Back Seal Bags.

A pillow bag formed from one sheet of film, sealed down the rear and closed top and bottom. The same format is called a fin seal, lap seal or pillow pack depending on who is quoting it. Because the seam sits on the back, the front face is one uninterrupted panel.

It uses less film per unit than any gusseted pouch, which is why high-volume snack and powder lines run on it.

A fin seal joins the inner layer to itself and stands proud of the back. A lap seal overlaps the film and seals outer to inner. Fin is the more forgiving and the more common, since the sealant layer only ever meets itself. Lap lies flatter and uses a touch less film but needs a film that seals on both faces.

Both leave the front clean. We default to fin unless the line is set up for lap.

Both, and the choice follows how you fill. Vertical form-fill-seal lines take printed roll stock and form the bag around the product straight off the reel. Hand-fill operations take pre-made bags with the back and bottom sealed, leaving the top open.

The bag does not stand on its own, so plan for it to lie in a tray or hang from a euro slot at the fixture.

Photographic artwork runs edge to edge across the front, because no seam crosses the face. Metallised BOPP is the snack standard and prints exceptionally well under gloss lamination. A matte laminate suits better-for-you ranges, and unprinted areas can be left to show the metallised layer as mirror silver, which is a crisp-bag convention.

A clear panel on clear BOPP shows confectionery or produce, and a tear notch sets where the pack opens.

Width by length, flat, with no gusset figure to add. The common sizes are 3 by 5 inches, 4 by 7 inches and 6 by 10 inches. Because the bag is a flat pillow, the fill volume depends on how much the film bellies out, so we size from the product weight and bulk density rather than the flat dimension alone.

Roll stock is specified by web width and repeat length instead.

Pre-made bags begin at 500 units. Rates improve past 1,000 and the format runs to 100,000, which suits it, since material economy is the whole argument for a pillow pack. Roll stock is quoted by the reel and the equivalent bag count.

A clear and a metallised version are two separate runs against that minimum.

Standard production takes 7 to 10 business days after the artwork is approved. The rush lane at 5 to 7 business days is used for promotional flavours and seasonal packs. A sample reel or a handful of pre-made bags arrives in 5 to 7 business days for a line trial.

Sample charges are refunded against the bulk order, and we ship across the USA.

Metallised BOPP unless the product needs to show or the shelf life needs more. It gives a good moisture and light barrier, runs fast on FFS lines and takes print well. A BOPP, VMPET and LLDPE laminate adds oxygen barrier for longer-dated goods. Clear BOPP shows the product and kraft over PE gives a natural face, though kraft runs slower on high-speed lines.

This format is neither free-standing nor resealable, so if a zipper is needed a stand-up pouch is the better route.