Custom Printed Zip Lock Foil Bags in Gloss and Matte Colours

What is a zip lock foil bag?

Take a flat foil bag sealed on three sides, add a press-to-close zip 20 to 25 mm below the open top, and you have a zip lock foil bag. The strip above the zip is heat sealed after filling.

The customer tears across the notches, which sit level with that top strip, then uses the zip from then on. The gloss blue and purple bags in the photos are typical of the plain coloured range.

Because the bag is flat with no gusset, it uses less film than a stand up pouch and posts through a letterbox when filled lightly. For thicker long-storage versions see our mylar zip lock bags in heavier gauges.

Who buys zip lock foil bags in the UK?

Spice companies selling 50 g blends at farmers' markets. Craft and hobby suppliers packing beads, seeds and small parts. Confectioners bagging 100 g of fudge or pick and mix.

Supplement brands use the matte black or white versions for sample sizes. Bath and body brands choose gloss colours to match a product line.

Confectioners wanting a window and a stand up form usually move to our printed sweet bags for confectioners instead.

• Seasoning and spice blends from 30 g to 250 g
• Loose leaf tea and herbal infusions
• Hard sweets, fudge, toffee and chocolate buttons
• Seeds, beads, sequins and craft kits
• Bath salts, mineral salts and bath tea
• Dog and cat treat sample packs

Which size holds 100 g of spice or 250 g of coffee?

Flat bags hold roughly two thirds of what a stand up pouch of the same face size holds. Coarse products, like whole spices or chocolate buttons, need more room than fine powders.

The table above gives common pairings. If your product is light for its volume, such as dried herbs or popcorn, go up a size.

Leave 25 mm of clear film above the zip for the heat seal strip and the tear notch. For stand up equivalents, the pouch size and fill weight guide lists gusseted sizes.

Gloss, matte or printed: choosing the finish

Spot gloss over matte is a popular middle ground: a matte bag with a glossy logo that catches the light. The table shows where each finish works and where it catches people out.

What barrier does the foil give?

The aluminium foil layer stops light, oxygen and moisture almost completely. Spices keep their colour, ground coffee keeps aroma in, and bath salts do not cake.

Metallised PET / PE has a thinner aluminium coating. It costs less and suits sweets, seeds and craft goods that only need a few months on the shelf.

The zip is the weak point of any reclosable bag, since air gets in each time it opens. For products that need a year sealed, the top heat seal does the work until first opening.

Food-contact, high-barrier and compostable film options are available on request; the quote names the structure. The guide to barrier films and laminates compares foil with metallised film.

Press-to-close zip or slider zip?

Press-to-close is the standard. It is cheap, flat and reliable on dry goods, though powder caught in the track stops it closing.

A slider zip has a small plastic pull that runs along the track. It costs more and adds bulk at the top, but closes first time for customers with limited grip and for bags opened many times a day.

For bags under 120 mm wide, press-to-close is the only sensible choice. The slider takes too much of the width.

Artwork for a flat foil bag

The whole front face is printable apart from the seal edges and the 25 mm strip above the zip. On a 150 × 220 mm bag that leaves roughly 130 × 180 mm for your design.

Keep the logo at least 15 mm below the zip line. Text on the zip itself distorts when the bag is opened and closed.

On gloss coloured foil, a single colour print in white or black is the cleanest. Full colour designs go on white or silver foil with a white under-print, as set out in our guide to preparing artwork for a printed pouch.

Filling and sealing zip lock foil bags

Zip bags arrive with the zip closed and the top open. The routine below keeps the zip clean and the seal sound. Seal temperatures and other practical points are in our answers to common pouch questions.

1. Open the zip fully and fold the top strip back on itself.
2. Fill with a funnel or scoop so nothing lands in the zip track.
3. Tap the base on the bench, then press the zip shut from one end to the other.
4. Heat seal the strip above the zip; the zip below it should stay cool.
5. Pull the notch on one test bag to confirm the tear runs level and the zip survives.

Mistakes buyers make with zip lock foil bags

Choosing a flat bag for a product that must stand on a shelf. A flat bag lies down or hangs; if it needs to stand, order a bottom gusset.

Picking gloss for a bag that travels loose in a parcel. Gloss foil shows every scuff, so matte is safer for mail order.

Underestimating the zip's share of a small bag. On a 90 mm bag the zip and seal strip take a third of the height.

Forgetting a label space. Flat bags often need a batch or weight label, so leave a plain matte patch on the back. Brands who need shelf presence move to our foil stand up pouches with a gusset.

How to order zip lock foil bags

Send the product, the fill weight, your colour or artwork, and the number of bags. Prices start from £0.25 per unit and the written quote confirms the figure for that run.

Plain coloured bags are quoted without a proof. Printed bags get a free design proof from our team first, and nothing runs until you approve it. If you want to talk sizes first, our phone, WhatsApp and email contact details are on one page.

Production is 4–6 business days from approval. Free tracked delivery across the UK takes 2–3 business days, and misprints or damage reported within 10 days with photos are reprinted or refunded.