling beef jerky to 22-35 year old men who spend a majority of their time developing self-sufficiency skills and exploring the outdoors with their dog?
See the difference? Your brand's identity should be specific. Otherwise, your talented designers won't know which key element to incorporate into their great packaging.

Beef jerky Packaging Target Audience Food Packaging Design

The latter gives us a much better idea of our ideal target audience.
From here, we can imagine the type of media they consume, where they shop, and what other products they might buy. And we can begin to explore durable product packaging options that will correspond to their lifestyle.
Imagine the ideal person that you’d like to sell to, and create a detailed list of their traits, interests, and demographics. If they share the same values, this is a great example of something you'd want to incorporate into your great food packaging design.

#3. Packaging Design:

Analyzing Competition and Listening to Consumers

In order to know what you may need to change about your food package design,

you need to have an eye on your competition and their brand identity.

Competitive Analysis: The first step in understanding the market and your brand identity is to identify both direct and indirect competitors in the food industry. Gather physical or digital samples of competitor product packaging and pouches and analyze designs, size, information provided, material used, information about their packaging label, and the overall ease of use with their packaging. Look for things you like, things you might change, and opportunities to be different when you create packaging for your own product.

Analyzing Competition pouches Food Packaging Design

Consumer Feedback: If you have an amazing product, incorporating this into your product packaging should be one of your major goals. You need functional, aesthetic, durable, and effective food packaging design. And the best way to find out what customers like, is to go directly to them. There are numerous social listening tools that allow you to gauge real-time feedback on competitors' packaging. Direct from the consumer insights provide a clear picture on market trends and consumer frustrations and needs.

#4. Product Packaging –

How To Make An Impression On Consumers

Consumer Experience: Flexible, textured, and unique packaging materials, turn the mundane act of opening your product package into an experience. It can create polarity and give your brand an immediate “wow” factor. The package is the first physical experience your customer will have with your brand, so why not make it special? In the internet age, small details or adding a new spin on an old packaging concept, can bring an element of virality to your brand. It shows your customer that care and attention to detail aren’t just reserved for the product itself.

Think of resealable pouches for portion control or transparent sections to tease your product. The only limit is your imagination.

candy packaging family Food Packaging Design

Food Packaging Shelf-Presence: It’s important to develop collaborative relationships with retailers to ensure you know where your product will be physically placed. For example, if your product is being placed on a grocery aisle end cap rather than a bottom shelf, you may want to change certain design elements or materials. For flexible food packaging pouches, controlling for light, moisture, and oxygen is crucial to ensure a fresh product.

There are countless options, each with their own pros and cons. Durable plastics like polyethylene are cheap and moisture resistant, but they are conventional and have a large environment footprint. Wax coated paper packaging will be more expensive, but will add a unique appeal to your product and help reduce plastic waste. Most importantly, do research and look at your competitors to see what packaging and pouches they’re using.

#5. The Art and Science of Packaging Materials & Design

Eye-catching packaging design influences consumer decisions and perceptions, and elevates your product from your competition. On a crowded store shelf aisle, you want to stand out and become one of the favorites, and the only way to do that is to take your packaging design seriously.If you want to go from “just another product”, to an industry leader, read this next section carefully…

Color Psychology for Packaging Design: Different colors speak to us at a deeply subconscious level. And if you start to pay attention to the brands around you, you’ll start to see patterns. Certain colors can evoke emotions, influence perceptions, and drive specific buying behavior. A luxury brand might choose a refined monochrome color palette, while a brand emphasizing environmental awareness might use greens and natural earth tones. Regardless of what you choose, make sure it connects to your target consumer and the overall message of your brand

Carepac art pouches design 01 Food Packaging Design

Packaging Typography: Choosing the right font is crucial to bring your brand's personality, message, and story to life. The font should align with your brand's aesthetic, voice, and packaging materials while remaining readable across various sizes and mediums. There are thousands of fonts, so get ready to experiment. If you’re a brand trying to leverage your history, try a classic serif typography. For a clean and minimalist look, try a modern and sleek sans-serif. To ensure readability on your flexible packaging and pouches, make sure your text placement is carefully considered.

Packaging design spelling and grammar 08 Food Packaging Design

Design Elements and Limited Editions: How many of your customer senses can you engage? Interactive design elements in your packaging help your product stand out and build long-term trust with your customers. These elements can be QR codes that link to digital content or even tactile textures that enhance the package itself. Carefully curated and designed limited edition packaging can also turn your package into a product itself, deepening consumer engagement and adding value and exclusivity

Pouch design proof Food Packaging Design

packaging creation process Food Packaging Design

Sustainable Packaging & Eco-Friendly Packaging Materials

In today's market, being an eco-conscious brand that uses sustainable packaging is a win-win. Not only are you helping to contribute to a greener planet, you’re also tapping into consumer demand. Your packaging can be more than just another pouch, it can be a statement of your brand's commitment to the planet. And by choosing a flexible package option, you’re already committing to a green solution. Flexible sleeves, pouches, and containers require much less energy to manufacture and transport. And they can also be made with a variety of earth-friendly materials like bioplastics, edible material such as seaweed, and plant-based cellulose films.

