Custom Kraft Stand Up Pouches
A kraft pouch looks like paper and behaves like a laminate, because it is both: a kraft outer layer bonded to the same barrier films as any other pouch. That is worth understanding before it goes on a pack that makes claims.
- Structure
- Kraft paper outer, barrier film, sealing layer; layer count quoted per job
- Shapes
- Stand-up with bottom gusset, flat, side gusset
- Fittings
- Zipper, tear notch, degassing valve, hang hole
Get a price for Kraft Stand Up Pouches
Send the size and quantity — we reply the same working day with a price, a dieline and a date. Artwork optional at this stage.
- Free dielineThe flat drawing comes with the quote, before you commit.
- Proof before pressNothing is printed until you have seen it laid on the dieline.
- Die kept for reordersTooling is paid once. Every reorder skips straight to press.
- Quoted in four marketsUS, UK, Canada and Australia, in the delivery currency.
What is actually in the wall
A kraft pouch is typically kraft paper, then a metallised or barrier film, then a sealing layer. The paper does the appearance and the printing; the film does the oxygen and moisture barrier and the heat seal. Without the film the pouch would not hold a seal or a shelf life at all.
That means it is a multi-material laminate. It is not recyclable with paper, and describing it as a paper pouch on the pack is the kind of claim that draws complaints.
Ask for the layer structure, not the thickness. Two kraft pouches that look identical can have completely different barriers behind the paper.
What you gain by choosing it
| Appearance | Reads natural and craft in a way no printed film does |
|---|---|
| Matte, absorbent, forgiving; flat colors look excellent | |
| Feel | Matt and dry in the hand rather than slippery |
| Barrier | Same as an equivalent film pouch — the paper adds none |
| Recyclability | No better than a film pouch, despite looking like paper |
Kraft prints differently, and it matters here
The kraft layer is uncoated and absorbent, so ink sinks in and everything prints lighter and warmer than the file. Deep browns go muddy and bright colors go flat, exactly as on kraft board.
Design in one or two flat colors and it looks superb. Ask for a photograph or a precise brand color and you will need a white underbase, which is an extra pass and removes much of the reason to have chosen kraft.
Windows, and the one place the paper helps
- A clear window in a kraft pouch shows the product against a natural frame, which sells well.
- It is a die-cut in the paper with the barrier film left intact behind it.
- That means no extra hole in the barrier — unlike a window cut through everything.
- Shaped windows cost no more than rectangular ones on the same tooling.
Everything else behaves like any pouch
Sizing is by fill weight rather than dimensions, the gusset has to be deep enough for the pouch to stand, and headspace is needed both for standing and for a clean seal.
The shape, fitting and structure decisions are the same across the range and are set out in our pouch construction notes.
If recyclability is the point
A mono-material recyclable pouch is the honest answer, and it does not look like kraft — it looks like film, because that is what it is. It costs more and gives up a little barrier.
Choosing kraft for appearance is perfectly reasonable. Choosing it because it looks recyclable is not, and it is the mistake this format invites more than any other.
Kraft Stand Up Pouches — specification
The rows that are specific to this build first, then what applies to every job we run. Anything not listed is a question, not a limit — send the brief.
This build
- Structure
- Kraft paper outer, barrier film, sealing layer; layer count quoted per job
- Shapes
- Stand-up with bottom gusset, flat, side gusset
- Fittings
- Zipper, tear notch, degassing valve, hang hole
- Windows
- Die-cut in the paper with the barrier film left intact
- Flat colors; white underbase where a precise color is needed
- Minimum
- 100 pouches
On every job
- Print process
- Flexo in up to ten colors on the outer film, or digital for short runs and changing artwork.
- Color
- A white underprint carries normal color on metallised or clear film. Without it, every color takes on what is beneath it.
- Tolerance
- Bag width plus or minus 2 mm, length plus or minus 3 mm. Film stretches, so a barcode is verified on a filled bag.
- Tooling
- Print plates or cylinders per design, kept. There is no cutting die — the bag is formed and sealed rather than cut.
- Food contact
- A food-grade sealing layer against the product, with the inks trapped between layers rather than on the food face.
- Sustainability
- Mono-material PE or PP where the shelf life allows, which recycles as a soft plastic. A foil laminate does not.
- Artwork
- Vector PDF or AI, 3 mm bleed, 4 mm safe area, fonts outlined. We check every file and send a proof before press.
- Dieline
- Supplied free with the quote, before you commit. Yours whether or not you order.
- Sample
- A plain unprinted sample at the finished size on request, for fit and construction.
- Reorders
- Skip the tooling and go straight to press at a lower unit price.
- Lead time
- Quoted with the price against your fill date rather than promised before we have seen the spec.
- Markets
- United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia — priced in the delivery currency, freight included.
Boards and films we build kraft stand up pouches on
A flexible pack is a stack of films laminated together, and the middle layer is the barrier. The structure is chosen from the shelf life you need and what you want to be able to say about recycling.
PET / PE
A printable outer and a sealing inner. Moisture barrier, modest oxygen barrier. The everyday laminate for dry goods sold quickly.
2-ply, 70–110 micronPET / AL / PE
Aluminum foil in the middle: the strongest barrier against light, oxygen and moisture. Coffee, supplements, anything with a long shelf life.
3-ply, 90–130 micronMetallised PET
A vapour-deposited metal layer. Bright, lighter and cheaper than foil, with a weaker barrier. Most silver and gold bags are this.
2–3 plyMono-material PE
Every layer polyethylene, so the bag recycles as a soft plastic. Less barrier and a slightly softer hand; the sustainable choice where shelf life allows.
