Flat Pouches, Sachets and Three Side Seal Bags

What counts as a flat pouch?

A flat pouch is two sheets of film sealed together on three or four sides. There is no gusset, so it cannot stand up, but it lies flat for shelves, letterboxes, hang hooks and cartons.

The range runs from a 20 mm sachet for a single sample up to a 300 mm vacuum pouch for a side of cured meat.

Each style has a job. The table shows which one to look at first.

Who buys flat pouches instead of stand up pouches?

Brands that sell single serves. A 30 g protein sample, a 10 g tea portion or a 25 g bag of sweets does not need a gusset.

Subscription and sample businesses like flat pouches because they fit through a letterbox. Cured meat, cheese and coffee producers use them for vacuum packing.

Anyone who needs a lot of units at a low unit cost ends up here. A three side seal pouch with a hang hole uses less film than any other printed pouch of the same width.

• Supplement and protein brands sending samples
• Tea blenders selling single portions
• Sweet brands selling small bags at tills and events
• Cheese, meat and coffee producers vacuum packing
• Bath and body brands selling face masks and scrubs
• Pet brands packing a treat and a chew together

What size flat pouch holds your portion?

Flat pouches hold less than a stand up pouch of the same face size, because there is no gusset to open out. A rough rule is that a flat pouch holds about 60 percent of what a gusseted pouch of the same width and height holds.

The sizes here are quoted width by height in millimetres, with the seal width included.

For a sachet, the fill often fixes the size. A printed sachet for 5 g to 50 g is usually 50 to 90 mm wide.

Which laminate suits a flat pouch?

The same laminates as the rest of the site apply, but flat pouches are often made thinner because they carry less weight. A sachet can be 70 to 90 microns where a 1 kg stand up pouch is 110 to 120.

Foil or metallised film is the choice for anything with fat, aroma or a long shelf life. Clear PET / PE suits products you want to show, such as sweets and pasta. Kraft / PET / PE gives a paper look for tea and seeds.

Vacuum pouches are different. They use a thicker PA / PE film, around 90 to 120 microns, that stretches around the product without pinholing. Ask on the quote if you need a food-contact, high-barrier or compostable option, as each is available on request.

When is a three side seal pouch the right choice?

Three side seal pouches are the plainest flat pouch and the one you see most on hang hooks. Three edges are sealed in the factory and the fourth is left open for you to fill.

They print edge to edge on both faces, so the back can carry ingredients, a barcode and a story while the front carries the brand. A hang hole or a round euro slot sits above the top seal.

Single serve protein, sheet masks, seed packets and sweets at a till are all typical. The full colour printed flat pouches show how far the print can go on this simple shape.

How do sachets and heat seal foil pouches differ?

A sachet is small, usually under 100 mm, and torn open once. A heat seal foil pouch is a plain or lightly printed foil bag that you seal yourself. A bench sealer at 130 to 160 °C does the job.

Sachets are the better pick for a measured portion of powder, gel or seasoning. Heat seal foil pouches suit bakeries and small producers who pack bars, biscuits or trial sizes in batches.

Both are flat, both can be foil, and both are sealed on a line or by hand. The plain heat seal foil pouches page shows the open-top version with a tear notch.

• Sachet: factory sealed on three sides, torn open once, 5 g to 50 g
• Heat seal foil pouch: open top, you seal it, 25 g to 250 g
• Both: foil or metallised laminate for barrier
• Both: tear notch on one or both sides

What do you need to know about vacuum seal pouches?

Vacuum pouches go in a chamber or external vacuum machine. Chamber machines take smooth film. External machines need a channelled film so air can escape along the ribs.

Film thickness matters. Bones, hard cheese rinds and sharp coffee beans can pinhole thin film, so 100 microns or more is usual for anything with a hard edge.

Print is possible on the outer layer, but many producers run a plain vacuum pouch with a printed label. The vacuum seal pouches for coffee and cheese are offered smooth or channelled.

Why use a dual compartment pouch?

Some products are two things sold as one. A porridge mix with a separate sachet of fruit, a dog treat with a dental chew, a bath salt with a scrub. A dual compartment pouch holds both in one printed pack.

A seal runs between the two pockets so the contents stay apart until opened. Each pocket can have its own tear notch.

The dual compartment pouches with two pockets are made to the size of each half, so tell us both fill weights.

Which closure works on a flat pouch?

Most flat pouches are sealed once and torn open. A tear notch on one or both sides makes that easy. A hang hole above the seal suits retail.

A press-to-close zipper turns a flat pouch into a reclosable pack. That suits powders used over a week or sweets eaten over a few days.

The zip lock foil bags with a tear notch are the zippered member of this range. They lie flat but close again after each use.

How are flat pouches printed?

Both faces print, and a flat pouch has no gusset to interrupt the design. Full colour digital handles small runs and several flavours in one order. Plate print suits runs in the tens of thousands.

On foil, a white under-print goes beneath the colours. Without it, a red prints as a dull bronze. On clear film, a white block can be printed where text needs to be read against the product.

Finishes are matte, gloss or soft touch. Metallic effect works well on sachets and small flat pouches because the small area keeps the cost sensible.

What goes wrong with flat pouch orders?

The common error is sizing a flat pouch like a stand up pouch and finding it holds too little. Weigh the product into a flat test bag before fixing the size.

Seal problems come next. Powder in the seal area stops the film bonding, and a zipper too close to the open edge leaves no room for the sealing jaw.

• Copying stand up pouch dimensions for a flat pouch
• Smooth vacuum film on an external vacuum machine
• Thin film for products with hard edges or bones
• Printing a barcode across the back seal
• Leaving under 20 mm of film above the zipper for sealing

How do you order flat pouches and sachets?

Send the product, the portion in grams or millilitres and the quantity. If it is a vacuum pouch, say which machine you use. If it is a dual compartment pouch, give both fills.

The written quote starts from £0.25 per unit and states the quantity for that order. Your free design proof shows both faces with the seal areas marked.

Making takes 4 to 6 business days after approval. UK delivery is free, tracked and takes 2 to 3 business days. A misprint or damaged delivery, reported with photos inside 10 days, gets a reprint or a refund.

1. Choose the style from the table at the top of this page.
2. Give the portion weight and any machine details.
3. Pick foil, clear or kraft laminate.
4. Add a tear notch, hang hole or zipper.
5. Approve the free proof and production starts.