When considering your eco-friendly packaging, keep these three things in mind:

Eco-Friendly Packaging Materials: Current eco-friendly options give brands an option to go beyond having just biodegradable packaging. There are numerous upcycled or recycled materials that can be used to create effective, eye-catching, and durable packaging. For example, if you’re selling organic free-range coffee, you might consider swapping plastic for an eco-friendly plant-based cellulose alternative.

eco friendly Coffee 20 Food Packaging Design

Product-Package Harmony: It’s crucial that you choose the eco-friendly option that ensures the best experience for your customer. If you’re selling homemade pickles made from an old family recipe, the last thing you want is to lose that fresh out of the jar flavor. When choosing your eco-friendly flexible packaging, consider the shelf-life, temperature, and overall durability needed to ensure your product arrives pristine.

Inspiring Call-to-Action: Your packaging can also serve as a call to action. An inspirational partnership or compelling brand story can turn the ordinary to extraordinary. For example, TOMS shoes used their packaging to highlight their humanitarian mission to bring quality shoes to those in need.

CarePac Top 10 Tips

Save Time & Money

Skip the Trial and Error

Congratulations on creating an awesome product—and kudos for taking the time to thoroughly consider your packaging options. Customizing your pouches or bags to fit your brand’s unique visual identity is the best way to make your product stand out on the shelves.

With all the different packaging companies out there and so many pouch configurations and materials to choose from, what starts as a fun and creative project can quickly turn into an inventory nightmare—if you’re unprepared.

We want to keep the process fun and simple for you. So, without further ado, here are our top ten must-read blog posts for those new to the custom packaging industry.

Choose the Right Material

The type of flexible barrier packaging you choose ultimately depends on your product. It’s important to learn more about how moisture, oxygen, and different packaging materials might affect your product’s shelf life. Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Flexible Barrier Packaging. Flexible Barrier Packaging.

Packaging 101

Go Custom & Increase Sales

Maybe you’ve decided on the quantity and size of your bags… but have you thought about which colors will resonate with your customers’ emotions? Is your package designed to be displayed on a shelf and hung on a hook? Learn these essential money-making details you may be overlooking.

Increase Your Sales

Sourcing From China: Think Twice

We all know that if a price seems too good to be true, then it probably is. We’ve heard so many stories of regret from customers who previously worked with Chinese manufacturers that we felt compelled to put together a list based on their most common complaints. Heed their warnings of going into business with these “cheap” overseas companies.

Why Source From The U.S.

Know All of Your Pricing Factors

Many variables impact the price of a customized stand-up pouch. The size and quantity of your bags and the urgency of your order are the first things that come to mind, but secondary factors such as materials and printing methods can also significantly affect your costs. View a breakdown of every financial factor and get an idea of what you can expect to spend on your order.

Our Pricing Explained

Consider Eco-Friendly Options

Packaging your product with biodegradable material may be more achievable than you think. Learn more about the latest sustainable packaging trends and see a transparent overview of the traditional versus green packaging dilemma.

Pros & Cons of Going Green

Ask The Right Questions

Are you still in the research phase of finding your flexible packaging provider? Review this list to make sure you’re asking all the right questions when you start consulting with bag manufacturers.

12 Must-ask Questions

Avoid Common Design Mistakes

There are a few traps that are easy to fall into when designing your first custom printed bags, such as creating a bag design that you like as opposed to creating a design that your customerswill respond to. Save time and money by reading this list of mistakes we catch all too often.

15 Costly Design Mistakes

Forecast Your Inventory Needs

So you have an awesome product that’s designed to fly off the shelves—but if this is your first batch on the market, it can be tough to know how soon you’ll need to restock. We’ll help you find the balance between tying up too much money in inventory and missing out on sales due to lack of supplies.

Order The Right Quantity

Shop Around

Don’t settle for the first packaging provider that you find (even if it’s us). During your research, you’re almost guaranteed to come across two of our competitors: ePac and Roastar. View our competition overview to quickly see each company’s available materials, bag configurations, and printing options compared to ours.

CarePac vs Competitors

tip10 cut costs where it makes sense CarePac Top 10 Tips

Cut Cost Where It Makes Sense

When our friends or family ask us for the inside scoop on how to save money on packaging, we tell them exactly what’s in this article—so why would we tell you anything different? We want you to be happy with the bags you order, even if it means scaling back your initial orders and ultimately spending less money with us. Do what’s best for your business!

