Custom Bakery Bags for Bread, Pastries and Counter Sales

What makes a bag a bakery bag?

A bakery bag is the plain-looking workhorse behind the counter. It has no handles, opens fast, and takes whatever the customer points at.

Most shops run two shapes. A flat sheet bag with a serrated mouth slides over a croissant in one move. A square-bottom bag stands open for a loaf or a mixed dozen.

Because they are filled in front of the customer, speed matters more than looks. A good bakery bag opens on the first pinch and never needs a second try.

Independent bakeries, café chains, grocery bakery departments and farmers market stalls order them. You can see the wider family on our bakery and café bags range.

Which bake goes in which bag?

The quickest way to set up a counter is to match each shelf to one bag. Staff stop guessing and lines move faster.

How do I measure for bakery bags?

Measure your largest item on each shelf, not the average one. Add about an inch to the width and two inches to the height.

For flat bags, the item's thickness eats into usable width. A tall muffin needs a wider flat bag than a croissant of the same length.

Square bottom bags are measured width × gusset × height. Our paper bag sizes chart lists common US sizes if you want a starting point.

Brown kraft or white kraft for a bakery?

Brown kraft reads rustic and hides flour dust well. Dark one-color logos look strong on it, and it costs less ink to print.

White kraft makes colors brighter and suits patisseries, cafés and dessert shops. It also shows butter spots sooner, which matters for laminated pastries.

Many bakeries choose brown for bread and white for sweet items. That split also helps staff grab the right bag quickly.

If your shop already has a strong brand color, colored paper is possible too. Ask us to match it on the proof before anything prints.

Paper weight for counter bags

Light paper around 50–60 gsm folds easily and suits pastries and flat bags. It is the usual choice when staff fill hundreds a day.

For dense sourdough or a bag of six rolls, step up to 70–80 gsm. The bag keeps its shape and the bottom folds stay put.

Heavier paper is not always better for pastries. A stiff bag is harder to slide over a soft croissant without bending the tips.

These weights are guidance, not a rating. Tell us the heaviest bag your counter sends out and the quote will name a paper to match.

Printing a logo on bakery bags

Most counter bags carry a simple one-color mark, often in brown or black ink. It prints fast, reads well on kraft, and keeps the quote low.

Two-color and full-color print are options when you want a pattern or a photo. Print one side if the bag mostly sits on a shelf. Print both sides if customers carry it down the street.

Keep text away from the serrated edge and the bottom folds. Small type near a fold can crack or disappear.

A phone number or website under the logo turns every bag into a small ad. Customers keep bakery bags for lunches, so the print travels.

Tips for using bakery bags at the counter

• Stack flat bags mouth-up in a shallow tray so staff can pinch one open.
• Let bread cool before bagging. Steam softens the paper and the crust.
• Slip a sheet of tissue under sticky pastries to keep icing off the print.
• Keep a square-bottom size for orders too big for a flat bag.
• Store unused packs flat and dry, away from ovens and sinks.
• Rotate older packs to the front so the bottom of the stack does not yellow in sunlight.

How many bakery bags does a shop use in a week?

Count transactions, not items. A customer buying three pastries usually takes one bag, while a loaf and a cake slice often take two.

Track a normal week by tallying bags at closing for each size. Small flat bags almost always run out first, so weight your order toward them.

Then add a buffer for busy weekends and holidays. If you want a worked example, see our order quantity guide for paper bags.

Mistakes bakeries make when ordering bags

The most common mistake is ordering one size for everything. A loaf bag swallows a single cookie, and a pastry bag splits around a boule.

The second is printing fine artwork on light paper. Thin lines and tiny type blur on uncoated kraft, so keep the logo bold.

The third is forgetting the gusset. A flat bag cannot hold a round loaf without straining at the seams.

The last one is running out. A busy weekend can use twice the bags of a quiet week, so reorder before the final carton opens.

Bakery bags for markets, pop-up stalls and events

Market stalls need bags that work without a counter. Square bottoms stand on a folding table and make the stall look tidy.

Wind is the other problem outdoors. Keep flat bags under a weight or in a lidded crate so the top few do not blow away.

If you sell seasonal bakes for Easter or Valentine's, reprint the same sizes in a new ink color. The bag shape stays the same, so only the artwork changes.

How to order custom bakery bags

Each bakery bag size is priced on its own line, from $0.30 per unit. The written quote spells every line out. You can request a bakery bag quote with several sizes in one go.

1. List the bakes you sell and measure the largest item on each shelf.
2. Pick brown or white kraft and a flat or square bottom for each size.
3. Send your logo through the quote form, or try it first in Design Your Bag.
4. Approve the free design proof we send you.
5. We produce your bags in 4–6 business days, then ship them tracked in 2–3 business days.