Flexible Pouches: The Ultimate Guide

Flexible pouches are types of packages made from flexible materials that are elastic and are easily formed after they are filled with a product.

The primary material used to make flexible pouches is plastics.

In this guide, you will find all information you need about flexible pouches – from features, types, and uses, among other interesting facts you need to know.

Flexible pouch

Different types of Flexible Pouches

Different types of flexible pouches include:

• Stand up pouches: these are the most common type of flexible pouches.

They are referred to stand up pouches because of their ability to stand up, and they have a tear-off tab that allows the package to be sealed and reopened.

• Gusseted pouches(side gusset and bottom gusset): gusseted pouches have semi-oval shaped indents on both sides of the pouch thus giving them a square or rectangle base. Side gusseted pouches are relatively smaller tan bottom gusseted pouches thus accumulate little product.
• Pillow pouches: pillow pouches are used in packaging smaller servings of food like potato chips, crackers, single-serving coffee and snack packs.
• 3-sided seal pouches: these pouches are made of one side of metal foil or plastic and two pieces of metal foil which are heat-sealed together.
• Liquid pouch packaging: liquid pouch packaging includes several different variations specifically suited for liquid packaging applications.

Liquid pouches offer a lower cost than traditional rigid plastic liquid containers and are friendly to the environment.

Features to look for in Flexible Pouches

Some of the main features include:

• Ergonomic Handle – should be heavy duty with grips to avoid it from sliding.
• Safety – BPA free, re
• Closable options, round corners.
• Hanging Holes
• Ability to stand once filled – most have flat-bottom design
• Optional poke hole for the straw
• Should come in a variety of sprouts.
• Should have at least three layers, (the PET, MET-PET, and PE). It is to avoid the beverage from sipping through the pouch.
• Superior printing that is attractive.
• A stable bottom for more functionality and ease of accessibility.
• Flexible packaging.
• High durability and leakage proof.

Uses of Flexible Pouches

Flexible pouches are used in packaging many products such as:

• Food packaging
• Groceries
• Crackers
• Chips
• Cookies
• Baking powder
• Pretzels
• Beef jerky
• Single serving coffee
• Candy
• Spices
• Pet food
• Cannabis
• Hot sauce
• Ketchup
• Barbeque sauce
• Mustard
• Energy drinks
• Dietary supplements

Options for Flexible Stand-up Pouches

Flexible stand-up pouch options include:

• 3-side seal pouches
• Shaped pouches
• Spouted pouches
• Fitment pouches (including tap and gland fitments)
• Quad seal side gusset pouches (inserted or folded gussets)
• Stand-up bottom gusset pouches (inserted or folded gussets)
• Box pouches

MOQ for Flexible Pouches offered by Manufacturers in China

The minimum order quantity for flexible pouches is 50,000 to 80,000 units depending on the number of products required.

Available Printing options for Flexible Pouches

Flexible pouches require print information to help in tracking products quickly and easily, such as:

Printed flexible pouch

• The expiration dates
• The production dates
• The barcode
• The lot numbers

The available print options for flexible pouches include:

1. Digital Printing Flexible Pouches

Flexible pouches manufacturers widely use digital printing because it gives a clean, shiny finish to the liquid pouches.

Digital printing is also preferred due to its precision, versatility, relatively low cost, and usability for packaging materials.

Digital printing is a bit costly, and it works by using inkjet to print on the flexible pouch.

It is a bit pricey compared to the other printing methods. It gives neat and clear prints, and it is highly recommended.

This printing option helps companies save a lot of money, labour, and time due to its accuracy and performance.

The most significant advantage of digital printing is that it does not require plates.

Some of the best features of digital printing option include:

• Digital printing produces photographic and fine art printing.
• Digital printing enables desktop publishing of quality print products.
• Digital printing enables variable data printing and advertising, thus allowing mass-printed products and personalization.
• Digital printing allows for optimal customization and accessibility.

2. Offset Printing Flexible Pouches

In offset printing, the device’s images are transferred to a blank or plate cylinder by use of a laser beam that burns the image into the flexible pouch.

