For the past 18 months the United States and the world economy for that matter has been in a major recession. It appears the good times have come to an end for a while, and companies are learning to adjust their spending, especially when it comes to items that they are not selling to make a profit on. When annual costs are reviewed and budgets are made, one of the first categories people look at are supplies. As packaging, (and specifically Custom Printed Paper Bags) are considered a supply, companies worldwide are looking for ways to reduce the amount of money being spent on these items.

Sometimes this thinking can be penny wise and pound foolish, as quality Custom Printed Paper Bags are a great and inexpensive form of marketing, and not just simply a “supply”. Custom Printed Paper Bags are beautiful to look at, serve an actual function (which is more than can be said regarding print ads), and tend to be used more than once, thus increasing the amount of times the marketplace will see your companies logo and information. So it is just good business to make sure you put your best foot forward when manufacturing Custom Printed Paper Bags.

In reality, what needs to be done is a reevaluation of your packaging needs. During the “headier” years, some companies didn’t think twice regarding the type of Custom Printed Paper Bags they were purchasing. They purchased Custom Printed Paper Bags made from heavier material, with intricate handles, and had complicated art. If you concentrate just on these 3 area’s your company save money, and while it may not seem like much, when you print thousands or tens of thousands Custom Printed Paper Bags, those little savings add up.

How can you Save Money Manufacturing Custom Printed Paper Bags?

1. First of all, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to create a premium Custom Paper Bag. The least expensive paper bag in the market place is a Kraft Paper Bag. Though that may not sound like an upscale type of bag, take a look at some of the bags that higher end retail stores use. Once of the largest department Stores in the world is famous for their bag, and it’s merely a twisted handle paper bag printed 1 color on 2 sides. They created a unique brand with their twisted handle paper bags by coming up with a unique saying, which is known worldwide!It isn’t the bag that people have come to known, it’s the unique phrase that’s printed on the bag and “how the print is laid out”, and a plain Kraft twisted handle paper bag is extremely economical, even in smaller runs of 1000. All you need to do is customize a Kraft paper bag with a catchy saying or a logo that is very unique. Also, Twisted Handle Paper Bags are very eco friendly, so not only will you have created a unique upscale bag, but an eco friendly bag to boot! And as anyone knows these days, showing your customers that you care about the environment is just good business.

2. What if your brand requires a higher end Custom Printed Paper Bag? If you are looking for a Custom Printed Paper Bag, the options are endless, and the question now becomes, what are the features you value most when it comes to Custom Paper Bags that appeal to a higher end segment of the market? Remember, the more features and more intricate the art is, the more the bag is going to cost. If you stick with the stock colors that the manufacturer offers, you will save money. Most manufacturers can manufacturer any custom color you want, but that will result in a higher price. Also, think about the type of handle you want on the bag. The most economical handle, will be a die cut handle, which is basically a die cut hole punched through the paper. If you want a handle that “extends” from the top of the paper bag, you can opt for a twisted paper handle, this is also an economic choice. After that you are going to start to pay more for handles such as cotton rope or ribbon handles. One good piece of advice for those of you that chose this option is instead of a cotton rope or ribbon handle on your paper bag, go for a cord made from polyethylene. With any of these options, the thicker the handle, the more money you will pay.

The one downside to LDPE plastic bags is that although they are clear, they are not “crystal clear”.  If you want a plastic bag that is crystal clear, then the type of film you want the plastic bag to be constructed from is called polypropylene.  Polypropylene bags are the perfect type of bag when you want the absolute best exposure for your product.  Typically polypropylene bags are made from 1.2 mil to about 3 mil.

The one downside to polypropylene bags is that any items that may have a sharp corner can puncture the bag.  Any plastic bag can be punctured, but die to the rigidness of polypropylene; it is much easier to do so.  Both Low density polyethylene and polypropylene bags can be manufactured with a variety of options including headers, lip and tape, hang holes, and of course they can be printed.

Adart Poly Bag is a New York based manufacturer of both Polypropylene and low density poly bags.

