In Part 1 of Designing The Perfect Poly Bag, I discussed three important aspects to creating the perfect poly bag for your needs and brand:
- What color film to use.
- Will you print a logo or text.
- What colors to print.
In Part 2 we’ll discuss the placement of your artwork and the size that should be used to best showcase your design.
Although you are welcome to let your poly bag supplier position and decide on the size of your artwork, it’s important to have a general idea and provide guidelines of what you’re looking for.
But first you should have a decent understanding of how each decision will affect your bag, it’s appeal, and it’s price.
Where Should I Place My Poly Bag Artwork?
The placement of your artwork may be as important as what you print on your poly bags.
In the wrong place it can be hidden or go otherwise unnoticed. But when properly placed, your artwork will stand out proudly to your customers whether they receive it in the mail or see it at a store.
There are a few places that will work well for your artwork to be displayed on your poly bags. Below are some of the more common areas to put an image.
| Bottom | Side | Middle | Middle Sideways |
|---|---|---|---|
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Some areas I recommend NOT placing your artwork?
- Within the top 1/2 inch of the front side (can be hidden when the poly bag is sealed)
- Within 1/2 inch of the sides (especially for text, when filled the poly bag can distort the image)
- Where a stamp is likely to go
- Where a postal label is likely to go
No matter where you place the image, make sure it is appealing to you.
These rules and recommendations are not absolute. It’s your brand and your poly bags. So be sure to follow your instinct. After all, you make your brand what you want it to be.
An oddly shaped or placed artwork could be the exact tone you want your poly bags to take.
What Size Should I Make My Artwork?
The size of your artwork can have many effects on your poly bags.
First of course is the presentation involved. Would it surprise you to know that bigger is not always better?
Artwork that is too large, or too overbearing, can have the opposite effect intended and actually deter potential fans.
THIS IS 100% A PERSONAL OPINION but when I think of Ed Hardy shirts I think there is WAY too much going on and it is way to large of an image on a product. Not to mention it is bedazzled.
Don’t make (what I consider) the same mistake.
On the opposite hand, an image that is too small can easily go unnoticed. It could be covered by the adhesive lip or if located near the top, be torn off when the package is open.
There are many examples of using simple artwork to make a lasting impression. Not to big, not to small, but just right.
Macy’s for example has a wonderfully simplistic poly bag. A plain white bag with thier trademark red star and simple black “Macy’s” text.
Forever 21 is another example. Yellow bag with black “Forever 21″ text. Simple and effective.
Another effect the size of your artwork can have on your overall design is the cost.
At PolyPak America, there are two main considerations when pricing out printed poly bags, at least in terms of the printing involved.
The first is the number of colors used. For larger, more complicated designs, it’s often seen that more colors are involved. The more colors, the more expensive the bag tends to be.
The second is the amount of coverage, or surface area that is printed on. Each side of the poly bag is considered 50%. So if the front of the bag is covered in 30% ink, then the total bag coverage is 15%.
Obviously as the number of colors and the amount of coverage goes up, the price will go up.
For companies just starting out, a smaller, more conservative design is often the way to go.
Poly Bag Pro Tip: If you have two of the same colors but a darker and lighter shade, consider using a screen for the lighter shade. You can turn black to grey, blue to light blue. That will help you keep costs down.
Be sure to comment below and let me know other attributes you think are important to designing the perfect poly bag.
~The Poly Bag Pro
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