Luxury Paper Gift Bags · MOQ 300 pcs
Printed art paper under a matte, gloss or soft-touch film, with a folded and glued top edge and a board base option. The $0.10–0.50 at 500 pcs band is the published printed shopping bag listing band, which moves with size, stock and print coverage; the film, foil and reinforcement are quoted as their own lines.
Overview
Start with printed art paper, add a lamination film bonded over the print, fold and glue the top edge, and you have a bag that behaves quite differently from kraft. The surface is smooth and dense, so full-colour and photographic artwork registers properly; the film protects that print from scuffing in a shop rack and shrugs off a damp hand; and the heavier stock plus a board base insert lets the bag stand rather than collapse. Handles are flat tape, twisted paper, cotton rope or ribbon, specified against the load.
It is the right choice for retail where the bag is seen but not gifted: mid-market fashion, beauty, electronics accessories, food and coffee retail, and multi-size programmes that need one look across several bag sizes. The trade-offs are worth stating. Lamination costs money and adds a film that cannot be recycled with the paper in most collection streams, which matters to some buyers. The published band here — $0.10–0.50 at 500 pcs — is a listing band that moves with size, stock and print coverage rather than a fixed price, and the film, foil, spot UV and board base sit on top of it as separate lines. If you need foil, ribbon and soft-touch too, the premium ribbon-handle build is the honest specification.
Specification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Paper | Printed art paper, typically 157–250gsm, laminated |
| Lamination | Matte, gloss or soft-touch film bonded over the print |
| Size | Cut to order — retail formats from 180×90×230mm to 320×130×430mm |
| Handle | Flat tape, twisted paper, cotton rope or ribbon, specified by load |
| Reinforcement | Folded and glued top edge; card or board base insert optional |
| Offset or digital print, full colour, with lamination over the print | |
| Packing | Folded flat and nested; ask for folded dimensions to price the freight |
| MOQ | 300 pcs per design and size |
| Lead time | 15–20 days after sample approval, before transit |
Variants
The film choice changes the whole feel of the bag, and the base and handle change its behaviour. All three are separate lines in the quote.
Low sheen, hides fingerprints, and reads more expensive than gloss on the same artwork. The default for beauty and minimal retail.
The cheapest way to make colour pop, and the easiest surface to wipe clean. It shows scuffs and creases more visibly.
A velvet feel and the strongest premium signal on a paper bag. Shows handling marks, so it suits a gift bag more than a daily carrier.
A rigid card base so the bag stands and holds a boxed product without creasing. Quoted as its own line.
A gloss varnish laid over selected areas for a raised contrast finish. Cheaper than foil and effective on a logo or a pattern.
Materials
Lamination is a process, not a material, so the same art paper can produce three visibly different bags. Decide the film first: it sets the price, the hand-feel and the scuff resistance before the artwork is drawn.
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| Matte film over 200–250gsm art paper | The most common premium pairing: smooth print, low sheen, good scuff resistance and a hand-feel closer to a rigid box than a carrier. |
| Soft-touch film | A velvet surface that signals gifting immediately. Slightly more expensive and more sensitive to fingerprints and handling marks. |
| Gloss film | Bright, protective and the most economical film. Best on bold graphic artwork and seasonal campaigns. |
| Unlaminated coated art paper | Cheaper by one process, with a still-smooth print surface but no scuff protection. A reasonable choice for a short-lived campaign bag. |
| Uncoated kraft | The commodity alternative at $0.10–0.22 at 500 pcs. Cheaper, uncoated and muted in colour, with none of the structure or protection — use it for the everyday tier, not the presentation tier. |
Best for
One look across several bag sizes, with full-colour print and a film that survives a shop rack. The multi-size programme is what makes this build cost-effective.
Colour fidelity matters more than foil. Matte film over printed art paper carries a brand palette accurately and wipes clean at the till.
A laminated bag holds a printed pattern or an illustrated range, resists damp hands, and stands up on a counter better than an uncoated kraft carrier.
Small technical products look better in a smooth, structured bag than in a thin kraft carrier, and a board base stops a boxed item slumping.
Quoting three or four sizes on the same board, film and handle keeps the range consistent on the shelf and keeps the smaller sizes affordable.
Sizing
Retail bag sizing runs from the product box outward, with the gusset set by the depth of the contents. On a laminated bag the base insert and the film both stiffen the structure, so a laminated carrier can take a slightly larger format than kraft without bowing.
| Dimension | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Small (accessories, cosmetics) | Around 180×90×230mm holds a boxed cosmetic or a small accessory and keeps a good printed panel. |
| Medium (general retail) | About 250×110×320mm is the general-purpose size for apparel, gifts and multi-item purchases. |
| Large (fashion, homeware) | 300–320mm wide with a 130–160mm gusset for coats and boxed homeware. Add a board base insert at this size or the bottom will sag. |
| Gusset depth versus capacity | The gusset, not the height, decides usable volume: 80mm is a flat carrier, 110mm takes a box, 150mm and above is for bulky goods. Each step adds a full panel of paper. |
| Handle drop | About 100–150mm for hand carry; beyond 200mm the bag is carried over the arm or shoulder and the top edge needs more reinforcement. Rope and ribbon handles both need the reinforced edge. |
| Oversize and freight | Laminated paper is bulky for its weight, so carton volume rather than paper often decides the landed cost. Ask for folded dimensions and packed volume with the quote, and compare landed rather than ex-works price. |
Free quote
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FAQ
The mid-tier build does most retail jobs, but it is not the cheapest and not the most luxurious. Here is where it sits.
Keep looking
Printed art paper with a matte, soft-touch or gloss lamination, a reinforced top edge and a foil or spot UV brand mark, finished with a ribbon handle. This is the build that looks like the product it carries rather than a way of carrying it home, and the one we would lead a paper bag programme with.
Uncoated kraft with a single-colour print and a flat tape, twisted paper or die-cut handle. Constant demand from takeaway, grocery and give-away programmes and the most price-competitive corner of the paper bag market, quoted honestly as the commodity it is.
A rope or cotton-rope handle threaded through a folded, glued and tape-reinforced top edge, on a printed paper body with a board base. Rougher and more workwear than ribbon, and the handle to specify when the bag has to carry real weight retail.
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