There's magic in what happens when the ink and Mylar meet. Not sticker and labels, not just decals, an honest to goodness, direct print that becomes integrated into the surface of the mylar baggy. It's smooth, seamless, and even, somehow, hypnotic. The design isn't on top of the custom Mylar pouch; it's breathing along with it.

Flexible packaging was approximately $281 billion in 2024.

What Direct Mylar Printing Actually Means

Direct printing does away with any middleman. Rather than putting on a sticker label afterward, your print is placed right on the Mylar film prior to laminating and folding and sealing it into a pouch. All the colors, logos, elements and designs are embossed on for good with the layers. That is why these bags are so neat, yet professional looking; like something pulled right off the shelf of an upscale department store.

Mylar bags will block as much as 99.9% of oxygen and light from passing through.

Step 1: Preparing the Mylar Bag Design

Your artwork needs to be accurate, and perfect, before a single ink drop lands on Mylar. That involves file conversion to CMYK, outlining of all fonts in illustrator, and, of course, bleed area alignment so that designs don't disappear into the seamlines. For the most crisp results and most high resolution, a vector file is a must. Consider .AI, .SVG, .EPS or even .PDF, not sloppy iPhone screenshots.

Waste can be reduced on products by as much as 40% with the use of Mylar bags.

Step 2: Selecting the Printing Process

There are three primary ways to print directly onto Mylar:

Digital printing | Suitable best for short run printing, samples, prototypes, and even wild color graduation.

Gravure printing | Suitable best for long runs, bulk printing and intricate graphics, with sharp lines and deep tones.

Flexographic printing | Utilizes flexible plates for robust images at mid-level quantities.

Digital printing excels in short batches because you can easily modify designs or print multiple designs, without having to recreate plates.

Custom printed Mylar bags are able to cut shipping weight by up to 30% over jars.

Step 3: Ink and Adhesion

Mylar inks are designed to bond with the film. They're solvent-based, heat-resistant, and quick-curing. If the ink won't stick, your graphic will puddle with ink or peel like old paint. Corona treating; yeah, that's the jargon; electrostatically charges the surface to facilitate ink adhesion, so the print sticks well.

Mylar film is approximately 200 times more powerful than regular plastic wrap.

Step 4: Printing and Curing

As the film makes its way through the press, each color coating is applied with the precision of a surgeon. It then travels through heat units or UV lights that immediately cure the ink. It's quick, noisy, and has a chemical/victory smell.

Step 5: Lamination and Bag Forming

Once the print is in place, another protecting film is laminated over the top of it. It encapsulates the design, keeps it dry from the moisture, and gives it that shiny or flat finish you find at the shops. The sheet is then trimmed, folded, and then heat sealed into its pouch shape. The printed artwork folds over the zippers and gussets as though made there.

Approximately 65% of consumers say that they would rather have their products sold in resealable packages.

Step 6: Quality Checks

Each run is inspected for color uniformity, registration, and film position. One hairline misregistration will warp a logo by a few millimeters, and in custom packaging, that's high end quality vs. low end quality.

Custom Mylar bags were seen to increase shelf appeal more than 60% and drive impulse purchases.

Why Brands Prefer Direct Printing

1. No wrinkled appearance or peeling label.
2. Solid full surface coverage for more dramatic design.
3. More shelf presence and professional gloss.
4. Lower long run cost on large runs.
5. Customizable finishes such as soft touch matte, shiny gloss, rainbow holographic, embossing, spot uv gloss, or metallic foiling.

When your bag has your name on it, you would like the imprint to remain for a longer duration than the candy or coffee within.

Mylar is also capable of withstanding heat levels of up to 300°F without melting or warping.

Where to Get Your Own Direct Printed Mylar Bags

If you'd like to cut through the labels and stickers and go directly to the best part about mylar packaging, companies like Brandmydispo are your go to for custom Mylar bag printing. From digital mockups to complete production runs and free design services, they handle all of it with upmost care. If you're after metallic foils, raised or embossed textures, hologram or holographic finishes, or even soft touch matte black, they make your businesses dream stick, literally.

The Closer

Direct printing is what creates packaging that is then breathtaking. It is the gap between "nice bag" and "where did you get that!!?!?" Each ink layer is a promise of quality, a small herald that you actually care about the look of your company and brand in someone else's hand.

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