Flat Clear Poly Bags | Polypropylene Bags

We would not recommend the use of zip lock bags if you want to maintain the consistency of an item for longer than a week.  Zip lock bags are also perfect for small items such as nails, nuts, bolts, small jewelry, or anything else that is small and needs to have a seal that can open and reclose.  This is why zip lock bags are called re closable bags.

Zip lock bags typically come in 2 mil and 4 mil.  2 mil zip lock bags are good for everyday items that do not have sharp end or have significant weight.  4 mil zip lock bags are for heavier items or items that have sharp edges.  That standard stock sizes of zip lock bags range from 2 x 3 al the way up to 18 x 20.  Usually after that zip lock bags will need to be custom made if you want a larger size or gauge.  Another type of zip lock bag is a zip lock bag with a write on white block.  This enables you to write on the zip lock bag, so you know what the contents are inside.

Zip lock bags can also be custom printed.  Custom printed zip lock bags can be printed up to 8 colors including process print.

Even after all the talk about global warming and the damage most plastic bags (typically most people are concerned with Plastic T Shirt Bags) are causing in our environment, most supermarkets are still using plastic T Shirt bags indiscriminately to package customer purchases, as they are an inexpensive packaging solution. Plastic bags are definitely a detriment to our environment, with the most emphasis on the plastic T-Sack or plastic T Shirt Bag. These are the most common type of plastic bags that are found in our landfills as they are very popular with a majority of retailers, they last many years, and cause all kinds of issues that prevent our landfills to operate properly. Plastic T Shirt bags are also a danger to our wild life, causing animals to choke or get tangled in them. It is true, all plastic bags are not good for our environment and dangerous to our wild life when they are not disposed of properly, but there are many benefits we receive from all varieties plastic bags, and if disposed of properly, they can be recycled and used over again, which is a very simple solution. Plastic bags are a valuable resource that have many applications across all industries, and without them, we would not be able to function as a society. For example, plastic bags are commonly used for a variety of health care applications, and are also a very good protective barrier for the containment of hazardous waste. These are just a few of the indispensable applications that plastic bags provide. It is time to recognize which applications plastic bags are crucial for and not throw the entire group into one category. For example, retailers should start utilizing reusable non woven polypropylene (NWPP) bags, which can be used over and over again, which would be an excellent replacement for plastic t shirt bags (T-Sacks). According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. This is one major area where we should focus on the reduction of plastic bags, as they do not provide a critical need to our society.
Reusable shopping bags not only help the environment, but provides an excellent to promote a store or product. Printed Reusable shopping bags can even be washed. They are sturdy and can withstand much more weight than a normal shopping bag can. Most printed reusable shopping bags can be used up to 120 times before they are recycled. This trend is also starting to catch on with many supermarkets who are stocking reusable bags. 

As of now, most supermarkets are selling reusable grocery bags, but as time goes on, and more people voice their concerns about the effect plastic T Shirt bags are having on our environment, more and more grocery stores will start offering reusable grocery bags at no charge. These reusable grocery bags will begin to pay for themselves, as when they are printed and used over and over again, they will become an excellent promotional bag. We are huge advocates of utilizing printed reusable bags and printed reusable grocery bags.

First: Let your mower do the heavy work. A lawn mower sucks up leaves off the lawn, chops them up into small pieces that decompose fast and mixes them with grass clippings, which further help to the decomposition process.

Second: Take a large, heavy-duty black plastic bag and make several holes in it. Transfer the leaf pieces from the mower into this bag. You can fill the plastic bag ¾ of the way full. Add a shovel-full of garden soil. If the leaves are dry, you also need to add water. Basically, the whole mixture should feel like the muddy path in the park right after a rainy afternoon. Make sure that even the leaves at the bottom of the plastic bag have the correct moisture level.

Finally, loosely tie the top of the plastic garbage bags and put it aside in your yard or any other convenient but airy place. Every couple of weeks, give the plastic bag a shake. After about 6 months, open up the bag and check on the leaf compost. If it is dark, powdery and you can’t see any leaf particles, it’s finished. If you can still identify leaves, tie the bag up again, give it a good shake and wait a few more months.

Printing your bags and boxes with your company information is always a very smart advertising tool. We want you to love your final product; as such we have put together a basic guideline that will help you make the best decisions when choosing a printed plastic bag. With over 40 years of experience we can guide you to the exact printed bag that will fit your application.

