The printing route you choose decides your unit price, your colour accuracy and how fast you can launch. Here is the difference between gravure and digital on a mylar pouch, how we match your colours, and exactly which files to send.
| Rotogravure (10-colour) | Digital | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Branded runs from 500 pieces up, retail shelves, repeated reorders | Prototypes, seasonal SKUs, very short runs |
| Plates | One cylinder per design, made once and reused on every reorder | No plates |
| Colour | Up to 10 spot colours + process, dense and consistent across the run | Full-colour process, excellent for photographic artwork |
| Unit price | Lower at volume — the cylinder cost amortises with quantity | Higher per bag, but nothing to pay up front |
| MOQ | 500 pieces per design | Confirmed in your quote |
Most brands start gravure at 500 pieces because the cylinder is reusable: your second and third orders skip both the plate cost and the colour-approval step. Digital makes sense when you are still testing designs or running limited editions.
We match to your Pantone references on the actual film structure, not on paper and not on a screen — the same artwork reads differently on matte, gloss, kraft and metallised films. The colour proof is pulled on the production structure, so what you approve is what ships. For repeat orders, the approved cylinder keeps the colour stable from run to run without a new approval loop.
If you have a competitor bag or an existing pack to match, send us the physical piece — matching to a real sample is more reliable than matching to a Pantone number alone.
Full detail on dielines and the approval workflow: custom printed mylar bags — options and pricing.
| Finish | What it does |
|---|---|
| Matte | Soft, low-glare surface — the most popular retail look |
| Gloss | High-shine, makes saturated colours pop |
| Soft-touch | Velvet feel, premium hand experience |
| Holographic | Rainbow shift under light, strong shelf presence |
| Spot UV | Glossy raised accents over a matte base — logos and badges |
| Foil effect | Metallic gold/silver look built into the film |
Matte, gloss and soft-touch are available on every structure; holographic and foil effects run on their own structures and are quoted separately.
Full-surface edge-to-edge print is standard — the artwork is printed on the film before the bag is formed, so there is no "print area" limit the way there is with stickers. Inside-print (reverse printing under the film) protects the artwork from abrasion and gives the ink a depth that surface printing cannot match. One-colour minimal prints, full photographic wraps and everything between run on the same presses.
Custom printed pouches start at 500 pieces per design. As a reference, a 3.5 g matte stand-up pouch with a standard zipper runs US$0.60 at 500 pieces, US$0.33 at 1,000 and US$0.16 at 3,000. Production takes about 3 to 10 days after artwork approval; first-time orders add cylinder making, which is quoted up front and reused free on reorders. See also the full custom packaging range.
What drives the price up or down, layer by layer: blog guide What drives the price of a custom mylar bag.
The questions buyers ask most about this.
If you have a finished design and will reorder, gravure from 500 pieces is almost always cheaper per bag and gives the tightest colour control. Digital suits prototypes, seasonal editions and very short runs because there is no cylinder to make.
It depends on the bag size and the number of colours, and it is quoted up front with your price. The cylinder is made once and reused on every reorder, so it is a one-time cost, not a per-order one.
Yes. We match to your Pantone reference on the actual film structure and pull a proof on the production material. Send a physical sample of any colour you need to match and we work from that.
Yes, and the design service is free. Send your logo or even a hand sketch; we return print-ready artwork on the correct dieline for your approval before anything is printed.
Vector files (AI, PDF, EPS) with fonts outlined are ideal; 300 dpi PSD works for photographic designs. If you don't have a dieline, request the template for your size and pouch style first.
500 pieces per design for gravure-printed custom pouches; digital runs are confirmed in your quote.
We reply with pricing and a dieline, usually within 24 hours — free design service, samples approved before bulk production.
Chat with Joyce on WhatsAppor email Joyce@sainsunpack.com
Sainsun Mylar Bags