Custom Dual Compartment Mylar Bags

Construction and Opening

A dual compartment bag is made from a laminate film folded and sealed so a seal runs down the middle, creating two pockets. Each pocket can have its own tear notch and zip, or a single wide zip can run across both. The bags can be flat pouches for peg displays or stand-up pouches with a gusseted base that sit on a shelf.

Opening matters. If customers are meant to mix the two products, a single tear across the top that opens both pockets at once works well. If they are meant to eat one side first and save the other, separate tear notches and zips are better. Tell us how the product is used and we will design the openings to match.

Hang holes deserve a moment of thought on a two-pocket bag. A single round or euro hole placed above the centre seal lets the bag hang level, while a hole over one pocket will make it tilt once filled. If the two sides carry different weights, we can shift the hole slightly towards the heavier side so the pack hangs straight on the peg.

Barrier Films for Two Different Products

Mylar bags use multi-layer laminates to keep out moisture, oxygen and light. A metallised film gives a strong barrier and a bright surface for print. A clear front lets customers see both products, which is often a selling point for a duo pack. For products that are very sensitive to moisture, such as crisp crackers or freeze-dried fruit, a full foil laminate offers the highest protection.

Because both compartments share the same film, choose the barrier based on the more sensitive product. If one side is crisp and the other moist, the central seal keeps moisture from crossing over, so long as it is wide enough and well made. We set the seal width to suit your products. The barrier films are shown side by side in our film finishes compared guide.

Designing a Duo Pack

The artwork for a dual compartment bag should make the two-part idea instantly clear. Many brands split the front design down the middle, with a different colour or illustration for each side, so shoppers understand at a glance that there are two products inside. Others keep one continuous design with labels pointing to each pocket. Either way, put the brand name across the top so it ties both halves together.

On the back, list ingredients and allergens for each compartment separately. This is important for food products, as the two sides often contain different allergens. Our template shows the centre seal and the safe zones for each pocket, so text never ends up hidden in a seal.

Colour helps here as well. Giving each pocket its own accent colour, and repeating that colour on the matching zip pull or tear notch marker, guides customers to open the right side first. It is a small cue, but it makes a two-step product feel simple to use. Pairings that change by season are easier with labels for changing pairings on a base design.

Sizing and Filling

Each pocket needs enough room for its product plus space for the top seal and any zip. If the two products have very different volumes, such as a large portion of crackers and a small amount of dip, the bag can be made with unequal pockets by moving the central seal off-centre. Send us the volume or weight of each product and we will suggest pocket sizes.

Dual compartment bags are usually filled by hand or on a machine that can fill two pockets at once. If you fill by hand, a wide opening on each pocket makes the job quicker. If you use a machine, send us its specification so the bag suits it.

Before ordering in volume, fill a few samples and leave them for a week in normal storage conditions, then open them and check that each side has kept its texture. Our method for measuring fill volume per pocket works for pouches too.

Weigh Each Product Separately

A duo pack is two pouches sharing one film, so each pocket is sized on its own. Weigh the portion that goes in each side, pour each into a plain pouch and measure the area it fills when flat; the two areas, plus a 15 mm seal margin and the centre seal, give us the pack size. If one product is bulky and the other is small, say so, because the pockets can be different widths. Decide the opening next, a tear notch on each pocket or a zip on one, and whether the pack needs to stand on a shelf, which calls for a gusset under both pockets. Choose a film that suits the more sensitive of the two products. Artwork is one flat template with the centre seal marked, so send vector files for both halves and the back panel text. A custom quote comes by email within one working day with minimums per job, and the free proof shows the seal positions. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval with free tracked UK mainland delivery. Sharing packs of a single product move to our large mylar bags for family packs.