Packaging materials & finishes guide

Start with what you are protecting

Choose the material by the product first and the look second. Ask four questions: does it need to be kept from oxygen, moisture or light; does it contain oil or liquid; how long is the shelf life; and how will it travel (shelf, courier, export container)? The answers decide the structure; finishes then make it look right.

Flexible films (pouches, bags, rollstock)

PE / LDPE

Clear, soft, low cost; for dry goods, garments, zipper bags. Little oxygen barrier.

OPP/CPP, PET/PE

Glossy, clear, good print surface; snacks, candy, sachets with short to medium shelf life.

Metallised (VMPET / VMCPP)

Silver look, good light and moisture barrier at moderate cost; coffee, tea, chips.

Aluminium foil (PET/AL/PE)

Highest barrier to oxygen, moisture and light; long-life coffee, powders, pharmaceuticals, liquids.

Kraft paper laminates

Natural look; paper outside, film or foil inside for barrier. Paper alone does not keep moisture out.

Nylon (PA) laminates

Puncture resistant; vacuum bags for meat and seafood, heavy fills, retort pouches.

Mono-material PE

Designed to be easier to recycle where PE collection exists; barrier and stiffness are lower than foil laminates.

Most pouches are laminates: an outer printed layer, an optional barrier layer and an inner sealing layer. Typical structures, from lowest to highest barrier:

Paper and board (boxes, bags, cards)

Ivory / SBS board 250–400 gsm

White both sides, crisp print; cosmetics, supplements and food cartons.

Duplex board

White front, grey back; lower cost cartons where the inside does not show.

Kraft board and paper

Brown, natural look; bags, mailers, eco-style boxes. Colours print darker on kraft.

Corrugated (E, B, C, BC flute)

E-flute for printed mailers and retail boxes; B/C for shipping cartons; 5-ply BC for heavy or export loads.

Greyboard (rigid boxes)

About 1000–2000 gsm, wrapped in printed or specialty paper; premium gift and cosmetics boxes.

Pouch add-ons

Zip lock

Press-to-close, pocket zip or slider; lets customers reseal.

Degassing valve

Lets freshly roasted coffee release CO₂ without letting air in.

Spout and cap

For liquids, purees and refills; several diameters and child-safe caps.

Window, tear notch, hang hole

Show the product, open easily, display on hooks.

Finishes worth knowing

Matte, gloss and soft-touch lamination

Protects print; soft-touch gives a velvety premium feel.

Hot-foil stamping

Metallic gold, silver or colours for logos and accents.

Spot UV

A raised gloss layer on selected areas, striking on matte backgrounds.

Embossing / debossing

Raises or presses the logo into the board for texture.

Window patching

A clear PET or PLA window in boxes so the product sells itself.

Each finish adds cost and sometimes a day or two to production. One well-chosen finish usually beats several competing ones.

Food contact

For food, drinks and cosmetics, tell us exactly what goes in the pack. We specify food-contact grade inner layers and inks, and ask the producing factory for the relevant test documents for your product category before production.