10 Cost-Cutting Secrets

If you read these 10 tips alone, then you’re already ahead of the game. Looking to go the extra mile? We have several other blog posts to provide you with even more insight. And if you still have questions about packaging your specific product, we’re here to help. Give us a call and talk to a real person to discuss your options or fill out our inquiry form.

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Flexible Barrier Packaging

ISO 9001 Requirements

CarePac Receives Certification for

Meeting ISO 9001 Requirements

San Dimas, California - CarePac, a flexible packaging solutions provider, is proud to announce that it has achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification.

ISO 9001 sets out the criteria for a quality management system, and is the world’s best-known quality management standard. Adhering to ISO 9001 requirements and becoming certified means that a company adheres to these top management standards.

Mandatory Requirements for ISO 9001

There are mandatory and non-mandatory ISO 9001 requirements that must be met to be certified, and the mandatory ISO standards include: monitoring and measuring calibration records, maintaining records of design and development output, and having an internal audit program.

With its ISO 9001 certification, CarePac has proven that it adheres to all the ISO 9001 requirements, including those listed above. Adhering to ISO 9001 requirements and achieving ISO 9001:2015 certification was a top priority for the CarePac team and has been years in the making. ISO 9001 : 2015 certification demonstrates CarePac’s commitment to the highest quality standards in its day-to-day operations. CarePac’s ability to provide consistent, high-quality packaging while increasing operational efficiencies was confirmed by the certification.

To obtain this prestigious certification, CarePac underwent a rigorous 3^rd party audit conducted by an Intercert ISO-accredited certification body. The third-party company evaluated CarePac’s adherence to the ISO 9001 requirements across the full range of CarePac’s internal processes. By adhering to the ISO 9001 requirements and becoming certified, CarePac demonstrates its a company that can be trusted. We're proud of our ISO certification and our environmental management standards.

CarePac's ISO 9001:2015 certification underscores the organisation's quality management and ability to:

Meet International ISO 9001 Requirements: As an internationally recognized standard, ISO 9001 : 2015 certification positions CarePac as a company committed to global best practices in quality management.
Improved Customer Experience: Through adherence to the ISO 9001:2015 standard, CarePac meets its customers’ requirements through a customer-centric approach.
Streamline Processes: The ISO 9001 : 2015 certification recognizes CarePac's focus on continuously improving its internal quality control and production processes. This continual improvement helps the company to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and deliver products that meet customer requirements.
Increase Operational Efficiency: ISO 9001 : 2015 certification promotes a culture of continuous improvement within CarePac. It enables the company to identify areas for enhancement, address non-conformances promptly, and foster a more efficient and productive working environment.

carepac iso 90001 certification ISO 9001 Requirements

Paul Slaney Carepac ISO 9001 Requirements

"We are thrilled to meet ISO 9001 requirements and achieve ISO 9001 : 2015 certification, a significant milestone in our journey towards excellence," said Paul Slaney, managing partner at CarePac. "In conversation with competitors over the years, I have heard many say that ISO certification wasn’t necessary, but I believe this certification reflects our unwavering dedication to delivering the highest quality flexible packaging to our valued customers."

About CarePac's Commitment to Quality:

CarePac is a San Dimas based company specializing in designing and manufacturing flexible packaging for a wide range of industries. With a relentless focus on customer satisfaction and environmental responsibility, CarePac has become a trusted partner for businesses seeking reliable, sustainable packaging solutions.

Art File Setup

Trapping Artwork

Trapping Artwork in Illustrator

for Prepress File Submission

Click to play

If you’re printing a pouch or bag with multiple colors, incorrect registration by the printer can result in gaps between the colors on the final product. Which is why it’s important to use a trap to compensate for potential gaps. Simply put, a trap is a small area of overlap between colors and is used by designers to avoid unsightly gaps between colors. You've seen art with traps on many products you've purchased, but you've probably never really understood what they were.

There are two types of traps, Spread traps and Choke traps. Some complex rules relating to the order of the color cylinders can come into play here, but here is a general rule of thumb for when to apply a spread trap vs a choke trap.

Spread Traps

A spread trap is where a foreground object extends over the background color. Apply spread traps when a lighter color overlaps a darker color background, and after trapping the lighter color will expand into the darker area.

Choke Trap

A choke trap is where the background color overprints the foreground object. Apply a choke trap when a darker object falls within a lighter background, and so reduces or squeezes the object.

Easy Trapping Steps in Adobe Illustrator

Below is a quick and easy method to trap art, using path offsets, and transparency darkening to integrate traps into your art design.

Step 1: Make sure your artwork is in CMYK color mode for printing.

Step 2: Select the topmost object you tend to trap.

Step 3: Click Object >Path > Offset Path

Step 4: For a choke trap apply a negative 0.2mm offset. For a spread trap apply a positive 0.2mm offset.

