Custom Stand Up Pouches for UK Brands

What is in the stand up pouch range?

A stand up pouch is a pouch with a folded gusset in the base. Fill it and the gusset opens into an oval foot, so the pouch stands on its own.

The six styles below share that base. They differ in the film, the finish and what you can see through the front.

Every one of them is cut to your dimensions in millimetres, printed from your artwork and sealed across the top after filling.

Who uses stand up pouches in the UK?

Coffee roasters are the biggest group. A 250 g bag of beans with a valve and zipper is the single most common pouch we quote.

Snack and confectionery brands come next, then protein and supplement companies, pet treat makers and bakeries selling granola or biscuits.

Bath and body brands use them too, for bath salts and scrubs that would leak through a paper bag. The full colour printed stand up pouches suit all of these because the whole surface carries the design.

• Coffee roasters and tea blenders
• Snack, nut and confectionery brands
• Protein, supplement and sports nutrition companies
• Pet treat and dried pet food makers
• Bakeries, granola and dried goods producers
• Bath salt, scrub and soap brands

What size stand up pouch do you need for your fill weight?

Size follows fill weight and the bulk density of the product. Coffee beans take more room per gram than ground coffee, and granola takes more room than sugar.

The sizes here are common starting points for roasted coffee. Powders and granules usually need a pouch one step smaller for the same weight.

The working out behind these numbers is in the guide to stand up pouch sizes. It covers 100 g to 2 kg with a density figure for each product type.

Two sizes cover most ranges: a retail size and a bulk size. Roasters often run 250 g and 1 kg. Protein brands run 500 g and 2 kg, with the smaller pouch doing most of the sales online.

Which laminate should a stand up pouch be made from?

The outer layer gives the look, the middle layer gives the barrier and the inner layer makes the seal. Most stand up pouches are three-layer laminates of about 100 to 120 microns.

PET / foil / PE blocks oxygen, moisture and light almost completely. Metallised PET / PE is close behind at a lower cost. Kraft / PET / PE and clear PET / PE let more oxygen through, so they suit products that sell within a few months.

For roasted coffee, protein or anything with fats that go rancid, choose foil. The silver foil stand up pouches are the usual pick for a 12 month shelf life. Films for food contact, higher barrier or compostable use are options confirmed on request with your quote.

Thickness is the other decision. A 100 g pouch is fine at 90 to 100 microns. A 1 kg pouch wants 110 to 120 microns so the gusset does not sag and the top seal holds the weight when the pouch is lifted by one corner.

When does a kraft stand up pouch make sense?

Kraft paper on the outside reads as natural and handmade. It suits coffee, tea, granola, dried fruit and dog treats sold at farm shops, markets and online.

Behind the paper sits a PET and PE layer, or foil for longer shelf life. The paper is for looks, the laminate does the work.

Print on kraft is softer than print on white film. Dark one and two colour designs look best. Pale colours need a white under-print or they sink into the brown. See the kraft stand up pouches with a barrier layer for photos of both.

Should your stand up pouch have a window?

A window shows the product and sells it from the shelf. Jelly sweets, mixed nuts, pasta shapes and biscuits all benefit.

Windows can be rectangles, ovals or a shape cut from your artwork, like a mug or a paw print. Frosted windows soften the view and hide small crumbs on the inside of the film.

Products that are harmed by light, such as coffee and oils, are better off without one. The stand up pouches with a shaped window keep the window well above the gusset so it is not hidden by the fold.

• Rectangle, oval or custom shaped windows
• Clear for bright products, frosted for a softer look
• Keep the window 10 mm or more from any seal
• Skip the window for coffee, oils and anything light-sensitive

Which zipper and closure work on a filling line?

The pouch arrives with the zipper and tear notch already in place and the top open. You fill through the top and heat seal above the zipper.

A press-to-close zipper is the standard. It costs less and seals with a thumb. A slider zipper is easier for older hands and for wide pouches over 200 mm.

A one-way degassing valve is added for roasted coffee. A hang hole above the top seal lets the pouch hang on a peg hook. The resealable zipper pouches with a tear notch page shows where each of these sits.

Why choose a matte black stand up pouch?

Matte black with a soft touch finish feels expensive in the hand. Protein brands, specialty coffee and premium pet treats use it for that reason.

On black, the design is usually white or metallic. Spot gloss over matte lets a logo shine against a flat background. White under-print makes any colour sit bright on top of the black.

The film underneath is usually metallised or foil, so the barrier is high. The matte black stand up pouches with spot gloss are the range's most ordered premium style.

How is a stand up pouch printed?

Full colour digital print suits runs from a few hundred to a few thousand and handles photos, gradients and several flavours in one order. Full colour plate print suits larger runs where each colour is matched to a reference.

One and two colour print keeps cost down and looks sharp on kraft and foil. White under-print goes beneath the colours on any foil or kraft pouch so they do not go dull.

Finishes are matte, gloss, soft touch matte, spot gloss over matte and metallic effect. The free design proof shows the pouch flat, with the seal areas and the gusset fold marked so nothing important lands on a crease.

What goes wrong with stand up pouch orders?

Most problems come from the brief, not the print. A pouch sized from a competitor's bag, a window placed where the gusset folds, or a barcode printed on metallic film without white behind it.

The second group is filling. A pouch filled to the top seal cannot be sealed cleanly. Leave 30 to 40 mm of film above the product for the sealing jaw.

• Sizing by eye instead of weighing a sample into a test pouch
• Ordering kraft or clear film for roasted coffee that needs 12 months
• Putting text or a barcode across the gusset crease
• Choosing a press-to-close zipper on a pouch wider than 220 mm
• Forgetting the valve on fresh roasted coffee
• Overfilling so the top seal is wrinkled or weak

How do you order custom stand up pouches?

Send the product, the fill weight in grams, the quantity and your logo or artwork. If you have a pouch you like, send its width, height and gusset in millimetres.

You get a written quote from £0.25 per unit, with quantities quoted per order. A free design proof follows, drawn on the dieline for your size.

Once you approve the proof, printing and making take 4 to 6 business days. The pouches then travel free and tracked to any UK address in 2 to 3 business days.

If a box arrives damaged or a print is wrong, send photos within 10 days. We reprint the affected pouches or refund them.

1. Tell us the product, fill weight and quantity.
2. Pick the film: printed, kraft, window, foil or matte black.
3. Choose the closure: zipper, slider, valve or tear notch only.
4. Send artwork or a logo for the free proof.
5. Approve the proof and production starts.
6. Receive the pouches flat and top open, ready to fill.