Guide
Design Your Own Pouch
To design your own pouch, pick the format and size first, then ask us for the matching dieline template and build your artwork on it in CMYK with 3mm bleed and a 5mm safe margin. Send it as a print-ready PDF, AI or EPS. You can order as few as 100 pouches per design, you see a digital proof before anything prints, and the full run takes 2–4 weeks from artwork approval.
Step 1 — Fix the format and size before you draw anything
Artwork is built to a specific dieline, and the dieline changes with the format. A stand-up pouch has a base gusset that folds under and disappears on shelf; a flat sachet does not. If you design first and choose the size later, you will redraw it.
Work backwards from your fill weight and product density, choose the format, then request the template. If you are unsure, put your product and target weight into the spec builder and we will come back with the size we would use.
- Stand-up pouch: base gusset, front panel is the shelf face
- Flat pouch / sachet: single flat panel, no gusset
- Spouted pouch: spout position blocks part of the top panel
- Coffee bag: side gussets plus optional degassing valve
Step 2 — Get the dieline template
We send a layered dieline for your confirmed size, free, before you commit to anything. It marks the trim, the fold and gusset positions, the seal zones and the safe area. Templates are supplied as layered AI and PDF — email hello@thepouchworks.com with the format and size, or ask for it in your enquiry.
Keep the dieline on its own locked layer, never scale or flatten it, and leave it in the file when you export. We use it to confirm registration, then suppress it before print.
Step 3 — Build the artwork to these numbers
The specification below covers every job we print. Meeting it is the difference between a proof going straight through and a file coming back to you.
- Colour mode: CMYK
- Bleed: 3mm on all edges
- Safe margin: 5mm inside trim for type, logos and barcodes
- Images: 300dpi at final printed size
- Type: outlined, or fonts fully embedded
- Minimum type: 6pt positive, 8pt reversed out
- Accepted files: print-ready PDF, AI, EPS
Colour, white ink and finishes
Digital print means full-colour artwork costs the same as one colour, so there is no reason to limit your palette for budget. Pantone brand colours are approximated rather than mixed — name them in the file and we will tell you honestly how close they will land.
On clear film and metallic foil, anything that needs to read as white or as a solid colour requires a white underprint layer. Flag those areas on a separate layer named 'white' so we know what to lay down. On matte white film you can ignore this entirely.
Finish is chosen at order, not in the artwork, but it changes how the design reads: matte mutes saturation slightly and hides handling marks, gloss lifts photography, and both are available across the range.
Legal and retail elements you cannot leave out
Barcodes print at 100% or larger, solid black on a light background, with quiet zones intact. Reversed out of a dark colour or scaled down to fit, they fail at the till.
Leave planned space for ingredients, allergens in bold, net weight, best-before, your business name and address, and recycling guidance. These are usually the last thing a designer adds and the reason a layout has to be reworked — block the area out at the start.
Proofing, quantity and timing
You get a digital proof on the dieline before anything goes to press, and nothing prints until you approve it. Revisions at that stage are free; changes after approval are not.
The minimum is 100 pouches per design, so you can test a single SKU without committing to a pallet. Multiple flavours or variants can run in the same order, each treated as its own design at 100 units. Turnaround is 2–4 weeks from artwork approval.
If you do not have a designer
That is common and it does not need to hold up a quote. Choose 'I need design help' in the spec builder, describe what you have — a logo, a rough idea, a competitor you like — and we quote the design work separately from the print so you can see exactly what each part costs.
Not sure which pouch size you need? Tell us what you are packing and we will check the specification.
Get My Pouch Quote →Related questions
Quick answers
Where can I get a pouch dieline template?
We send a layered AI and PDF dieline for your chosen format and size, free and with no obligation. Email hello@thepouchworks.com or request it with your enquiry.
What file format do I send my pouch design in?
Print-ready PDF is preferred; native Illustrator (.ai) and EPS are also fine. Build in CMYK, outline your type, and keep the dieline layer in the file.
How much bleed and safe area does a pouch design need?
3mm bleed on every edge, and a 5mm safe margin inside the trim for type, logos and barcodes. Keep critical detail out of the seal and gusset areas.
Can I print white on a clear or metallic pouch?
Yes. Clear film and metallic foil need a white underprint layer behind anything that must read as white or as a solid colour. Supply it as a separate layer named 'white'.
Does using more colours cost more?
No. We print digitally, so a full-colour photographic design costs the same as a one-colour logo. Pantone brand colours are matched as closely as digital allows rather than mixed as spot inks.
What is the minimum order for my own design?
100 pouches per design. Multiple flavours can run in one order, with each variant treated as its own design at 100 units.
Do I see a proof before you print my design?
Yes. You receive a digital proof laid out on the dieline and nothing prints until you approve it. The 2–4 week turnaround runs from approval, not from enquiry.
Where should the barcode go on a pouch?
On a flat, unsealed area — usually the back panel — printed at 100% or larger in solid black on a light background, with quiet zones clear and at least 5mm from the trim.
Still have questions? Email hello@thepouchworks.com and we'll get back to you within one business day.