Custom Printed Kraft Stand-Up Bags for Retail Shelves

What is a kraft stand-up bag?

It is a flat pouch with a W-shaped fold tucked into the bottom. Filling the pouch pushes that fold open, and the base gives the pack a footprint to stand on.

Unlike a square-bottom paper bag, there are no side gussets. The front and back are two wide flat panels, which is why brands like them for label design.

The outside face is kraft paper. That gives the pack a natural, handmade look while the shape reads as a finished retail product.

Who orders stand-up bags, and for what?

Our stand-up bag orders come mostly from food makers who sell through shops, markets and online stores. The pack is the product's face on someone else's shelf.

Typical contents are dried fruit, nuts, jerky, granola, loose tea, bath salts and pet treats. Anything that pours and sells by weight is a fit. Products sold by count, like cookies, often suit a flat bag better.

• Snack brands moving from deli tubs to a shelf-ready pack
• Tea and spice sellers who need small and large sizes in one look
• Market stall traders who want the pack to stand in a display row
• Online shops that post the pack in a mailer and want it to arrive tidy

How do I pick a stand-up bag size by fill weight?

Stand-up bags are sized by what goes inside, so start with one portion of your product. The same 4 oz of popcorn and 4 oz of almonds need very different bags.

The base takes up some height once it opens. Measure the fill line on a filled sample. Then allow at least an inch and a half above it for closing.

Send us your fill weight and product type. We suggest a width, bottom gusset and height, and the proof shows it to scale.

Paper, layers and what sits behind the kraft

The kraft paper is the outer face you print on. What sits inside it depends on your product, so we ask what you are packing before we quote.

Oily snacks, moist fruit and fine powders all behave differently against paper. Tell us honestly what goes in, and we will match the build to it.

If you like the brown kraft look but want brighter color, ask about white kraft. Our comparison of kraft and white paper shows how print changes on each.

Designing the front and back panels

The front panel sells the product in a glance. Keep it to your brand, the product name, one picture or pattern and the net weight.

The back panel carries ingredients, directions and any barcode. Give the barcode a plain white or light box so scanners read it on kraft.

Remember the bottom inch folds under into the base. Artwork placed there disappears once the bag stands up. A pattern that runs to the bottom edge is fine, but keep words above it.

• Leave the top inch and a half clear for the closure.
• Keep text an eighth of an inch inside the side edges.
• Use one strong color on brown kraft rather than many soft ones.
• Show the net weight on the front, where shoppers look for it.

How should I close a kraft stand-up bag?

Closing depends on your product, your volume and the kit you already own. A brand packing fifty bags a week has different needs from one packing five thousand. Some brands use a sealer at the counter, while others fold the top and add a label or clip.

Tell us how you plan to close the pack and how long it sits on a shelf. We confirm on your quote what the bag can take, rather than guessing.

Filling stand-up bags without the mess

Open the bag and push a finger into the bottom fold to start the base. A bag that is filled flat will not stand properly afterward.

Use a funnel that fits inside the opening, and fill from a set scoop so every pack matches. Wipe the inside of the top edge before you close, because crumbs and powder stop a clean seal or fold.

Fill a small test batch first and line them up on a shelf. Check that each pack stands straight and the label faces forward.

Mistakes we see with stand-up packs

Most of these show up in the proof if you look for them. Print the proof at full size and fold it around your product before you approve.

• Ordering the bag size before weighing a real portion of product.
• Putting the logo low enough that it folds under the base.
• Using a pale ink on brown kraft so the flavor name fades out.
• Forgetting space for a best-by date or batch code.
• Choosing one size for every flavor when densities differ a lot.

Steps to order printed stand-up bags

Ready to price several flavors at once? Start a paper bag quote request with sizes and list each one on the form.

1. Weigh one portion of each product you want to pack.
2. Send the fill weights, product types and artwork with your quote request.
3. We send a written quote with the suggested size; units start from $0.30.
4. Review the free design proof, panel by panel.
5. Approve the proof; production starts and takes 4–6 business days.
6. The flat bags reach you in 2–3 business days with tracking.

When is a different bag a better fit?

If customers will open and fold the pack many times, a tin tie bag is easier to reuse. If you fill to order behind a counter, a square-bottom bakery bag is quicker.

Stand-up bags make sense when the pack must look finished on a shelf. For roasted beans sold in-store, compare our printed paper coffee bags too.