The fastest way to shorten a packaging order is to send files that need no corrections. Production time for custom bags is counted from the moment the artwork is approved, so every round of comments adds days before printing can even start. Preparing artwork for paper bag printing is not complicated, but it has its own rules: the files are printed by flexography on kraft paper, onto a three-dimensional object with folds, gussets and handles. This guide covers what to send, how to set up colours and fonts, and where the logo should and should not go.
Who does what: your designer and our prepress team
It helps to be clear about roles from the start. Vita Group does not design artwork or create layouts. The design comes from your brand team, your agency or your freelance designer. What we do is a technical check: our prepress team reviews your files against the requirements of flexographic printing and the chosen paper, and points out anything that will not print as intended. Once the files pass this check and you approve them, plates are made and production begins.
So the brief to your designer should include the practical information in this article, not only the look you want.
File formats: send vector artwork
Flexographic plates are made from vector artwork, so the files should be:
- AI, EPS or PDF, with the logo and all design elements as vector objects.
- At actual size, laid out for the specific bag dimensions you are ordering.
- One file per design, clearly named: brand, bag size, version.
A logo copied from a website, a JPEG or a screenshot pasted into a PDF is not vector artwork. If your brand only has raster files, ask the designer to redraw the logo in vector before you place the order. Also remember that photographs and smooth gradients do not print on bag paper, so a design built on them will need to be reworked anyway.
Colours: Pantone references and a sensible number of inks
- Specify each colour as a Pantone reference. About 95% of our orders are printed in Pantone, because mixed spot colours give the most consistent brand colour. CMYK is possible, but less precise on absorbent paper.
- Count the colours. Each colour is a separate plate and ink. Our presses print up to eight colours (one 8-colour and three 6-colour flexographic presses).
- Use solid colours, not gradients. Solid fills print well; smooth transitions break into bands. Replace a gradient with two or three flat tones or a pattern.
- Think about the paper. The same Pantone looks darker and warmer on natural brown kraft than on bleached kraft. Choose colours with the actual paper in mind.
- Remove unused colours from the file’s swatch list, so there is no doubt how many inks the design needs.
Fonts and type
Convert text to outlines
Fonts that are not converted to outlines (curves) may be replaced by a default font when the file is opened on another computer. The text then shifts, wraps or changes style. Convert all text to outlines before sending, and keep an editable copy for yourself.
Choose type that survives kraft
- Avoid hairline strokes. Very thin typefaces, delicate serifs and light weights can break up or fill in on fibrous paper.
- Be careful with small reversed text. Light letters on a dark background tend to fill in at small sizes. Make them larger and bolder.
- Keep secondary text readable. A website address, social media handle or slogan is useless if nobody can read it from a normal distance.
Lines, details and the limits of the paper
How thin a line can be depends on the paper you have chosen: a detail that holds on bleached kraft may fill in on a rougher natural kraft. Rather than guessing, ask our prepress team about the realistic limits for your paper before the design is finalised. As a rule, simplify fine ornaments, avoid tiny gaps between elements, and do not place important information in very small type.
Logo placement on the bag
A bag is not a flat sheet. The front and back panels are the main print areas; the sides fold inwards; the bottom folds; the handles are fixed near the top edge. Placement that ignores this ends up with a logo cut by a fold or hidden behind a handle.
Front and back panels
The main logo belongs here, usually centred or slightly above centre, so it is visible when the bag is carried. Many brands print the logo on both panels, so it faces outwards whichever way the bag is held.
Gussets (side panels)
The sides of a block-bottom bag fold inwards when the bag is flat. They work well for a website, a pattern or a short line of text, but avoid putting the main logo exactly on the fold line, where it will be creased.
Top edge and handle area
Twisted and flat paper handles are fixed on the inside near the top edge. Keep important elements away from this zone.
Bottom area
The lower part of the bag folds to form the base. Keep text and logos clear of this area.
The exact print area depends on the construction and size, so agree it with your manager before your designer starts the final layout. Our guide on bag constructions explains how the main types are built.
Checklist: artwork for paper bag printing
- Vector file (AI, EPS or PDF) at actual size for the ordered bag.
- All text converted to outlines.
- Every colour named as a Pantone reference; no unused swatches.
- Number of colours confirmed, up to eight.
- No gradients, no photographs.
- No hairline strokes or tiny reversed text.
- Logo clear of folds, the bottom area and the handle zone.
- Paper type stated: natural or bleached kraft.
- Printing inside the bag, if needed, supplied as a separate artboard.
Once the files are approved, a new order takes about three to four weeks: plates take 3–5 days, printing and assembly 10–14 days. The full ordering process is described in our step-by-step guide to ordering custom packaging.
The bottom line
Good artwork for paper bag printing is vector, uses Pantone colours and solid fills, has text in outlines and type that is strong enough for kraft, and respects the folds and handles of the bag. Your designer creates the layout; our prepress team checks that it will print as intended. The better the files, the sooner the clock on production starts.
Ready to send your files? Contact our team with your artwork and bag specification for a technical check and a quotation.