Custom Branded Poly Mailers

Film Colours, Inks and What They Look Like

Poly mailers can be made in coloured film or printed with a solid colour on white film. Coloured film gives a deep, even shade and is often the more economical choice for bold colours. White film with printed colour suits brands that need a precise shade or a two-tone design.

Ink choice depends on the film. White ink on dark film and black ink on light film are the boldest combinations. Metallic-effect inks can add a premium touch, and matt film gives a modern, soft look compared with the slight sheen of gloss film. Your proof shows the combination, and we can match brand colours closely when you supply a reference.

A practical point on dark films: black and navy bags show scuffs from sorting belts more than mid-tones do, so a matt finish is a sensible pairing. The same film choices apply to the lighter poly mailers for online orders.

Printing Inside the Bag

A message printed on the inside of the mailer is a small detail with a big effect. When customers tear the bag open, they see a thank-you, a care tip, a discount code for their next order or an invitation to tag you on social media. It costs little, needs no extra packing step and delivers a moment of surprise.

Inside print also adds opacity, making the bag even more private. Keep the message short and readable, as it is seen at an angle as the bag is opened.

Some brands rotate the inside message without changing the outside design, printing a new line for each run, such as a new product teaser or a code tied to a particular campaign. Because the outside stays the same, customers still recognise the parcel, but returning customers get something fresh when they open it. A clean opening matters for inside print, which is why many brands choose tear strip mailers that open cleanly.

Choosing Sizes and Features

Most brands need two or three sizes. A small mailer around 250 x 350 mm suits T-shirts, accessories and small items; a medium around 330 x 430 mm suits hoodies and jeans; and a large size handles bulky knitwear and multi-item orders. Measure your products folded with any tissue or packaging before choosing.

Every mailer has a peel-and-seal strip. A second strip for returns makes life easier for fashion brands that expect exchanges. Perforated tear strips make opening neat and avoid customers reaching for scissors near the product. Handles and gussets are available for heavier or thicker items.

A useful exercise before ordering is to pull your last month of orders and note which items went out together. If most orders are a single small item, your small size will be the workhorse and is worth ordering in the largest quantity. If bundles are common, the medium size deserves the bigger share. Ordering in proportion to real use stops one size running out while another gathers dust. Bedding and bulky knitwear go in our large poly mailers for bulky items.

Brands That Use Branded Mailers

Fashion and accessories brands are the biggest users, from small labels selling through their own website to marketplace sellers building a brand outside the platform. Beauty, wellness and supplements brands use branded mailers for products already boxed inside. Subscription services use them for monthly deliveries of socks, books, beauty samples and pet treats.

Print-on-demand sellers, artists and makers send prints, stickers and textiles in them, and influencer brands use them for merchandise drops where the packaging is part of the excitement. Charities and clubs sending merchandise use branded bags to make supporters feel part of something.

What these brands have in common is that the parcel is often the only physical contact a customer has with them, so the bag carries more of the brand than it would for a shop with a high-street window. Fragile or boxed products are better in printed mailer boxes for fragile orders than in a bag.

Bring a Colour Reference, Not a Screenshot

The thing that most often delays a mailer order is colour. A brand colour pulled from a website looks different on film, so send a Pantone number or a printed swatch rather than a screen grab, and we match to that. Then choose the film base, white, black or a tinted colour, because ink reads differently on each. Sizes come next: fold your typical order with its tissue, measure it, and add 30 mm on width and 50 mm on length for the seal. Artwork is a vector logo and any inside message as plain text. The quote comes by email within one working day, from £0.25 a bag depending on size and print, and minimums are low enough for a first run without a stock commitment. The proof is free and shows front, back and inside; production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and UK mainland delivery is free and tracked. Unprinted stock for plain orders sits on our economy poly mailers for plain orders page.