Step 5: Click OK

Step 6: Make sure you’ve selected your offset path.

Step 7: Then click Transparency > Darken

There you’re done!

CarePac can help

As you can see, creating a trap in Adobe Illustrator can be quite complex. Fortunately, our design specialists can take care of the heavy lifting for you. By engaging with CarePac for the design and manufacturing of your bags, we’ll take care of all the steps in between. Contact us today to learn how we can help you design the bag you’ve always dreamed of.

Flexible Barrier Packaging

Packaging Polymers Guide

Packaging Polymers

The term 'polymer' is used to refer to an industrial substance or other materials consisting of very large molecules, called macromolecules. Polymer packaging can be synthetic or natural in origin and can be rigid or flexible in nature. Examples of these molecules in nature include proteins, starches, and cellulose. Synthetic polymers often used by consumers in carry bags and other products include nylon, high density polyethylene, durable rubbers and more.

Here, we'll discuss the different types of industrial polymer packaging materials that can be used in flexible packaging solutions, their critical benefits, any known risk, and their composition.

What Are Polymer Packaging Materials?

One of the largest industrial applications of plastic polymer packaging is as flexible packaging solutions and materials (35% of polymers are estimated to be used for packaging). Packaging items using polymers have many benefits, including increasing the life of your products on shelves, lower cost, and lighter weight and more attractive than other packaging options like glass bottles. Polymer packaging, especially laminated packaging, is a core type of food packaging, as it is attractive, functional, efficient, improves the shelf life of your products, and has cost effectiveness properties.

Custom Food Grade Eco Friendly Reusable Zipper Stand Up Plastic Roasted Mix Pouch Peanut Packing Nuts Packaging Bags Snack Bag

tea bag packaging 3 Packaging Polymers Guide

nuts packaging 2 1 Packaging Polymers Guide

Heat Seal RCPP 3 Seal Pouch Retort Pouch Food Plastic Packaging Custom Designs Curry Sauce Bag

Flexible packaging solutions for foods include a range of different durable materials. Polymeric materials by the percentage of packaging include PET, high density polyethylene terephthalate 9%, polypropylene (PP) at 11%, polystyrene (PS) 11%, with other polyolefin plastics including polyvinyl chloride (PVC). These can help increase shelf life, preserve freshness, and is a great flexible packaging option for many applications.

Next, we'll discuss the different materials that are classified by the American Chemistry Council as polymer packaging, including polyethylene and polyethylene derived plastics.

Polyethylene abbreviation	Name	Density g/cm3	Common Application
HMWHDPE	Ultra high density	0.93	Plastic parts
HDPE	High density	>0.941	Bottles
MDPE	Medium denisty	0.92 - 0.94	Closures, and clamshells
LDPE	Low density	0.91 - 0.94	Pouches and bags
LLDPE	Linear low density	0.915 - 0.925	Pouch sealant layers
VLDPE	Very low density	0.88 - 0.915	Pouch sealant layers

PVC, minor plastics & their applications

PVC, which is notoriously difficult to recycle when compared to others on this list, typically winds up in landfills, and is the subject of numerous environmental concerns over the evolved toxic compound, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), which constitutes only about 5% of plastics. Other minor plastics, for example, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE), and nylon, constitute only about 3% of usage together.

Bottles and closures (lids, tops, spouts) account for 32% of all plastics used, followed closely by blister trays for tablets and capsules at 19% and vials, which also constitute quite a high proportion at 17%. Tubes, tube closures, and prefilled syringes, as well as patches, account for between 7% and 11% each. All other applications of plastics for packaging constitute about 3% of materials.

Biodegradable plastics

biodegradeable bags Packaging Polymers Guide

Biodegradable plastics are a series of different materials of contemporary interest and include composites of starch or other biomaterials with or without the presence of more environmentally persistent and traditional polyolefin plastics. Examples include poly-caprolactone (PCL), polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylenesuccinate, polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), nitrocellulose (NC), cellulose acetate (CA), methyl cellulose, polyesteramide, and polyamide (PA).

Rilsan® is a bioplastic produced from castor beans by Arkema (France), and is among one of the most popular flexible packaging solutions. Polyhydroxyalcanoic acid, polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate, poly-B-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), starch-PLA, starch-PCL, and starch-Ecoflex, where this last compound is an aliphatic aromatic polyester (polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate [PBAT]), and others such as polybutylene succinate terephthalate are new products

PBAT is production was pioneered by BASF. Glycerol (10-20%)-plasticized chitosan (maize), zein (soybean), protein-keratin (rapeseed meal), protein (wheat gluten)-based water-containing (10-20% plastics, ethylene bioplastics, and those making use of nano-technology such as silicates represent a new array of bioplastics. Hemp oil, soya and other vegetable oils, vegetable starch, and sugarcane give a composite 'bioplastic' (Toyota Motor Corporation); PLA and 20% kenaf (hemp) fibre (NEC Corp.) also represent new media.