After the ink is dry by air or ultraviolet, the liquid pouch is complete and ready for use.

Offset printing is a highly productive printing option as it handles various types of materials.

It also has large capacity materials producing about 15,000 impressions per hour.

Offset printing is also very durable and versatile.

3. Flexography

Flexography printing option uses a flexible relief plate.

This printing option can accommodate a large variety of materials.

Once a digital image is ready, a laser engraved plate takes the idea using methods such as central impression cylinder, inline, or stack type to print out the design.

It is followed by finishing on the liquid pouch, which involves cutting, folding, and binding.

Flexography uses very fast-drying ink, is very adaptable, and the ink covers large areas of colour.

The Best Material for Flexible Pouches

Different flexible pouches are made from other materials.

The material depends highly on the type of product the pouch is meant to hold.

Some of the requirements that material should meet to be used to make beverage pouches include:

• The material must be flexible to allow for flexible packaging.
• Biodegradable materials are highly sorted after because of environmental and ecological benefits.
• Material should offer enough protection from oxygen, light, air and other regress to protect the freshness and preserve the beverage.
• The material should be of a higher barrier to protect the products from contaminants.
• Industry is moving to materials that can be used singly for ease of recycling.
• The material should enhance security and usability.
• Also, the material should be puncture resistant.
• The material should be pressure resistant.
• Material used should be BPA free and non-toxic.
• The material should be phthalate-free, and FDA approved.

Some of the materials used to make flexible pouches include:

• Plastics film is used to protect the products in the flexible pouch from oxidation.
• Anti-oxidation layers made from different materials such as plastics and aluminium foils are also used in making beverage pouches.
• Aluminium foil is used to protect the products in the flexible pouch from ultraviolet rays.
• Polyethene (PE) is widely used in the making of flexible pouches because of a broad range of applications and its resistance to chemicals and moisture.
• Polypropylene is used in the production of flexible pouches; because of its lightweight, malleability, strength, stability, processability, and reusability.
• Steel is mainly used in making of caps for sealing pouches.
• Polyethene terephthalate (PETE) is also commonly used in the making of flexible pouches; this is due to its resistance to heat, oils, solvents, and acids.
• Synthetic biopolymers such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and Bacteria cellulose are used to make biodegradable beverage pouches.
• Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), polylactide (PLA), Polyglycolide (PGA), Poly (e-caprolactone) (PCL) are some of the non-natural polymers that are also used to make biodegradable flexible pouches.
• Metal foils are used in the making of stand-up pouch bags to give them the strength.

Available Design Options for Flexible Pouches

Some of the available design options for flexible pouches include:

Flexible pouch

• Stand up pouches
• Gusseted pouches
• Side gusseted pouches
• Bottom gusseted pouches
• Doyen pouch
• Round bottom pouch
• Doypack pouch
• Flat bottom pouch
• Retort pouch
• Shaped pouch
• Lay flat pouch
• Pillow pouches
• 3-side seal pouches
• Stick-pack pouches

Main Components of Flexible Pouches

Different flexible pouches have various features.

Some of the essential elements of flexible pouches include:

• Clear window allowing you to see the inside of the flexible pouch.
• Tear notch: This makes it easy and convenient for the consumer to tear the pouch.
• Ergonomic handle: allows for the flexible pouch to be handled or displayed readily.
• Rounded corner for safety purposes.
• Matt effect of keeping the sun’s ultra-violet rays away.
• Shiny effect for aesthetic purposes.
• A round hole for hanging the flexible pouch.
• Euro slot also for hanging the liquid pouch for display.
• Flat bottom for self-standing flexible pouches.
• Zippers including slid zip lock, hook, and loop, Velcro zipper, and press to close zippers.
• Spouts to allow easy removal of products.
• Valves

How to Clean Reusable, Flexible Pouches

You can clean the reusable, flexible pouch by following these easy steps:

