Printed Stand Up Pouches -- Can I Afford Them

Many people feel printed stand up pouches are out of their reach financially.  This isn’t necessarily true.  The minimum run quantity for a printed stand up pouch is usually around 10,000 pieces.  This is normally right around the break-even point between buying a plain/unprinted stand up pouch and applying a printed label and having the stand up pouches custom printed.  While initial upfront costs for artwork and printing cylinders can be expensive, these fees can be offset by the time and labor needed to apply labels/stickers by hand.  Don’t forget, a label applied incorrectly…such as being crooked or with an air bubble can be a reason a customer chooses a competitor’s product instead of yours…regardless of how good your product is.  Packaging does matter!

As far a costs are concerned, figure on an additional 15-25% per pouch for custom printing versus plain.  For example, if a plain foil stand up pouch costs $.09 cents each a printed stand up pouch would cost between $.104 to $.113 cents each…depending on the number of colors, the complexity of the artwork, and the structure being printed. 

The ink that is used to print the stand up pouches is applied by a series of etched aluminum cylinders (for Rotogravure printing) or rubber printing plates (for Flexographic printing).  Rotogravure printing has become so good as well as simple for clients to understand that Flexographic printing is rapidly losing favor with stand up pouch manufacturers.  If a stand up pouch is going to be printed in 4 colors, the upfront cost for the printing cylinders is $200 per cylinder.  Each color needs a cylinder for the particular image or text that it will print, and that is it.  So, the upfront cost for printing a stand up pouch in 4 colors will be 4 x $200 or $800.  Even better, the client now has an asset as these cylinders are their property to keep and no one else can use them.

In closing, most stand up pouch manufacturers can print up to 8 colors and on any number of film structures that are clear and/or foil metalized.  It’s always best to consult with your trusted packaging professional for guidance; however this information should help reduce the learning curve and any apprehension toward printed stand up pouches.  Stand up pouches have revolutionized retail packaging, and having the right structure to protect your product as well as the right printing scheme for maximum consumer appeal can make all the difference.  Remember, it’s your product, package it properly!