NatureFlex is a cellulose film produced by Futamura. It is available in several configurations including a vapor metalized form which is more resistant to mositure and oxygen migration and other contaminants which allows for increased shelf life for food packaging, and has been used in various applications including candy packaging, and other consumer goods that require better barrier.

Polybutylene succinate Packaging Polymers Guide

PBS (Polybutylene succinate) is a sealant layer solution which allows or ambient compostability. PBS has can be efficiently laminated to NKME metalized NatureFlex, and is a food contact grade sealant layer.

The use of these bioplastics in medical use applications and their overall durability as compared to traditional plastics is a matter of continued exploration, and study by various companies.

Starch

Starch is relatively inexpensive, adaptable, and a hugely abundant resource generated from cereal and vegetable processing. Materials such as Mater-Bi from Novamont have poor gas and water exclusion (10 000-100 000 times poorer than most polyolefins), low melting points (60-120 °C), and low mechanical strength, such as tensile strength (15-50 MPa), compared with conventional plastics, which melt at 160-240 °C and have tensile strength values of 20-80 MPa.

These deficiencies mean thermoplastic starch-based biomaterials (for thermosetting applications such as trays) may be combined with more biodegradable contemporary plastics such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) or ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) because of the benefits of their gas and water vapor barrier properties, which may be 1.2-2.4 times poorer than PP, which is one of the better barrier materials.

Experimental plastics

Conventional synthetic plastics are highly favored in terms of their physical properties but increasingly less so, based on environmental impact post initial use. Consequently, a range of experimental and novel bioplastics are constantly being developed to alleviate environmental injury and accumulation in the ocean systems and the food chain.

Past innovations with limited success have included milk protein bioplastic fabricated using the milk protein casein in the presence of 4-5% formaldehyde as a cross-linking agent, the inclusion of TO, as a filler, and 1% clarifying agent such as ethylbenzene aniline or trixylyl phosphate. Zein, a maize protein cross-linked by formaldehyde developed in the past, continues to be of interest since maize growth can be considered to be a sustainable crop. Other less enthusiastically received plastics have included a soya, castor bean, and animal blood-based plastic that, apart from a dark color, was always likely to meet with some societal resistance and thus fail.

milk protein bioplastic 1 Packaging Polymers Guide

Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) developed Ardil fibre, which was used some time in the last century (around 1940) and was generated from spun and bonded groundnut proteins. In more recent times, the substance 'gutta percha', obtained from the Palaquium oblongifolium leaf, has gained interest for commercial use since it represents a natural form of rubber latex based on trans-1,4-polyisoprene that can be vulcanized with sulfur and molded/cast to a desired form. Other natural materials have included shellac, an exudate of aldehydes and hydroxy acids of lactides and esters of waxes from the female lac insect from Southeast Asia.

Fabricated films

Fabricated films for various purposes can be used directly or as part of multi-layered composites known as laminate films. Industrial over-wrap films often use single materials such as PP or laminate films. The over-wrap is made from blown and cut films of a range of plastics such as PVdC, PP, and HDPE, which are often heat-seal bonded to a tray or bottle.

shopping bags foil 17 Packaging Polymers Guide

Fabricated films vary considerably in the sheet thickness obtained in standard production processes. The thickness of sheeting can be modified but the thinner films obtained are HDPE (~12 m), PP (~14-30 m), and PVC (~18 m). Thicker standard films are produced from LDPE (~20-25 pm; referred to as 100 gauge), LDPE-co-PVA heteropolymer (~20 m), cellulose film (~20 um), and coextruded film with multiple layers (~30 um).

LDPE

LDPE is also made in a range of sheet thicknesses that can vary from 20 to 150 pm. Films can be plasma treated and metalized to provide light reflectance, or in some cases, plastic film can be bonded to thin aluminum foil and paperboard. Pharmaceutical blister packs often make use of webbing film of a thicker form that can be fabricated from up to four layers of material bonded by an adhesive. In order to ensure uniform welding or heat-seal formation the glass transition and melting point characteristics of film materials need tight control.

Cellophane

Cellophane is a convenient industrial biodegradable film used for plastic packaging that has fairly good moisture barrier properties. The polyethylene polymer is also known as regenerated cellulose or viscose and is also used for fabrics just as it is used as a packaging material. The material is formed when substrate is dispersed in an alkaline medium (NaOH) and then mixed with carbon disulfide (CS2) which is a fairly dirty process, and is considered toxic to workers. Alternative processes exist that do not require carbon disulfide, such as the lyocell process.