100–130 micronMono-material PP
Stiffer and clearer than PE, with better heat resistance. Suits a stand-up pouch that has to hold its shape on a shelf.
90–120 micronKraft-paper laminate
A paper outer over a film barrier. The natural look with a real barrier behind it; the paper takes only a matte, flat print.
Paper 60–80gsm + filmCompostable film
PLA and cellulose structures certified for industrial compost. Lower barrier, higher cost, and no home-compost claim unless the certificate says so.
60–90 micronLDPE mailer film
Co-extruded opaque film for shipping bags: tear- and puncture-resistant, weatherproof, and recyclable where soft plastics are collected.
60–80 micronNot sure which? Say what goes in it and where it is sold — the material follows from that. Our notes on recycled, recyclable and compostable cover which claims each stock can honestly carry.
- 01
Send what you have
A dimension, a photograph beside a ruler, or the product itself. No technical drawing needed — that part is ours.
- 02
We quote and draw
A price, a dieline and a date come back together. If a different build would suit the product better, that is in the reply too.
- 03
Approve the dieline
The flat drawing is yours to check: which panel is the front, where the folds fall, how deep the cavity really is.
- 04
Artwork on the dieline
You place your design on the flat we sent, or we place it for you, and you see a proof before anything goes to press.
- 05
A sample if you want one
A plain unprinted sample at the finished size shows fit and construction — the things a drawing cannot.
- 06
Cut, printed, shipped
The die is cut once and kept, so every reorder skips the tooling and goes straight to press at a lower unit price.
Format
Vector PDF or AI where possible. Raster artwork at 300dpi at final size, in CMYK.
Bleed
3 mm past every trim line, so a fraction of drift on the cutter never leaves a white edge.
Safe area
Keep type and anything important 4 mm inside the cut and away from every fold.
Color
Convert to CMYK before sending. Uncoated stock prints lighter; a spot color is the only exact match.
Fonts
Outline them or supply the files. A missing font substitutes silently and the proof will not match.
Barcodes
On a light, matte, unvarnished patch with the quiet zone clear — a code on gloss fails the scanner.
Not set up that way? Send it anyway — fixing a file is a short conversation, and we check every one before press. Our guide to preparing print files covers each point.
Film is finished in the lacquer and the ink, not with a laminate.
Matte lacquer
A soft, non-reflective face. Hides handling marks and the most-used finish on a premium pouch.
Gloss lacquer
Wet-looking color. Reads cheaper on some categories and exactly right on confectionery.
Spot matte on gloss
A matte shape on a gloss field, or the reverse. The film equivalent of spot UV.
Metallised effects
Print over the metal layer so a color picks up the shimmer, or lay white under it for a normal color.
Registered emboss
A raised texture pressed into the film. Rare, expensive, and unmistakable in the hand.
Kraft-paper face
A paper outer laminated to the barrier. Matte and flat by nature; no varnish needed.
Not sure which suits the shelf it sells from? Say where the product is sold and we suggest one — our notes on specialty finishes show them on real boxes.
Sizing a pouch by what goes in it, not by a bag size: kraft stand up pouches
Film packs are specified by fill, not by dimensions. Two products of the same weight can need very different bags, because density decides volume — whole coffee beans take far more room than the same weight of powder.
- Fill weight and density
- Give us both, or send the product. We size from the volume it actually occupies, settled.
- Lay-flat width
- Half the circumference of the finished bag. It is the number a converter works to, and we calculate it from your product.
- Headspace
- Enough film above the fill to seal cleanly and for the bag to stand. Too little and the seal traps product; too much and the pack looks underfilled.
- Gusset
- Bottom gusset depth sets how the bag stands; side gussets add volume without width. Both are chosen from the shelf, not the fill.
- Seal width
- 5–8 mm. Wider on liquids and creams, which contaminate a seal, and on anything that will be posted.
- Sample fill
- A plain bag at the finished size, filled from your line, is the only reliable check before print.
Not sure your numbers are right? Send the product dimensions rather than the box dimensions and we work the box out — the full method is in our guide to measuring for a box.
Interactive · five steps · no sign-up
Spec your Kraft Stand Up Pouches
Pick a shape, type a size, choose a film and a finish. The preview on the left redraws as you go, and the spec lands with us exactly as you set it.
Frequently asked questions
Got a question about kraft stand up pouches? The answers below cover what we get asked most. If yours is not here, send it with a brief, message us on WhatsApp, or call +1 503-461-4788 — we reply the same working day.
Is a kraft pouch recyclable with paper?
No. It is a paper outer bonded to a barrier film, so it is a multi-material laminate like any other pouch.
Does the kraft layer add barrier?
None. The film behind it does all the barrier work and the heat sealing.
Will my brand color print accurately?
Not on bare kraft — it sinks in and comes out lighter and warmer. A white underbase fixes it and removes much of the point.
Does a window put a hole in the barrier?
Not here. The window is die-cut in the paper only, with the barrier film intact behind it.
What is the minimum order?
100 pouches, sized from your product and fill weight.
If recyclability is the point, what should I choose instead?
A mono-material pouch — it looks like film, because that is what it is, and it costs more with a slightly weaker barrier.
Is a kraft pouch recyclable with paper?
No. It is a paper outer bonded to a barrier film, so it is a multi-material laminate like any other pouch.
Does the kraft layer add barrier?
None. The film behind it does all the barrier work and the heat sealing.
Will my brand color print accurately?
Not on bare kraft — it sinks in and comes out lighter and warmer. A white underbase fixes it and removes much of the point.
Does a window put a hole in the barrier?
Not here. The window is die-cut in the paper only, with the barrier film intact behind it.
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