Custom SOS Paper Bags

Reading SOS Paper Bag Sizes

SOS bags are described with three figures: the face width, the gusset depth and the height. The face width is the front of the bag. The gusset depth is the depth of the base, from front to back, and decides how wide a box or container the bag can hold flat. The height is from the base to the top edge.

To choose a size, measure the container or item you pack most. The face width and gusset should be slightly larger than the container's width and depth. The height should allow the top to be folded or rolled down once or twice after filling. If in doubt, send us the measurements of your containers and we will suggest a bag.

It is worth testing a sample with your real products before ordering in bulk. Ask for plain samples with your quote and pack a typical order into each. If you want the three figures checked against your containers, our note on measuring a product for packaging shows the method.

Brown Kraft or White Paper

Brown kraft paper is the most familiar SOS bag. It is strong, has a natural look and hides small grease marks and fingerprints. A single dark ink, such as black, navy or deep green, gives a crisp logo on brown paper and keeps printing costs low. Kraft suits bakeries, delis, farm shops and takeaways with a traditional or artisan feel.

White paper gives a cleaner, brighter canvas and shows colourful logos and illustrations at their best. It suits modern cafés, patisseries and brands with a strong visual identity. White ribbed paper, with fine lines running through it, adds a subtle texture.

For greasy items such as pastries and fried food, a grease-resistant paper is available, and food-contact grade paper can be specified on request. The same choice applies to every bag in our printed paper bags for shops and cafés, so a counter bag and a carrier can match.

Print That Works on a Bag

SOS bags are usually printed on one or both faces. A logo placed slightly above centre stays visible when the top is folded down. If you roll the bag tightly, keep the logo lower so it is not hidden. The back face is useful for a web address, phone number, social handles or opening hours.

Flexographic printing in one to three colours is the most economical method for larger quantities and gives strong, solid colours. Full colour printing is available for detailed artwork and shorter runs. Simple designs tend to look best on paper bags; a bold logo and plenty of plain paper around it is often more striking than a busy pattern. Remember that the paper itself is part of the design, and brown kraft with one confident ink colour often looks more deliberate than a full colour image.

Printing the gussets in a solid brand colour is a neat detail that lifts the bag above a shelf of plain brown bags.

Handling Hot and Greasy Orders

Hot food creates steam, and steam softens paper. For takeaway meals, choose a heavier paper and avoid sealing the bag completely, so steam can escape. Folding the top over loosely, rather than rolling it tightly, helps. For fried food and buttery pastries, a grease-resistant paper stops oil spots showing through the print.

If you deliver hot food, consider a bag with a slightly wider gusset so containers sit flat with space for steam to circulate. For particularly heavy orders, a bag with twisted paper handles may be more practical than an SOS bag, which is carried by the folded top or from underneath. A line of printed bags and pouches for food in a heavier paper is the next step when hot meals become most of the trade.

Pack a Typical Order Into a Plain Sample Before Printing

The right SOS bag is found by packing, not by reading a size chart. Ask for a plain sample of two sizes, put a real order into each, a loaf and two pastries, a sandwich and a drink, and carry it round the block. Watch whether the base stays flat, whether the top folds over with room to spare and whether the gusset lets containers sit side by side. Then order the size that passed, in the paper that suits the food: grease-resistant for anything buttery or fried, plain kraft for dry goods. Bakeries that sell a lot of baguettes usually add the tall narrow printed bread bags with a window as a second line.

Send a vector logo and say whether the print goes on one face, both faces or the gussets as well. Email that with the sizes, paper and quantity per size and a custom quote comes back within one working day with a free design proof after it. Bags are printed in 4 to 7 working days once approved and delivered free and tracked to UK mainland addresses in 2 to 3 days. A bundle that arrives torn or misprinted is reprinted or refunded when reported within 10 days.