Cellophane is a brittle amorphous material, but the addition of the humectant glycerol gives the film significant flexibility. Regenerated cellulose is a good substitution polymer for synthetic polymers for several use applications since it demonstrates a decently low permeability to water, oil, grease, and air as well as low porosity, thereby showing good exclusion of micro-organisms.

The polymer packaging film is, therefore, useful and popular for primary wrappings for food packaging applications and those of frozen oily foods. Cellophane is fully biodegradable, being broken down by cellulolytic fungi (Fusarium spp., Penicillium spp., and Aspergillus spp.) and bacteria (Clostridium spp., Actinomycetes spp.). However, toxic CS processes are used in most cellophane production and is a worker health concern and reduces the environmental appeal of its substitution for polyolefins. CA is used mostly for photographic film and fabrics but rarely for plastic packaging as it degrades and liberates acetic acid.

Cellulose nitrate or NC was used as part of an early plastic called 'Parkesine' in the 1860s. It has limited use as a principal packaging material but does find use in terms of lacquers. As in the case of many cellulose-based materials, including pure cellulose fiber, its advantage lies in that it is made from straw or wood pulp and, therefore, is an entirely renewable resource as it can be composted or incinerated.

Polymeric Packaging Applications

Polymer packaging materials and other popular materials are both flexible and easily modified but with the advantage of being generated for little cost. Plastics and other polymers occur ubiquitously in food packaging and range from the HDPE milk bottle to PET microwaveable ready-to-eat (RTE) cooked foods trays, cellophane raw-frozen meat wrappings, LDPE salad and confectionary bags, and PS or PP cream or yogurt cartons.

Common uses in a medical context are for medicinal bottles used to carry tablets and capsules or pharmaceutical blister or 'push-through-pack' (PTP) packaging. Pharmaceutical blister packs or blisters make use of a webbing film that can be thermoformed into a mold or die of a specific shape.

Valued characteristics can include gas or water vapor impenetrability, clarity or opacity, low or high melting temperatures, non-toxic components, recyclability, and mechanical robustness. A complex formulation of blends of different types of homopolymer plastics in combination produces copolymers with unique properties.

Shrink Sleeve Carepac bottles 01 Packaging Polymers Guide

A family group shot of all the different types of custom frozen food packaging Carepac offers in keeping Frozen Food Fresh Best Packaging for Frozen Meals

Semi-crystalline vs amorphous polymer packaging

Depending on its molecular structure and functionalization polymers are either semi-crystalline polymers or amorphous polymers. Unlike amorphous-structured solids, semi-crystalline polymer solids demonstrate clear crystallization and melting point transitions. Polymeric materials exhibit a component structure similar to that observed in the supercooled liquid phase but display the typical mechanical properties of a solid.

Amorphous structured syndiotactic and isotactic plastics, on the other hand, exist in a 'metastable state' with respect to any crystalline form.

Polymers used for packaging by percentage

PET	polystyrene	POLYPROPYLENE	LDPE + HDPE	Other Plastics
9% Fill Counter	11% Fill Counter	11% Fill Counter	61% Fill Counter	8% Fill Counter
Flexible packaging and bottles	Packing Foam	Trays and lidding	Pouches, bags, and bottles	PTFE, ABS, Nylon PVC

Polymer Packaging Ingredients

Polymer packaging materials such as polyester and polyolefins routinely include between 10 and 50 ingredients, which are designed to preserve or improve the safety, performance, and longevity or shelf life of the contents. Conventionally, the biggest component in such packaging materials is the polymer packaging itself, with between 1% and 10% of included additives.

Polymerization agents, accelerators, activators, and catalysts such as hydrogen peroxide, benzoyl peroxide, zinc oxide, and stearic oxide are standard monomer function-alisers and cross-linking agents. However, small amounts of unreacted materials might be expected to remain in the plastic, and this has formed the basis of material quality control and choice or selection of the material.

Society is moving towards bioplastics

Recent trends suggest a movement by supermarkets to remove plastic from packaged products in certain jurisdictions with the top five supermarkets working towards replacement of traditional polyolefins with compostable paper or bioplastics fabricated from sustainable sources of starch, corn, or other polylactates in an attempt to further sustainability goals and reduce the amount of single-use plastic packaging. This shows that the packaging market is changing and brands need to prepare to pivot.

Bioplastics find use as fillers and foams, films, wraps, trays and containers for fruit, egg boxes, meat trays, soft drinks bottles (a recent initiative by Coca-Cola involves monoethylene glycol-PET called PlantBottle), and cartons. Poly(vinyl alcohol), or PVOH (PVA), is a synthetic water-soluble polymer packaging with the general formula [CH CH(OH)]n that has been traditionally used as an emulsifier, adhesive, in paper manufacture as a release lining, as a'textile' sizing agent, as a carbon dioxide barrier in PET carbonated drink bottles packaging, and as a biodegradable plastic sheet for covering sanitary products.