• You should ensure that the flexible pouch is empty before opening the pouch.
• Secondly, ensure that the cap is off or remove it if it is still attached to the pouch.
• Before beginning washing the flexible pouch, you should fill it with water. It is essential to fill the pouch with water to ensure that the entire left-over residue is removed.
• Pour the dirty water and repeat the process until the entire left-over residue is removed.
• Next, using soap and water wash the flexible pouch thoroughly with a clean cloth.
• Most of the reusable, flexible pouches have a wide spout making it easy to access all the corners of the pouch.
• Remove any removable components of the flexible pouch. It may include the spout, zip locks, or the cap. Clean each one of them individually.
• Use a thing stick to reach to the small parts of the components and remove the residue stuck there.
• After cleaning the flexible pouch and its components, rinse them over running water.
• After you have cleaned the flexible pouch thoroughly, put it to dry. Ensure it is set in a clean, dry place to avoid bacteria from growing.

Benefits of Flexible Pouches

Some of the benefits of flexible pouches include:

• Improved production efficiency: flexible pouch materials have ease of formability which improves production time and reduces the amount of energy consumed,
• Environmentally friendly: flexible pouch are designed to be reusable and recyclable.
• Enhanced product life: flexible pouches protect products from damage by moisture, mould, dust, UV rays and other environmental contaminants that could affect the
• User-friendly packaging: flexible pouches are very light and easy to buy, transport and store products.
• Simplified shipping and handling: flexible pouches are very light and take up less space.
• High visibility: flexible pouches can be custom printed to make products stand out on retail shelves.

Limitations of Flexible Pouches

Limitations of flexible pouches include:

Flexible pouch

• Vulnerability: flexible pouches are more vulnerable to damage and hence require individual overlap, which may be costly.
• Delicate: flexible pouches require memorable retorts for thermal processing.
• Risky: in case the air is left in the flexible pouches, there is a danger of it bursting during transportation or storage.
• Flexible pouches are not suited for customers that have little demand.
• Flexible pouches are not suitable for customers with speedy delivery.
• Flexible pouches have a certain MOQ in place which limits the buying capacity.

Methods used to Create a Re-closable Flexible Pouch.

If a re-closable flexible pouch is needed, several methods suit any project:

• Zipper: these render the flexible pouch resealable and help to preserve the freshness of the product inside, prevent spills and offer convenience to the customer.
• Powder proof zipper: these include a particular feature which helps in keeping loose products like sugar, flour, etc. away from the zipper area and back into the pouch.

It ensures manufacturers can easily access the products severally without the zipper track being clogged with powder.

• Child-resistant zipper: this type of zipper makes it hard for children under the age of five to open the flexible pouch but easy enough for adults.

Methods of Expelling air from Flexible Pouches before Closure

• First, a vent hole is made in the package.
• The products are loaded into a receptacle of the package via an opening.
• The opening is then closed.
• An air-permeable material is then placed over the vent hole.
• The receptacles are squeezed to force air out of the vent hole.
• The package is then sealed to prevent air entering the receptacle from the vent hole.

Different Bottom Styles for Flexible Pouches

There are a variety of bottom styles for flexible pouches which include:

• Doyen seal: this is a standard bottom style for flexible pouches, and it works by sealing panels of the pouch from and back to the bottom pouch.
• K-seal: this is characterized by a K-style seal at the corners of the pouch and a flat bottom seal on the bottom edges of the pouch.
• Corer/plough (plough) bottom style: this bottom style is mostly recommended for heavy items. In this, the seal is only along with the corners of the base.
• Skirt seal: this is a bottom flexible pouch style that appears “skirted” referring to the portion of a bag between the bottom edge of the pouch and the bottom seal.

Industries that Benefit from Flexible Pouch Packaging

The versatility of flexible pouch packaging makes it a good option for industries such as:

• Food and beverage: food and beverage industries use flexible pouch packaging for stock and custom printed bags, sachets and food pouches.
• Cosmetics: sample pouches for foundation, cleansers, lotions, concealer, resalable package for cotton pads and remover wipes for makeup.
• Personal care: sample pouches for individual products and single-use medicine.
• Household cleaning products: single-use detergent packets for storage of cleaning powders and detergents.

