Paper Bag Sizes and Handles: How to Choose for Your Brand

To choose a paper bag, measure the product you sell most, add 2 to 3 centimetres on each side, pick the handle by the weight it will carry, and pick the paper by how you want the brand to feel. Those 4 decisions settle most of a paper bag order, and the size is the one thing you cannot fix after printing.

Paper bags are where most Nigerian brands start, and where most of the regret happens. The print is rarely the problem. The bag that is two centimetres too short, or the handle that gives way outside the shop, is what people remember.

How do you work out the right paper bag size?

Measure the product you hand over most often, in three directions: width, depth and height. Add 2 to 3 centimetres to each so the item goes in without a struggle, then round to the nearest size the printer offers.

Two more rules save money:

• Order two sizes, not five. Most shops need a small bag for a single item and a larger one for a full order. Extra sizes sit in the store room.
• Measure the product as the customer receives it. With the box, the tissue paper and the ribbon, not the bare item.

If you are unsure, send a photograph of the product next to a tape measure. We would rather read a tape measure than guess.

Which handle should you choose?

Pick the handle by weight first and by feel second. A handle that fails is the only part of a bag a customer will ever tell someone about.

Rope and ribbon handles are attached by hand, so they add to the cost and the time. They also make a bag feel like something worth keeping, which is the whole point for a gifting brand.

Kraft or white: which paper should you print on?

Kraft, the brown paper most people picture, reads natural, unfussy and a little artisanal. It suits food, plants, candles and anything that wants to look handmade. It also hides fingerprints well.

White art paper is the better surface for colour. Photographs and bright brand colours sit cleanly on it, and it looks sharper under shop lighting. It marks more easily, which lamination fixes.

Then the finish:

• Matte lamination is calm and modern, and it does not glare in photographs.
• Gloss lamination makes colour jump and wipes clean.
• Foil, in gold, silver or rose gold, is the cheapest way to make an otherwise plain bag look expensive. A small foil logo on kraft paper does more than full colour printing across the whole bag.
• Spot UV puts a shine on one part only, so your logo catches the light against a matte background.

How many should you order the first time?

Order what you will realistically hand out in three to six months. Setup is paid once, however many you print, so very small runs cost more per bag. Very large runs tie up money in a store room and lock you into a design you might outgrow.

If your branding is still changing, a smaller first run is the sensible choice even though each bag costs more. If your logo has been the same for two years, order properly and save.

What ruins a paper bag order?

• A logo that is too small. A bag is seen from across a room. If your name is not readable from a few steps away, it is decoration, not branding.
• No bleed on the artwork. Colour must run past the trim line, or you get a thin white edge where the blade landed.
• Thin paper carrying heavy goods. Match the paper weight to what goes inside. Ask, and say what the bag will carry.
• Low resolution artwork. A logo pulled from a website or a chat is already too small. Send the original file. The artwork guide covers exactly what to send.
• Ordering before the product is final. New packaging size, new bag size.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum order for custom paper bags?

Paper bags need a higher quantity than cards before the price per bag makes sense, because the setup cost is the same whether you print 100 or 1,000. Tell us the number you have in mind and we will tell you straight whether it is worth doing at that quantity or whether a slightly larger run costs you very little more.

How long do custom paper bags take to produce?

Most jobs are produced in 5 to 10 working days after you approve the proof and pay the deposit. Rope and ribbon handles are attached by hand, so allow the longer end of that range for them.

Can I print on both sides of the bag?

Yes. Many brands put the logo on the front and their phone number, Instagram handle or a short line on the back. Keep the back simple. It is read while the bag is being carried, not studied.

Which is better for food, kraft or white?

Kraft is the usual choice for bakeries and takeaway because it looks natural and hides marks. What matters more is the lining and the weight of the paper for anything warm or oily, so tell us what the bag will carry.

Do I need a different bag for deliveries?

If orders go out by courier, a paper bag is the wrong container. Use a box or a printed nylon mailer for anything that travels, and keep the paper bags for customers who walk out with their purchase.

Before you order

Measure the product, choose two sizes rather than five, match the handle to the weight, and keep the logo big. Send us the measurements and your artwork and we will tell you what it takes to produce, including what it will cost to do it properly.

You can see paper bags we have produced for Nigerian brands on the work page.