Specification
Printing Options
Most buyers assume the number of colours drives the price of a printed mailer. It contributes, but three other decisions move it further: how many you order, how much of the bag the ink covers, and whether you print one side or two.
This page sets out the choices in the order they should be made, so you brief a designer once against a specification rather than twice against a guess.
Turn this into a specification
Tell us what you ship and we will apply everything on this page to your order, in writing.
What moves the price, in order
If you need to bring a printed run inside a budget, work down this list rather than cutting colours first.
| Decision | Effect on price | Worth doing when |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Largest single lever — setup spreads across the run | Volume is predictable enough to store and use it |
| Coverage | Substantial — ink area, not colour count | A logo will do the job a full-bleed design was going to do |
| Sides printed | Adds a production stage | The reverse carries returns or disposal information |
| Colour count | Moderate — each colour is a setup | Two strong colours can replace a subtle palette |
| Colour matching | Modest, plus a proof round | The brand colour has to be exact rather than close |
| Interior printing | Separate operation, priced separately | The unboxing moment is part of the product |
Coverage levels, and what each is for
Coverage is the decision buyers underestimate most, and the one that changes both cost and how the parcel reads.
Logo only
A single mark, placed deliberately. Cheapest print available, and on a coloured base it often looks more considered than heavy coverage does.
Partial coverage
A mark plus a message, a pattern band or a printed label panel. The most common choice once a brand has run a first order.
Full coverage
Ink across the whole panel. Striking, and the most expensive. It also leaves nowhere clean for a shipping label unless you design a panel in.
Interior print
Printed inside the bag so the design appears when it opens. A separate operation, and one that only pays off for gift and premium ranges.
The order to make print decisions in
Each decision constrains the next. Making them in this sequence removes almost every reason for a second proof round.
Size, settled on a physical sample
Artwork is laid out for a panel. Changing the panel means redrawing the file.
Base colour and finish
The base decides which inks will read. Finish changes how those inks look once printed.
Coverage and sides
The budget conversation belongs here, before anyone designs anything.
Label position
Decide where the shipping label goes and design a clear zone for it. This is the step most often skipped.
Artwork to specification
Vector where possible, bleed allowance included, fonts outlined, colour mode correct.
Proof, then production
Nothing is scheduled until you approve the proof in writing.
Print behaviour differs by surface
The same file behaves differently on flat film, on a cushioned surface and on translucent frosted film. Fine lines that hold on one break up on another, and white ink that reads crisply on a dark base disappears on a pale one. Before commissioning artwork it is worth checking which surface you are printing on, because a design adapted after the fact rarely looks as considered as one drawn for the format. The surfaces are compared on the printed format comparison.
Proofing, and what a proof does not tell you
A digital proof shows placement, scale and the relationship between elements accurately. It is the right way to check that your mark is where you want it and that nothing important falls on the flap or under the label.
It shows colour approximately. A screen is backlit and film is not, and a colour that looks correct on a calibrated monitor can arrive materially different. Where colour is commercially important — a brand colour customers recognise — ask for a physical check rather than approving on screen.
Once a proof is approved it becomes the reference the run is checked against, which is why we ask for approval in writing rather than by implication.
Questions about printing options
How are poly mailers printed?
Ink is applied to the film before the bag is formed, which is why print decisions have to be made before production rather than added afterwards. It is also why coverage affects cost more than colour count does.
Is full-coverage printing worth the extra cost?
It depends on what the parcel is doing. For brands whose customers photograph deliveries, often yes. For most operations a well-placed mark on a coloured base achieves most of the recognition at a fraction of the cost.
Can I print on the inside of a poly mailer?
Yes, as a separate operation with its own cost. It creates a strong unboxing moment and is most commonly specified by gift, subscription and premium ranges rather than general ecommerce.
How many colours can be printed?
More than most designs need. The practical constraint is contrast against the base film rather than the number of inks, and two strong colours usually outperform a subtle multi-colour palette on this substrate.
Scope a printed run
Tell us your quantity and what you want printed. We will price a few coverage options so you can see what each one costs before you brief a designer.