How Flexible Pouch Packaging compares to Rigid Packaging

• Flexible pouch packaging is light in weight and sealed using heat or pressure while rigid packaging is usually on the other end of the spectrum as they are heavier.
• Rigid packaging usually includes cardboard, tin cans, plastic boxes or glass containers, for example, soda cans, self-locking cartons and aerosol spray cans. Flexible pouch packaging, on the other hand, includes stand up pouches, laminated tubes and vacuum pouches.
• Flexible pouch packaging is manufactured at averagely low costs, while ridged packaging is costly.
• Flexible pouch packaging offers minimal protection to the products from perforation, while rigid packaging provides better protection to the products.
• Flexible pouch is made mostly from materials such as plastic(polymer, polyethylene, propylene, PVC), flexible foam, paper and aluminium foil. Rigid packaging is made mainly from plastic,metal,glass and paper.
• Flexible pouch packaging is less susceptible to dents and deformation and could be punctured or crushed. Rigid packaging is rigid and durable and very prone to deformation.
• Flexible pouch packaging takes up less space and is easier to transport while rigid packaging can be bulky and occupies a lot of space during transportation.

Factors that have a Significant Impact on the Selection of Flexible Pouches

Flexible pouch with valve

• Budget: the amount of money set aside for the purchase of flexible pouches will determine what type of pouch that you want.
• Type of product: it important to consider the nature of the product to be packaged before the selection of the appropriate flexible pouch.
• Perishability of the product or special requirements: the very perishable product will require the use of special flexible pouches.
• Shipping and transportation conditions: most flexible pouches require handling with care during transportation; therefore, it is essential to ensure that the pouch selected is free from the risk of damage.
• Is the product edible: products that are consumed require pouches that are safe to store products for human consumption?
• Consumer experience: flexible pouches should offer the ability to be easily resealed, carried and opened.
• Branding: customized branding of flexible pouches tends to make them very attractive and to catch consumers attention.

Sizes of Flexible Pouches available in the Market

Sizes of flexible pouches available in the market include:

• 1 oz flexible pouch: these are specifically designed for single servings and sizes for trials.
• 2 oz flexible pouch: this size is the most popular and is designed for small products.
• 4 oz flexible pouch: this is used for medium-sized products.
• 8 oz flexible pouch: this size is used for larger sized products that might be bulkier. It is the largest size available in the market.

Factors Determining Flexible Pouch Cost Price

Some of these key factors include:

• Appearance: making the flexible pouch look attractive enough to capture the customer’s attention proves to be quite costly.
• Design and structure: good flexible pouch design and proper structure results in increased costs due to the added value.
• Re-designing: developing an entirely new flexible pouch for your product can be quite expensive.
• Environmental and legal issues: when designing or sourcing the flexible pouch, it is essential to assess its environmental impact as they are frequently discarded. Environmentally friendly, stretchy pouches that do not infringe on intellectual property tend to be expensive as compared to those that don’t.
• Competitors: the selling price of competitors will have a tremendous effect on a firm’s pricing decision of flexible pouches.
• The economy: economic factors such as interest rates tend to affect the flexible pouch cost price. When the economy is weak, most flexible pouch companies lower their pieces, and when the economy is strong, the beverage pouch cost price will go up.
• Government laws and regulations: federal and state regulations affect the flexible pouch cost price. These regulations protect consumers, promote competition and ensure ethical behaviour of businesses.

Benefits of using Films in a Flexible Pouch

Benefits of using films in flexible pouches include:

• Environmentally friendly: flexible pouch films can be reused once the product’s original content is used up.
• Easy transportation: flexible pouch films are very light in weight and reduce the overall costs incurred in transportation.
• Flexible: films are biodegradable within eighteen months, which ensures safety to the environment.
• Reduced food wastage: flexible pouch films ensure extended shelf life of products, thus reducing food wastage.
• Customizable; the flexibility of flexible pouch films where they can take any shape and size grants a chance to make them in the different customer’s preferred needs.
• Logo printing: the nature of flexible pouch films allows for printing transparent logos onto the liquid pouch.
• Chemical resistance: flexible pouch films ensure that the product is protected from chemicals.
• Tear and puncture resistance: flexible pouch films reinforce the protection of the product from damage.
• Heat sealability: flexible pouch films ensure air does not penetrate the pouch, thus ensuring the product’s safety.
• Easy opening: flexible pouch films make it very easy to open the pouch due to their nature.
• Moisture, oxygen, and light resistance: flexible pouch films protect the pouch’s product contents from external environmental factors.

