Custom Three-Side Seal Pouches

Film Structures and Barrier Levels

Pouches are made from laminated films chosen for what goes inside. A simple clear or printed film is fine for dry, stable items like seeds or small parts. For coffee, snacks and cosmetics, a barrier layer, usually metallised film or foil, keeps out light, air and moisture so the contents stay fresher for longer.

Clear front panels let customers see the product, while a matt or metallised back gives a premium feel. Kraft paper laminated to an inner film gives a natural look on the outside while still sealing properly. Tell us the product and how long it needs to last on the shelf, and we will suggest a suitable structure.

Food-contact grade inner films are available on request for food and drink products.

Liquids and creams need a film and seal strong enough to hold them without leaking, especially if sachets will be squeezed in a bag. For these products, a thicker laminate and a wider seal give more security. We can supply a few plain pouches in the chosen film so you can test filling and sealing before printing. The films are shown side by side in our film finishes compared guide.

Opening Features and Closures

A tear notch cut into the side seal lets the customer tear the pouch open cleanly by hand, without scissors. It is the most important feature for single-use sachets. For pouches that will be opened and closed more than once, a press-to-close zip below the top seal keeps the contents fresh after the first use.

A hang hole punched in the top seal lets pouches hang on retail pegs, and rounded corners give a softer, more finished look and stop sharp corners from catching other items in a bag.

For children's products or anything that should not be opened casually, leaving out the tear notch makes the pouch harder to open without scissors. Think about who will be opening the pouch and in what situation when choosing features. Pouches opened by hand on the go are on our tear notch pouches that open by hand page.

Printing a Small Pouch Well

Small pouches give you limited space, so prioritise the product name, brand and a short description on the front, with usage instructions and any required information on the back. A clear layout reads better than a crowded one, especially on a sachet just a few centimetres wide.

Pouches are printed in full colour, with spot colours and metallic effects available. Matt finishes look modern and calm, gloss finishes make colours vivid, and a mix of matt and gloss on one design can highlight a logo or an image. If you sell several flavours or variants, a consistent layout with a colour change for each helps customers tell them apart.

Leave the top seal area clear of important text, since it will be heat sealed after filling.

Digital printing makes short runs of several designs practical, so a brand can test new flavours or variants in small numbers before committing to larger quantities of the best sellers. Very small runs can use a plain pouch with labels for very small runs instead of print.

Sizing for Samples and Single Servings

Measure the volume or weight of product per pouch and the size of anything solid inside. A sachet of a few grams of powder can be very small, while a face mask or a pack of seeds needs a wider, longer pouch. Allow extra height above the fill level for the top seal and, if used, the zip.

Remember the seals take up width on each side and at the bottom, so the usable area inside is smaller than the outside size. We quote both so you can compare. A test fill with a sample pouch is the best way to confirm the size before a full run.

If you are filling by hand, a slightly wider pouch is quicker to fill without spilling. If you use a filling machine, check its size range before choosing dimensions, as most machines are set up for a particular width and height. Our method for measuring fill for a sample pouch covers seal allowances.

Weigh One Sample Dose and Seal It in Any Flat Bag

A three-side seal pouch is sized by the dose, so weigh the sample or the single serving you will pack, seal it in any flat bag you have and measure the area it occupies when the bag lies flat. Add 10 mm on each side for the seals and 20 mm at the top for the final seal, and that is the pouch. Tell us the product, because a powder needs a different film from a liquid sachet or a dried herb, and whether a tear notch, a zip or a hang hole is wanted. Artwork is a flat template with the three seals marked, so send a vector file with the front design and the back text, and the free proof shows the seal areas and the notch position. A custom quote comes by email within one working day with minimums per job, and pouches are made in 4 to 7 working days after approval and delivered flat, open at the top and ready to fill, on free tracked UK mainland delivery. Fills over 250 g that need a square base use our quad seal pouches for bigger fills.