We have seen beautiful artworks misrepresented or ruined by poor planning, which is why you should only deal with a company who specializes in only plastic bags. Read carefully and plan ahead, so your brand will look its best when handed out to your customer:
• Borders on a logo often do not print or hot stamp well. If your logo has outlines or borders, consider making a solid version of it.
• PMS stands for Pantone Matching System and it’s the standard by which you choose the ink color to be use to print your artwork. Be aware that these colors display different on each computer monitor, depending on the resolution, so expect some changes and variations compared to the actual art work you will see on the plastic bag film.

• Heavy coverage combined with fine lines will not always print or hot stamp well.
• On two color jobs, registration can move from 1/8” to ½” depending on logo and the type of bag. For this reason, no two bags will look exactly the same, since there may be some slight difference in position from one to the other.
• Printed plastic bags have eye spots (small solid rectangular box printed at the bottom corner of the bag) which are necessary for print registration.
• All 100% bleed jobs need plates 1” larger than the bag. The best results when printing 100% bleed is obtained when using solid colors on the border, consider encasing your artwork for better results.

• Have a high resolution pdf of the art work ready. Our art department will tell you about any discrepancies or possible problems that may be encounter when printing on your bags.

And with that out of the way, here are some great ideas for those extra special presents:
Gift Boxes: At Adart Poly Bag we carry hundreds of different sizes and styles of gift boxes.

You can give your present this year beautifully encased on a colorful box. Also, a great alternative is to buy a package of candles or beauty products and re-pack them yourself in smaller gift boxes.

Tissue Paper: Tissue can make any gift seem more festive. You can use it for lining gift boxes, to cushion delicate items, inside cello bags, or even to use as gift paper. You can even place a bulk order of assorted colors tissue paper  to match your gift boxes.

Polypropylene Bags: A great solution to package your handmade cakes and candies. What better gift than the one made with love. These polypropylene bags are great for conserving aromas and freshness. They are specially designed for food contact.

Check again soon for more great ideas for the holidays.

Degradable bags are regular plastic bags that contain a unique agent which helps break down the plastic and reduces the strength of the bag when exposed to heat or light. As the bag breaks into smaller pieces it becomes a nutrient for microbes and then biomass. There are two main technologies in the market today, which utilize two distinctive methods for breaking down the plastic molecules. These methods are Photo degradation (UV) and Oxidation (Oxo). The additive will start breaking down the plastic in anywhere from 6 to 24 months or longer.

If we consider that it takes a normal plastic bag over a thousand years to degrade in a landfill, this additive is a big help to reduce the amount of plastic and the time it takes to get back into nature’s cycle. Furthermore, degradable bags can also be recycled.

Degradable bags are made with polymers (fossil fuel sub products) and are NOT “biodegradable” until a later stage, when they are broken into smaller particles and can serve as nutrients for micro organisms. More information about biodegradable bags is coming soon.

There are many ways to package and label products. One of the most efficient ways is to print colorful logos and product information on the packaging itself. You can brand everything from the boxes, tissue paper, poly bags, ribbons, even the tape you use to seal everything together. But before you go crazy, let’s start with the basics. The first thing to consider is the nature of your product. Here is a quick guideline for the most common situations:

Does your product need to keep the aromas or moisture? The best film to package candy, flours, dried flowers, candles, or any product with scents is definitely polypropylene and cello. These bags have outstanding moisture and vapor barrier which extends the shelf life of the items like aromatic candles or food. Please check our vast inventory of polypropylene bags.  All these products can be customized and printed.

Do you need faster packing and great looks? Consider using wicketted printed poly bags with serrations for fast tear off and heat sealing after loading. Check our portfolio for more ideas.

Are you packing food or need to keep the bags in the freezer? Most of our inventory is FDA approved. When you are ready to custom print your poly bags, please make sure to request FDA approved plastic. If your product must be kept in the freezer, we can add EVA (an additive that won’t allow the plastic to stick to your product while frozen)
Every product has its particularities, remember we are here to help you find the best packaging for your products.