E-Commerce Poly Mailers with Returns Strip

Sizing E-Commerce Poly Mailers for Your Catalogue

Fold your products the way they are packed and measure the folded size. Add around 30 to 50 mm to the width and 60 to 80 mm to the length to allow for the seal flap and some ease when filling. A mailer that is too small strains at the seams; one that is far too large flaps around the product and looks careless.

Most clothing shops manage with three sizes: a small one for accessories and single tops, a medium one for jeans, jumpers and two-item orders, and a large one for coats and bundles. Gusseted mailers, which expand at the sides, help with bulky knitwear and shoe boxes.

Check postage bands too. A slim, flat order in a well-sized mailer can qualify for a cheaper service than the same order in a box. Our guide to measuring folded garments covers the flap allowance in more detail.

Printing Your Brand on Every Parcel

Your mailer is seen by couriers, neighbours, family members and anyone who walks past a doorstep before the customer even opens it. A bold logo and a single strong colour are recognised instantly. Pattern repeats work well too, especially when the brand is known for a particular print.

Leave a clear area on the front for the shipping label, ideally white or a light colour so the barcode scans reliably. The back can carry a thank-you message, your website, a social handle or returns instructions.

Printing inside the mailer is possible on some films and gives a surprise when the bag is opened. A short message or a pattern inside makes even a simple mailer feel special.

If your brand colours are pale, consider printing them on a white film rather than on grey, as light colours look dull over a grey base. Darker brand colours print well on either. We will advise on your proof which film shows your artwork at its best. Upload the logo through the free proof request and we will show it on white and grey film.

Running a Smooth Returns Process

Returns are part of selling clothing online, and the packaging can make them easier. Print short returns instructions on the back of the mailer, such as which strip to peel and where to stick the returns label. Customers then know what to do without searching your website.

Encourage customers to keep the mailer by opening it neatly along the tear line rather than ripping it. A small printed arrow pointing to the tear notch helps.

Think about the order of the two strips. The first strip seals the parcel when you pack it. The second sits just below and stays covered until the customer needs it. Printing the words for returns beside the second strip removes any confusion, and customers who have never used a returnable mailer understand it straight away.

When returns arrive in your own branded bags, your warehouse team can sort them quickly from other post, which speeds up refunds and restocking. Mailers opened by a tear strip rather than a notch are described on our tear strip poly mailers page.

Who Orders E-Commerce Poly Mailers

Online fashion brands, sportswear brands and lingerie brands are the main users. Accessory sellers post bags, belts, hats and scarves in them. Print-on-demand shops and merchandise sellers use them for t-shirts and hoodies. Textile brands post bedding and towels.

Marketplace sellers who want their parcels to look different from the plain grey bags used by most competitors order printed mailers to build recognition.

Small brands starting out often begin with one or two sizes and add more as their range grows.

Brands that sell at pop-up events as well as online sometimes use the same printed mailer as a carrier for in-person purchases. It keeps the look consistent and saves ordering a separate bag, although a handle is not included, so it suits smaller purchases best. The rest of the shipping and mailer range covers the boxes those brands use for bulkier orders.

Decide the Three Sizes From Your Order History

The quickest way to size returnable mailers is to look at the last few hundred orders and sort them by what they contained: single tops, two-item orders, and coats or bundles. Fold each typical order as it is packed, measure it, and add 30 to 50 mm to the width and 60 to 80 mm to the length for the flap and some ease. A size used for a tenth of orders or fewer can be dropped. Say if your brand colours are pale, because they print better on white film than on grey.

Send the sizes, the film colour, the artwork and a note on the returns wording for the back, and a custom quote comes back by email within one working day, with mailers from £0.25 and minimums set per job. The free proof shows the label area, the tear line and both seal strips. Production takes 4–7 working days after approval and the flat, counted packs arrive by free tracked delivery to UK mainland addresses in 2–3 working days. Misprinted or damaged mailers reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded. Jewellery and fragile accessories from the same shop usually go in padded bubble mailers in the same print.