The Environmental Impact of Plastics

Plastics have been 'around' in their present form for 80 years or so up until present times, and are considered, if not recycled, to be an environmental threat thought to be able to persist for 400-1000 years. Since a calculated 6.3-8.3 billion tones have been made to date, with a mere 9% recycled, 12% incinerated, and 79% placed in landfill or accumulated in the environment, this points at very inefficient strategies for coping with such a persistent material

In the 45 year period from 1960 to 2005 there was a 1,000% increase in the amount of plastics in municipal waste to the near-present value of 10% by weight (about 40% of plastics are used solely for product packaging). The EU is at present the leading recycling regions at 25-30%. However, many of the G20's most economically powerful 'top table' countries have a poorer record on the recycling front.

For example, the USA recycles an average of approximately 10% of plastics. Germany recently had the best statistics for recycling, with greater than 60%, and both Turkey and Chile sit at the bottom of the recycling 'league table' with a mere 1-2%. The UK recycled about 37% of its plastics in 2010, some way back from Germany. Notably, Poland has been seen making the most significant improvement of approximately 900% in recycling policy and practice in the last 20 years.

At the current rate of production, as much as 12 billion tons may by 'syphoned off from landfill or generally in the environment by 2050. PE and PET are about the 'best' plastics for consumers in general and routine use as these are the most recycled; however, the usage statistics contradict this notion at present with 36% PE, 21% PP, 12% PVC, and 10% each for PET, PS, and polyurethane (PUR).

Such use means a change in global manufacturing culture is needed as a matter of some urgency as PUR, PVC, and PS represent a major inconvenience since they are not routinely recycled

Conversion Charts, Packaging Calculators

Paper thickness conversion chart

Paper Weight Conversion Chart - Paper Conversions

Common Kraft Paper Weights & Thickness

Kraft paper is a very popular material for flexible packaging, and its used across virtually every industry. It's more eco-friendly than many other materials, and can be easily customized to best represent your brand. As it grows in popularity, our team is converting more and more Kraft paper measurements into bag measurements. For context, paper is measured by paper weights and flexible packaging is measured in thickness.

kraft paper thikness Paper thickness conversion chart

This can be quite confusing for many of our customers, so we put together these paper thickness conversion calculator which should clear up some of the confusion. If you have any questions as you review these conversion charts, feel free to contact us for more information. View our weight conversion chart below so you know by how many inches to offset your order.

Our team is more than willing to help!

Paper Weight (GSM)	Thickness (MM)	Thickness (MIL)	Thickness (Micron)
45 GSM	.76 MM - 0.81 MM	3 mil - 3.14mil	55 - 65 um
60 GSM	0.8 MM - 0.85 MM	2.75 - 3.35 mil	70 - 85 um
70 GSM	0.8 MM- 0.10 MM	3.1 mil - 4.7 mil	80 - 95um
80 GSM	0.09 MM - .11 MM	3.5 mil - 4.33 mil	90 - 110um

Kraft Paper uses in Flexible Packaging

Historically Kraft paper was used in flexible pouches merely as an esthetic preference. Recently Kraft paper has also become popular when combined with compostable bioplastics of any paper color, micro format or otherwise, to create compostable pouches. Kraft paper comes in bleached white, or natural kraft brown. The exact color of kraft paper varies between lots and sources.

Flat Bottom Pouch Flexo Printing Snack Packaging for Burger Flexible Packaging Kraft Paper Bag

customized op meds printed bags Paper thickness conversion chart

eco friendly Coffee 20 Paper thickness conversion chart

45 GSM Kraft Paper

45 GSM kraft paper is best for gusseted pouches because the paper is more flexible than thicker papers, which will allow the gusset to open, and develop less creases in the paper. If you're moving to roll foils or standing pouches, this is the Kraft paper material we recommend.

60 GSM Kraft Paper

60 GSM kraft paper is another common thickness which will have a more textured feeling when touched. 60 GSM paper is stiffer than 45 GSM, but generally converts well for most pouches. Overall, 60 GSM is very balanced and you'll notice it provides a good balance between stiffness, thickness, cost, and how it feels to the touch.

70 GSM Kraft Paper

70 GSM is typically used for box bottom and side gusseted pouches. 70 GSM Kraft paper is typically laminated to metalized PET and PE to create a rigid box bottom bag. If you've ever handled a paper bag that is stiff enough to stand upright, you're likely using a paper bag crafted from 70 GSM.

80 GSM Kraft Paper

80 GSM Kraft paper is typically not used for most flexible pouches because the paper is too thick and will create a ridgid pouch which will wrinkle easily and doesn't conform well to other materials. Regardless, we are including it here as reference in case one of our customers does wish to use 80 GSM Kraft paper.

