Custom Printed Paper Laminate Mylar Bags with a Kraft Outer

What is a paper laminate mylar bag?

A paper laminate mylar bag is a pouch with kraft paper as the outside layer and a barrier film laminated behind it. The paper you see and touch is real brown kraft. The layer you do not see, PET or aluminium foil, is what stops moisture and air. A PE layer on the inside melts to make the seals.

The three bags in our photos show the two shapes we make: a flat kraft bag with a zipper and tear notches, and two stand up versions with a gusset at the base. All of them are plain, which is how many brands order them before adding a label or a one colour print.

Paper alone would let moisture straight through. The laminate is what makes a paper bag behave like a foil one. Our kraft stand up pouches with a window page covers the lighter version with a clear PET backing.

Which products suit a paper laminate bag?

Dry goods with a natural story sell well in paper. A mill in Shropshire bagging 1.5 kg of bread flour wants a bag that looks like it came from a mill. A tea blender wants paper for the same reason. Bird seed, oats, pulses and dog kibble all go in paper laminate bags for the look and the barrier together.

The bags also suit bath and body brands selling bath salts, dried botanicals and soap flakes, where kraft matches the rest of the packaging.

• Bread flour, plain flour and baking mixes
• Porridge oats, granola and muesli
• Loose leaf tea and herbal infusions
• Lentils, chickpeas, rice and pasta
• Bird seed, wild bird mixes and dog kibble
• Bath salts, dried botanicals and soap flakes

Kraft / PET / PE or kraft / foil / PE: which do I need?

Kraft / PET / PE is the standard build. The PET layer gives a moderate barrier, enough for oats, flour, pasta and pulses that sell within a few months. The bag stays flexible and the paper looks and feels natural.

Kraft / foil / PE puts a thin aluminium layer behind the paper. It blocks light and oxygen as well as moisture, so it suits ground spices, tea with a long shelf life, and anything with oil in it that would go stale in a PET-only bag. The bag is a little stiffer and creases show more.

Food-contact, high-barrier and compostable film options are available on request and confirmed on the quote. If you want the detail on what each layer does, read how barrier films and laminates work before you decide.

What size kraft bag holds 500 g of oats or 1 kg of flour?

Oats are light and bulky, so 500 g needs a 180 × 260 mm pouch with a 90 mm gusset. Flour is denser: 1 kg fits a 230 × 340 mm pouch with a 120 mm gusset. Rice and lentils pack tighter still and can go a size down.

Bags above 1 kg need a wider gusset and a stronger seal, because the weight pulls on the base when the customer lifts the bag by the top. We thicken the PE layer on large bags so the seals hold.

Send the product and the fill weight and we size the pouch. The bags for flour and dried goods page lists more sizes for heavy dry products.

Does paper laminate take a zipper and a window?

Yes. The zipper is sealed to the PE layer on the inside, so it behaves the same as on a foil bag: a press-to-close track below the tear notches, resealed after each use. A tin tie on the top edge is available on request for brands that want the old-fashioned paper bag look.

A window is made by leaving a strip of the paper out and backing the gap with clear film. The window shows the oats or the rice and takes a slice out of the barrier, so keep it modest on products that light spoils. Frosted windows are available too.

Hang holes above the zipper work on smaller bags up to about 250 g. Heavier bags are better stood on a shelf than hung.

Print on kraft: what works and what does not

Kraft paper is brown, so ink printed straight onto it darkens. One colour print in black, dark green or dark brown looks sharp and natural. White print needs a solid white under-layer or it turns beige. Bright full colour artwork needs a white under-print over the whole print area, which turns the kraft look into a printed label look.

The paper texture shows through the ink, which most brands using kraft want. Matte finish is the natural choice. Gloss on paper looks odd and is rarely asked for.

Our designers take a logo and set it in one colour on the front panel, with the weight and ingredients on the back, and send a free proof. Upload your logo via Design Your Pouch for a kraft preview to see how it sits.

How do I fill and seal a paper laminate bag?

Paper laminate seals the same way as a foil bag, because the seal is made on the inner PE layer. The paper outer needs slightly more heat to push through. These steps suit a bench top sealer or a small filling line.

1. Open the gusset so the bag stands, then fill through the top with a scoop or auger.
2. Keep flour and fine powders below the zipper track, using a funnel that reaches past it.
3. Tap the bag on the bench so the product settles and the top edge is clean.
4. Close the zipper from one side to the other with a thumb and finger.
5. Heat seal above the zipper with the sealer set for kraft laminate, which is a little hotter than for plain foil.
6. Hold the seal flat for a second or two as it cools, then check it has no dusty channels.

Can paper laminate bags be labelled instead of printed?

Yes. Many brands buy plain kraft laminate bags and apply a printed label on the front. The paper takes labels well and the look is consistent with the bag. It is the cheapest way to start, and the bag can be printed later once volumes rise.

Labels do peel at the gusset fold, so keep them on the flat front panel. A stamp with a batch code and best before date on the back works on paper far better than on foil. Our tea pouches for loose leaf blends often start this way.

What goes wrong with kraft laminate orders?

Choosing kraft / PET / PE for a product that needs a full oxygen barrier is the usual one. Ground coffee, nuts and oily seeds go stale in weeks. Ask for the foil version.

Expecting white ink to print clean without an under-layer is the second. On brown paper, white without a base looks cream. We add the base layer on the proof.

The third is assuming a paper bag is a paper-only bag. Paper laminate bags have film layers inside them. Any claim about what the bag is made of should come from the quote, not from the look of the outside, and compostable or recyclable builds are only ever an option we confirm on request. Our page about how we work explains how quotes and proofs tie the facts down.

How do I order paper laminate mylar bags?

Send the product, the fill weight, stand up or flat, and your logo or label artwork. Quantities are quoted per order, from £0.25 per unit, and the written quote confirms the laminate and the price.

Our designers send a free proof of the kraft layout before printing starts. Once approved, production takes 4–6 business days and the bags reach any UK address in 2–3 business days, tracked and free.

Misprints or damage reported within 10 days with photos are reprinted or refunded. Use the quote request for kraft laminate bags and tell us whether you want them plain or printed.