Custom Printed Three Side Seal Pouches, Flat with an Open Top

What is a three side seal pouch?

Take two rectangles of laminate, lay one on the other, and seal the left edge, the right edge and the bottom. That is a three side seal pouch. The top is open until your product goes in and you seal it.

The pouch is flat with no gusset. Filled, it is a slim rectangle that hangs from a peg or lies in a box. It cannot stand up on a shelf on its own. It is the simplest pouch we make, which is why it suits small runs and trial products.

The first photo shows a tall version with a euro slot hang hole and zipper, printed in a colour gradient. The second shows a red and clear pouch with the window revealing chickpeas. It belongs to our flat and three side seal pouch range.

Where do three side seal pouches sell best?

Anywhere the pack hangs or goes in a box, rather than standing on a shelf. The flat shape also posts cheaply.

Non-food sellers like the shape because a flat printed pouch looks like retail packaging rather than a poly bag, at a much lower cost than a carton.

Seed sellers should read our seed bags for growers page, which covers moisture and sizing.

• Pegged impulse displays by the till
• Spice blends and seasoning rubs
• Seed packets for garden centres and nurseries
• Jerky and dried meat snacks
• Phone cases, cables and small accessories
• Single-serve protein or drink powder samples
• Craft kits, beads and haberdashery

Three side seal, stand up or flat bottom?

Each shape suits a different shelf. Pick by how the pack is displayed and how much it holds.

If you want it to stand, see our stand up pouches made to order instead.

How do I choose the dimensions?

With no gusset, the full volume comes from the two panels bellying out. A tall, narrow pouch holds less than its area suggests.

As a rough check, a three side seal pouch holds about two thirds of what a stand up pouch of the same width and height holds.

1. Weigh the product and measure its volume in ml.
2. Choose the width from the display: peg hooks and box slots fix it.
3. Add height for the product, plus 20 mm for the top seal and hang hole.
4. Add 10 mm more if you want a zipper below the top seal.
5. Check the filled thickness so the pack still fits the peg.
6. Send the numbers and we draw the dieline for free.

Laminates for three side seal pouches

Because both panels are plain sheets, you can mix them: a printed front with a clear back, or foil both sides. PET / PE is the everyday build. PET / foil / PE adds the barrier for spices, jerky and powders.

Spice brands tend to choose a foil back with a clear front, so the colour of a paprika or turmeric blend shows while the foil keeps light off the back half.

If you need food-contact, high-barrier or compostable film, those are options on request and go on the written quote. For a four-side-sealed foil version, see the heat seal foil pouches page.

Hang holes, zippers and windows

The hang hole sits in the top seal. A round hole suits a simple peg; a euro slot fits the wider peg hooks used in most UK shops. Both need a seal strip at least 20 mm deep.

A press-to-close zipper can be sealed in below the top strip, with a tear notch on each side. It turns a one-use pack into a resealable one.

For heavier packs above 300 g, ask for a deeper top seal. The extra depth spreads the load around the hang hole so it does not tear on the peg.

A window is simply unprinted clear film, as in the chickpea pouch. On a foil build the window needs a different construction, which we quote on request.

Printing the front, the back or both

A three side seal pouch has two flat panels, so artwork is simple. Print the front, leave the back clear, or print both. Plain, one colour, two colour and full colour digital or plate print are all available.

The seal edges are 5 to 8 mm wide, and print runs through them, so bleed the background. Keep text 10 mm inside the seals.

Clear-back pouches need a white under-print behind the front artwork, or the product shows through the colours. On a foil build the white goes under the print as standard.

Our designers lay the artwork on the dieline for free. Full detail sits in the pouch artwork, bleed and dieline guide.

Filling and sealing an open-top pouch

Open the top, fill, and seal across the top with a band or impulse sealer. Because there is no gusset, the pouch lies flat on the sealer bed, which makes long runs quick.

Leave headroom so the product sits below the seal line. For powders, use a funnel so the inside of the seal strip stays clean.

If you add a zipper, close it before sealing the top strip above it.

Sample packs for mailouts are often sealed on a continuous band sealer with a printed date. Flat pouches feed through those without jamming because there is no gusset to fold.

Mistakes with three side seal orders

Expecting the pouch to stand up on a shelf. It will not, so plan for pegs, boxes or a counter display.

Sizing from a stand up pouch chart. A three side seal pouch of the same width and height holds less because there is no gusset.

Putting the hang hole too close to the top edge, where it tears under the weight of a 500 g pack. Keep it 10 mm down inside a deep seal.

Leaving the seal strip too shallow for a zipper and a hang hole together. The two need about 35 mm between them and the top edge.

Ordering three side seal pouches

Send the product, weight, size or display requirement, and whether you want a hang hole, zipper or window. Quantities are quoted per order, from £0.25 per unit, fixed on a written quote.

You receive a free proof. After approval, production takes 4–6 business days, and free tracked delivery to any UK address takes 2–3 business days.

Send photos of any misprint or damage within 10 days and we reprint or refund. Mock up a layout in Design Your Pouch before you ask.