Printed and Custom Poly Bags

Minimum Quantities and Custom Poly Bags
When ordering custom size and/or printed poly bags, the minimum order is probably the most significant consideration (other than price).  How this minimum quantity is determined is unique compared to other products your business may purchase and is helpful to understand.  Where most minimums are determined by a number of cases or individual units, poly bag minimums can vary and are determined by the weight of the source material (poly resins - Step 1 in the image below).  This results in two fairly simple rules:

• Larger and/or thicker bags will result in a smaller minimum quantity
• Smaller and/or thinner bags will result in a larger minimum quantity

The smallest minimum with most domestic manufacturers is usually 1000 lbs, though some go as low as 500 lbs.  The number of bags you can make from 1000 pounds of resin will vary from very high with a 4" x 6" 2mil bag (over 90,000 bags) to much less with a 51" x 49" x 73" 6mil bag (under 1000 bags). Additionally, as your minimum increases, your costs will typically decrease - this follows the same general "bulk order" rule of any transaction.

The diagram below is an illustration of how the manufacturing process works, which may help you better understand how custom bags are made and minimums determined.  The rolls of poly, Step 10, are then taken to other machines for cutting and sealing into the appropriate bag sizes.

More technical information on this manufacturing process as well as this source image can be found here.

Colored Bags
Most stock bags are clear, so if you need a custom color, you will be bound to the same rules as if it was a custom sized bag, even if it is a common stock size, because the bags have to be manufactured just for this purpose.  Colored bag minimums may be even higher because it requires more work and the colored resin material is simply not as common as the clear.  For example, the manufacturing line (see image above) must be purged of the colored material following production, which adds labor and time and subsequently can increase the cost.  As a result, custom colored bags may require a higher minimum quantity than a comparable clear bag of the same size.

Custom Printing Options
Most custom printing is done in-line (between steps 9 and 10, or after step 10 in the image above), meaning that the poly material is printed before it is made in to a bag.  Rarely, if ever, are bags printed post-production.  This means that you'll be held to the same rules as a standard custom bag, noted above, even though the bag you want printed may be a very common stock size.

Printed bags also have the additional charge of having the artwork done and the printing plates made.  This can range anywhere from around $200 and up, depending upon the complexity of the artwork and the numbers of colors involved.

There are two general types of printing options:

• Registered Print
  This is the most common, where you choose how many images will be on the bag and you specify the location (typically centered on the face of the bag).
• Random Repeat
  This is not as common for logos and graphics, but is most seen with generic warnings or ingredients.  Random repeat simply means that the bag will be printed at random locations on the bag and with somewhat random spacing.  An example would be a suffocation warning.  As a result, some of the print may be partial as it happens to fall on the poly sheeting in a place where it is cut to make the sheeting in to a bag.

The only way to know for certain what your minimums will be is to request a quote.  This will allow all of the variables to be factored in.  Contact us today and let us know what you need and we will help you determine what will work best for your needs and your budget.