BESPOKE PRINTED POLYTHENE CARRIER BAGS

Printed polythene carrier bags are still one of the most popular ways to promote and keep reminding customers about your business.  Businesses will use printed carrier bags to help promote their business. For some, this is at the point of sale. For others who are perhaps more service orientated, it may be as part of a give-away at a trade show.  Whatever your reason, there is no denying the positive impact they can have on your business.

As you may (or may not) know carrier bags come in three main styles, although there are many varieties within each of these groups.

PUNCH OUT HANDLE PRINTED CARRIER BAGS

The punch-out handle carrier bags are a favourite of businesses throughout the world for advertising their brand and providing customers with a suitable way of transporting their goods home.  Punch handle carrier bags are commonly constructed from low-density (LD) polythene with a punched out kidney bean or cigar-shaped handle toward the top.  In order to add strength to the area of the bag where the handle is cut the bags can be produced using one of two techniques.  You will often hear one of the following two terms used with reference to punch out handle LD carrier bags:

• Varigauge Carrier Bags
• Patch Handle Carrier Bags

VARIGAUGE CARRIER BAGS

Varigauge carrier bags add strength to the punched out area of the polythene that creates the handle by being produced with a material that is a thicker gauge toward the top of the bag and reduces in thickness towards the base, hence the term varigauge.  As an example, a varigauge bag could be 360 gauge (90 microns) at the top and reduced to 180 gauge (45 microns) towards the bottom of the carrier bag.

PATCH HANDLE CARRIER BAGS

Patch handle carrier bags add strength by applying an additional strip of reinforcing polythene over the area of the bag where the handle is cut.  This is the 'patch' of polythene that gives to the name patch handle carrier bag.

FLEXI LOOP HANDLE PRINTED CARRIER BAGS 

Flexiloop handles are created by welding loops of polythene to the inside of the carrier bags.  The reinforced top section of the bag that the Flexi loops are attached to are created by a folded section of polythene at the top of the bag that is welded back on itself creating a double thickness strip known as a ‘Turn Over Top'.

Flexiloop carrier bags provide added comfort for the carrier and also have the added advantage of allowing the full use of the bag, usually but not exclusively used for larger and heavier products.

VEST PRINTED CARRIER BAGS

Vest style printed carrier bags are the more cost-effective printed solution for some businesses.  Created in the shape of a vest many people are familiar with this style of bag from their weekly shop at the supermarket.  Vest printed carrier bags can be created in any type of polythene but are more commonly produced in high-density (HD) polythene.  This is characterised by the crinkly and crisp nature of the HD film, giving the familiar rustle of the bags as you bring in the shopping.  

This style of bag is produced with the handle incorporated into the shape of the carrier bag.  This design coupled with the more common HD film for this style of bag offers a relatively thin bag with high tensile strength.