How to Test the Quality of Flexible Pouches

The packaging of products is an important aspect that determines the quality of the product.

Flexible pouches should ensure the safety of products.

Therefore, specific tests might be conducted to ascertain the quality of the flexible pouch.

Tests that can be conducted to establish the quality of flexible pouches include:

• Vacuum leak test: this test tries to ascertain if there is leakage in flexible pouches by performing a leakage test on the products using a high-pressure vacuum.

Vacuum leak test enables manufacturers to assure their customers that the products are fresh and free from leakages or pinholes.

• Air full bulge test: air filled in the flexible pouches provides a cushioning effect to the products to prevent it from crashing during transportation.

This air increases the size significantly; manufacturers need to measure to predict the space required by them for safe transport.

• Heat sealing test: this quality test entails analyzing the sealing of the flexible pouches using a seal strength tester.

Heat sealing tests help in making sure the product will remain fresh and safe in the flexible pouches.

Available Colour Options for Flexible Pouches

Flexible pouches are most attractive and colourful.

When selecting a colour for your flexible pouch, always ensure that the colours will attract customers to your product.

Some of the considerations that you should observe before choosing the right colour for your flexible pouches include:

Flexible pouch design

• Choose the colours according to your customer base—children’s flexible pouches. We will need colourful prints compared to flexible adult pouches.
• Colour is also a visual representation of your brand. Put this in mind when selecting the colours for your flexible pouches.
• Represent the product with the colour of your flexible pouch. Let the colours give the consumer an idea of the contents inside the flexible pouch.
• Stand apart from your competitors with unique colours and, if possible, patent your colour patterns.
• Let the colours of your flexible pouches communicate the product’s purpose. For example, a luxurious drink will use colours that depict luxuries, such as purple and pink.
• It is vital to consider your customers’ cultural preferences before choosing the colour for your flexible pouches. Some hues, such as red, represent good luck in China.
• Your colour should maintain consistency in both the design and font used.
• Finally, it is essential to stick to your core brand colours for your customers’ ease of recognition. Using different colours from your brand might mislead your customers.

Some of the colour options available for your use in flexible pouches include:

• White: use this if you are aiming for simplicity, elegance, and purity.
• Black: main attributes include sophistication, strength, and authority.
• Blue: This colour represents strength, honesty, dependability, and serenity.
• Red: a nice colour when you want to present excitement, passion, and strength.
• Green: mainly used to attribute to security, growth, and harmony.
• Orange: represents fun, adventure, and friendliness.
• Yellow: some of its attributes include fun, optimism, and energy.
• Turquoise: it is a calm and pure colour giving clarity.
• Purple: represents indulgence, luxury, and spirituality.
• Pink: a nice colour that represents calming, beauty, and femininity.

Other colours that can be used include:

• Ivory
• Beige
• Pale yellow
• Light grey
• Crimson
• Navy
• Terracotta
• Olive green
• Gold
• Beige
• Umber
• Sky blue
• Lavender

Optional add-ons for flexible pouches

• Hang holes: hang holes enable the flexible pouch to hang on the wall easily for display. Hang holes are best suited for grab and go pouches and small bags.
• Tear notches: these are small indentations located directly below the heat or cold seal. Tear notches enable the consumer to open the package efficiently, thus providing convenience.
• Windows: most flexible pouches have a transparent clear window which allows consumers to see contents on the inside.

At TedPack, we offer a range of flexible pouches.

Depending on your specific needs and requirements, you will get flexible pouches at affordable prices.

Contact us now for all your flexible pouches needs.