Printed Stand Up Pouches - What Material Sructure Do I Really Need?

The first step when considering printed stand up pouches was to ask the question and clearly understand what you were packaging.  Step two goes deeper to explore the type of structure you’ll need based upon your criteria for the particular printed stand up pouch or stand bag.  Your criteria delves deeper into the weight you plan to put into the pouch, the conditions the stand up pouch will be subjected to, what the ultimate use will be for the stand bag, and even who the end user will be.  The information below will shed some light onto the advantages and disadvantages of the different barrier film structures available.

 Your Criteria determines the thickness of your pouch.

Your Criteria + the thickness + the quantity needed = the price per pouch

 Clear Structures and Metalized Film Structures:  are usually very close in price when everything else is equal (your criteria).  Both can be made with excellent barrier properties, excellent strength and durability too.

Aluminum Foil Structures:  these tend to be more expensive, as they generally have superior barrier properties over clear and metalized film.  Remember, aluminum foil is just one part, one layer of the overall structure.  It all depends on your criteria.

Boilable Structures:  these can be made from clear film, metalized film, and foil structures.  As mentioned above, clear and metalized films tend to be very close in price points whereas aluminum foil tends to be more expensive. It all depends on your criteria.

Microwaveable Structures:  are made from clear films that are laminated to provide barrier properties and the strength to withstand microwave heating elements.  Anything metalized wouldn’t work in a microwave.  The price points for microwaveable clear films are in line with other clear films and are based on your criteria.

Your Criteria

a)  What you are packaging (is it a powder, a paste, a liquid, sharp, heavy, oily, greasy, etc?)

b)   Do you want to be able to see your product or have a clear window on your pouch?

c)   How much weight you are packaging into the pouch (150 grams, 1 pound, 5 pounds, etc)?

d)  What style pouch do you want (will it be a Stand Up Pouch and need to stand, or will it be a flat pouch that hangs in a display, a gusseted pouch, a tamper evident pouch that loads from the bottom, etc)?

e)  What features do you want (ziplock, tear notch, hang hole, liquid pour spout, etc)?

f)   What kind of conditions will the pouch will be subjected to (will it be in a chemical factory and thrown off of a pallet, will it be used by a consumer who will open it and place it back into his/her pantry, will it be used in a dirty, greasy industrial plant, or will it be used in a clean-room electronic facility, etc)?

g)   What price point do you want/need to be at.  Do you want the cheapest possible price to keep your product fresh for 30 days, or do you want something that will keep your product fresh for one year and withstand high temperatures, a drop from 15 feet, etc?

IMPORTANT:  As far as cost is concerned, all of these factors (above) play a role into the film structure and ultimately the thickness of the film we propose to the client.  Is clear film the cheapest?  Not necessarily.  The thickness of your pouch means how much material your pouch will require/use and this will play the largest part of your price followed closely by the actual materials (aluminum foil, polyester metalized film, clear film, etc) used in the different layers.

 Clear Structures

Advantages:

1. You can see thru it…and/or print it with a clear window

2. Excellent barrier properties available
3. Strong, puncture resistant film structures available
4. Lots of choices based upon the use and needs of the client (your criteria)
5. Cost effective (not always the cheapest…this depends on the overall thickness and the other layers chosen, but clear is always cost effective).
   

Disadvantages:

1. You can see thru it.  This is not a typo.  Some clients choose a clear structure based upon what they are packaging, their cost structure, the style of pouch, etc (see below).  If the product going into the pouch is sensitive to light, we will need to under-print the pouch with a solid color to make it opaque and prevent light from affecting the product(s) inside.

2. If you are printing this pouch and/or printing everything but a “clear window” area, consider under-print the rest of the pouch (except the clear window area).  This may add a minimal amount to the per piece price, however, if this is not done, the printing would look translucent, drab, dull, and boring.

Metalized Film Structures

 Metalized film is not foil (aluminum).  Metalized film is made from polyester and is just one part, one layer of the overall structure.

Advantages:

1. Opaque, doesn’t allow light to product inside

2. Because of this opacity, the printing naturally POPS without the need of any under-printing.
3. Excellent barrier properties
4. Cost effective
5. Strong, puncture resistant structures available
6. Lots of combinations available depending on your criteria.
   

Disadvantages:

1. Opaque, cannot see thru to contents inside

Aluminum Foil Structures

 Advantages:

1. Opaque, doesn’t allow light to product inside

2. Because of this opacity, the printing naturally POPS without the need of any under-printing.
3. Strong, puncture resistant structures available
4. Lots of combinations available based upon your criteria.

 Disadvantages

1. Tends to be more expensive than other structures

In closing, there are many things to keep in mind when considering printed stand up pouches.  Some of the information above pertains to the overall cost; some to print capability, and some to the strength and durability required.  This information should be helpful as you start this journey.  As always, your packaging professional will be instrumental to helping you navigate the road ahead.  Counting on them will save you time, aggravation, and money.