Direct print Mylar bags are ubiquitous these days. You find them lining shelves at the grocery store containing coffee beans, CBD gummies, snacks, supplements, and even pet treats.

Although they're ubiquitous, however, there remain many myths circulating. Some keep businesses from even trying. Some trick consumers. So let's get to the bottom of things, ten myths that need to be dispelled.

Color continuity throughout direct print packaging raises brand familiarity by as much as 80%, referencing how important design readability is on the shelf.

Almost 70% of shoppers indicate they feel more confident in a product if packaging appears professional, making direct print an instant credibility booster over blank stickers.

As few as 250–500 bag runs are achievable through digital printing, referencing how small businesses don't have to wait for massive orders to appear professional.

Reusable, printed Mylar bags will save storage and shipping costs up to 25% on bulk jars or boxes.

Roughly 60% of consumers indicate that packaging quality will determine whether or not they'll repatronize a store, noting how tough, direct print designs build loyalty.

1. "Direct Print Bags Are Too Expensive"

This is always the assumption. Anyone assumes that printing directly onto the bag has to be more expensive than labels or stickers. But consider design cost, labor, and lost labels, and direct print will probably be less expensive overall.

No additional steps. No peeling edges. One good package from the beginning.

2. "You Can't Print in Bright Colors

Wrong. The technology available today allows you to print rich reds, neon green, metallic glows, even gradients. If the brand is calling for a bag to jump off the shelf, direct print can accomplish that.

To say so is to say television sets are black and white.

3. "They Don't Work for Small Businesses"

Fiction again. Small brands believe direct print is an option for big businesses only. Fact? Short-run printing is the thing nowadays. Businesses can print small amounts without draining their funds.

It is actually a great choice for startups that wish to be professional and don't have thousands to spare.

4. "Labels Are More Flexible"

Individuals feel stickers provide more liberty, but that's not quite accurate. Direct print bags are modifiable in batch, seasonal, or small batch. Require a holiday one? A limited flavor one? A new appearance? No issue.

Direct print does not hold you captive. It provides responsiveness without compromising the package wit.

5. "The Material Is Hard to Recycle"

This is begging belief. Yes, not all Mylar bags are recyclable everywhere, but increasingly many more are being developed. Some direct print bags have recycling streams as a goal. Some options contain compostable films. 

To call them all "bad for the environment" is to get the whole picture completely wrong.

6. "Direct Print Looks Too Glossy"

Some folks can envision shiny, tacky-looking finishes. That may have been true a while back. Nowadays? Matte, soft-touch, spot finishes, and texture coatings are yours for the asking.

Your bag can be sleek and stylish, or goofy and games-like any way you choose.

7. "Minimum Orders Are Always Huge"

No longer. It can now be produced in small quantities thanks to technology. When the old machines required enormous orders, you can now produce a few hundred bags if that is what you have on hand.

That makes product testing much easier.

8. "Direct Print Won't Hold Up in Shipping"

Others believe the ink will run or smudge during shipping. But direct print is built to endure. The graphics are scratch- and water-resistant for longer than paper labels applied afterward.

Your brand isn't harmed from warehouse to customer door.

9. "They're Only for Food"

Yes, Mylar is printed exclusively for coffee, snacks, and edibles. But that doesn't exclude anything else. Supplements, cosmetics, seeds, electronics, all employ printed bags.

If a product must be protected from air, moisture, or light, Mylar will do the trick. Printing only serves to make it prettier.

10. "All Direct Print Bags Look the Same"

This is sloppy thinking. Two printed directly bags can be as different as night and day. One can be simple, muted colors and matte finish. The other can be neon screaming and glossy. Shape, zippers, windows, foil accents, there's every possibility.

To claim that they "all look the same" is to claim that every shirt looks the same.

The Takeaway

Direct print Mylar bags are more than a packaging trend. They fix issues, reduce waste, and engender consumer trust. They make small brands appear big and make big brands more innovative. Myths will never be dissipated, but the reality is at hand: direct print bags are multi-purpose, cost-effective, long-lasting, and memorable.

If your product is good enough to package that speaks for itself, then perhaps the time has come to challenge those tired assumptions—and consider what direct print can really do.