C2S Art Paper Thickness & Paper Weight Conversion

Paper Weight (GSM)	Thickness (MM)	Thickness (MIL)	Thickness (Micron)
80 GSM	0.06 MM	2.36 mil	60 um
90 GSM	0.07 MM	2.75 mil	70 um
100 GSM	0.08 MM	3.14 mil	80 um
105 GSM	0.09 MM	3.54 mil	90 um
120 GSM	0.10 MM	3.93 mil	100 um
128 GSM	0.12 MM	4.72 mil	120 um
150 GSM	0.13 MM	5.11 mil	130 um
157 GSM	0.14 MM	5.51 mil	140 um
180 GSM	0.16 MM	6.29 mil	160 um
200 GSM	0.18 MM	7.08 mil	180 um
210 GSM	0.22 MM	8.66 mil	220 um
230 GSM	0.23 MM	9.05 mil	230 um
250 GSM	0.25 MM	9.84 mil	250 um
300 GSM	0.32 MM	12.59 mil	320 um
350 GSM	0.36 MM	14.17 mil	360 um
400 GSM	0.43MM	16.92 mil	430 um

C1S Art Paper Thickness

Paper Weight (GSM)	Thickness (MM)	Thickness (MIL)	Thickness (Micron)
80 GSM	0.08 MM	3.14 mil	80 um
170 GSM	0.23 MM	9.05 mil	230 um
190 GSM	0.26 MM	10.23 mil	260 um
210 GSM	0.28 MM	11.02 mil	280 um
230 GSM	0.32 MM	12.59 mil	320 um
250 GSM	0.35 MM	13.77 mil	350 um
300 GSM	0.42 MM	16.53 mil	420 um
350 GSM	0.49 MM	19.29 mil	490 um
400 GSM	0.56 MM	22.04 mil	560 um

Wood Free Offset Paper

Paper Weight (GSM)	Thickness (MM)	Thickness (MIL)	Thickness (Micron)
60 GSM	0.08 MM	3.14 mil	80 um
70 GSM	0.09 MM	3.54 mil	90 um
80 GSM	0.11MM	4.33 mil	110 um
100 GSM	0.12 MM	4.72 mil	120 um
120 GSM	0.15 MM	5.90 mil	150 um
140 GSM	0.16 MM	5.51 mil	140 um
160 GSM	0.18 MM	7.08 mil	180 um
180 GSM	0.22 MM	8.66 mil	220 um
200 GSM	0.24 MM	9.44 mil	240 um
230 GSM	0.28 MM	11.02 mil	280 um
250 GSM	0.29 MM	11.41 mil	290um
300 GSM	0.35 MM	13.77 mil	350 um

Matte Coated Paper

Paper Weight (GSM)	Thickness (MM)	Thickness (MIL)	Thickness (Micron)
80 GSM	0.08 MM	3.14 mil	80 um
90 GSM	0.09 MM	3.54 mil	90 um
105 GSM	0.1MM	3.93 mil	100 um
115 GSM	0.11 MM	4.33 mil	110 um
128 GSM	0.13 MM	5.11 mil	130 um
157 GSM	0.16 MM	6.29 mil	160 um
200 GSM	0.20 MM	7.87 mil	200 um
230 GSM	0.24 MM	9.44 mil	240 um
250 GSM	0.26 MM	10.23 mil	260 um
300 GSM	0.29 MM	11.41 mil	290 um

White Cardboard Paper

Paper Weight (GSM)	Thickness (MM)	Thickness (MIL)	Thickness (Micron)
190 GSM	0.25 MM	9.84 mil	250 um
210 GSM	0.28 MM	11.02 mil	280 um
250 GSM	0.33 MM	12.99 mil	330 um
300 GSM	0.38 MM	14.96 mil	380 um
350 GSM	0.48 MM	18.89 mil	480 um
400 GSM	0.51 MM	20.07 mil	510 um
450 GSM	0.6 MM	23.62 mil	600 um
500 GSM	0.67 MM	26.37 mil	670 um

Grey Cardboard Paper

Paper Weight (GSM)	Thickness (MM)	Thickness (MIL)	Thickness (Micron)
250 GSM	0.32 MM	12.59 mil	320 um
300 GSM	0.35 MM	13.77 mil	350 um
350 GSM	0.48 MM	18.89 mil	480 um
400 GSM	0.53 MM	20.86 mil	530 um
450 GSM	0.65 MM	25.59 mil	650 um

Kraft Paper

Paper Weight (GSM)	Thickness (MM)	Thickness (MIL)	Thickness (Micron)
60 GSM	0.1 MM	3.93 mil	100 um
80 GSM	0.12 MM	4.72 mil	120 um
120 GSM	0.17 MM	6.69 mil	170 um

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