Custom Shaped Pouches

Snack and Treat Pouches

For dry products the shape can be bolder, because there is no internal pressure on the seals. Kids' snack brands use character outlines for crisps, puffs and fruit bites. Pet brands cut pouches into bones, fish and paw prints for treats. Confectioners go for hearts, stars and fruit shapes for sweets.

A zip across the top lets the pouch be resealed, which matters for treats eaten a few at a time. A tear notch on the side gives a clean opening line. If the shape is narrow at the top, we may suggest a press-to-close strip rather than a full zip so the seal still sits in a straight section of the film.

Matt film reads as natural and premium; gloss makes bright characters pop. A clear window in part of the shape shows the snack inside without breaking the outline. Bakers who want a round or cookie-shaped pack often start from cookie mylar bags.

Getting the Outline Right

We need two things to cut a shaped pouch: the outline and the fill area. The outline is the outer edge of the pouch. The fill area sits inside it, after allowing for the seal width all the way round, which is usually 6 to 10 mm depending on the product and the film.

Sharp internal corners concentrate stress and can split, so curves should be generous. Points on the outline should end in a small radius rather than a needle tip. Our free design proof shows the outline, the seal band and the print area together, so you can see how much of the character or bottle actually holds product.

Keep in mind that a shaped pouch holds less than a rectangular pouch with the same height and width, because the curves remove volume. Fill a sample of your product into a cut paper mock-up of the shape if you are unsure. You receive a free proof of the cut line over the artwork before anything is made.

• Send the outline as a vector file with the seal band shown
• Mark spout, zip and tear notch positions
• State the fill weight or volume per pouch
• Say whether the pouch must stand, lie flat or hang

Film Choices and Print

Shaped pouches are made from laminated films printed on the inner layer, so the ink is protected between layers and cannot rub off. Clear, white and metallised layers can be combined depending on how much barrier your product needs. Foil-lined laminates suit oily snacks and products that must be kept away from light; clear laminates suit products that look good on display.

Print runs edge to edge, and because the outline is cut after printing, artwork should extend a few millimetres beyond the cut line on every side. Text and logos should stay well inside the seal band, where the film is flat and easy to read. Our finish guide shows matt and gloss film compared on printed pouches.

Packing, Storing and Displaying Shaped Pouches

Shaped pouches arrive flat and nest less tightly than rectangles, because the outlines do not stack edge to edge. Allow a little more storage room than you would for the same number of standard pouches, and keep them boxed away from heat until filling, as warm film can make zips stiff.

For retail, think about how the shape will sit in an outer carton or on a shelf. Bottle shapes often look best standing in a row on a gusseted base or lying in a shallow display tray that shows the full outline. Character shapes for children read well hanging from pegs at eye level, so a hang hole punched into a solid part of the design is worth adding.

If you sell online, a shaped pouch can travel inside a small mailer box with a little tissue so the curves are not crushed. Some brands print a matching outline on the mailer lid, which makes the unboxing feel planned rather than improvised.

Finally, test how the shape behaves when full. Liquids push the film outwards and can make a slim neck bulge; dry snacks settle to the bottom and can leave the top of a character looking empty. A quick fill test with a few samples shows whether to adjust the outline, the fill weight or the seal position before you commit to stock.

Draw the Outline, Then Check It Holds Enough

Shaped pouches start with a drawing, even a rough one, but the second step is the one people skip: checking the shape holds your fill. Cut the outline from paper, tape two copies together and fill it with your product. Curves and narrow parts remove volume, so a bottle shape often holds less than a plain pouch of the same height. Keep points rounded and limbs wide enough to seal, and tell us whether it must stand, hang or lie flat, because a gusset or a hang hole changes the outline. If part of the pouch should be clear, mark it on the drawing. Many brands keep a plain stand-up pouch in the same film for the larger pack size.

Send the outline, product, fill amount and quantity, and a custom quote comes by email within one working day, with a note if any detail would be hard to seal. The free proof shows the cut line over the artwork. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and pouches arrive by tracked courier. Misprints or off-line cuts reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded.