Custom Printed Seed Bags for Garden Seed, Edible Seeds and Bird Food

What counts as a seed bag?

Seed bag covers three different products. Sowing seed for gardeners goes in a small flat packet with a heat seal, usually foil so the seed stays dry until spring.

Edible seeds, such as pumpkin, sunflower, chia and sesame, go in a zipper stand up pouch like the clear one in the photos. Bird and wildlife seed goes in bigger zipper bags from 500 g up.

All three use the same laminates and print. The flat packet format is described on the printed flat pouches for seed packets page.

Who orders printed seed packets and pouches?

Seed packets are a small product that sells in large numbers, which suits a printed run. The businesses we print for are varied.

The smallest packets, around 50 × 80 mm for a pinch of flower seed, are made as mini mylar bags for tiny fills.

• Seed merchants selling vegetable and flower varieties by post
• Garden centres and nurseries with an own-label seed range
• Flower farms and allotment societies selling saved seed
• Wedding and event favours with a wildflower mix inside
• Health food brands packing chia, flax and pumpkin seeds
• Bird food brands selling sunflower hearts and mixes online

What size packet holds 5 g or 25 g of sowing seed?

Sowing seed is sold by count or by a few grams. A 5 g packet of lettuce seed is a small pinch, so the packet is sized for the print and the hand, not the fill.

Larger seeds like peas and beans are sold at 25 g to 100 g and need a bigger packet. Wildflower mixes are bulked with sand or husk and take the most space.

The foil packets in the photos are heat sealed on three sides. Their sizes and seal widths are listed on the heat seal foil pouches page.

Why foil matters for seed that has to germinate

Seed is alive. It breathes slowly, and moisture is what wakes it up or lets it rot. A paper packet in a damp shed drops germination rates within a season.

A foil laminate keeps moisture and light out, so seed stored at room temperature stays viable for longer. Metallised PET is a lighter option for seed sold and sown within the year.

High-barrier and food-contact film options are available on request for edible seeds, confirmed on the quote. The guide to barrier films and laminates explains the difference between foil and metallised film.

Clear pouches for edible seeds

Edible seeds sell on sight, so a clear PET / PE pouch or a wide window works well. The clear zipper pouch of almonds in the photos is that format.

Oily seeds like sunflower and flax go rancid in light, so for those a solid printed pouch with a small window is the better balance. Sesame and chia are fine enough to work into the zipper track, so a tear notch above the zipper keeps the first opening clean.

A press-to-close zipper suits seeds used a spoonful at a time on porridge or bread. Zipper styles are on the zipper pouch styles for edible seeds page.

Bird seed bags from 500 g to 2 kg

Bird seed is heavy and sold in volume. A 2 kg mix needs a tall stand up pouch with a deep gusset, or a flat bottom bag that stands square on a garden centre shelf.

A zipper matters here because the bag lives in a shed for weeks. A hang hole is useful for 500 g packs sold on pegs beside the feeders.

Dimensions for every weight between 500 g and 2 kg are in the pouch size guide by fill weight.

Printing variety names, sowing dates and small text

Seed packets carry a lot of small text: variety, sowing and harvest months, spacing, a packed-in date and seed count. On a 70 × 100 mm packet, that needs careful layout.

Our designers set the front for the variety name and a photo or illustration, and the back for the sowing calendar in a readable size. The packed-in date and lot number stay as a blank box for a stamp.

Full colour digital print lets you run dozens of varieties with different artwork in one order. Margins, bleed and file formats are in the artwork guide for printed packets.

How do you fill small seed packets by hand?

Small seed is fiddly to pack and a single seed in the seal area can make a packet leak. These steps keep packets clean.

Packets this size are also used for single servings of chia or seed mixes. Those are quoted as single serving printed sachets.

1. Count or weigh each fill into a paper cone or small scoop before touching the packet.
2. Hold the packet open, tap the seed in, and tap the base so it settles.
3. Check the inside of the top seal for stray seed before sealing.
4. Heat seal across the top, then press the seal flat while warm.
5. Stamp the packed-in date and lot number on the printed box.

Which mistakes spoil a seed packet run?

Printing the sowing year in the artwork is the most common one. Unsold packets are then out of date, so use a stamp box instead.

Choosing a paper packet to save money is the second. The print looks right, but a damp spring in a shed cuts germination.

Oversizing a packet for a pinch of seed makes it look empty. Keep small seed in small packets, and choose the silver mylar bags for seed packets if you want the plain foil look with a label.

Ordering printed seed bags

Send us the seed, the fill per packet, how many varieties and a rough quantity. Quantities are quoted per order, from £0.25 per unit, and the written quote confirms the figure.

Our designers lay out each variety and send a free proof with the stamp box and seal lines marked. Production takes 4–6 business days after approval.

Delivery is free and tracked to UK addresses in 2–3 business days. Misprints or damage reported within 10 days with photos are reprinted or refunded. The seed bag quote request page is the place to start.