Before approving custom packaging, confirm the bag or box size first, then check logo placement, artwork resolution, print colour, contrast, safe areas, folds and handles, readable text, QR codes and any claims printed on the packaging. Review the design at actual size and on the real packaging colour rather than judging it only on a computer screen. Finally, approve a proof and test the packaging with the intended product before placing a large order.
The pre-print sequence:
- Choose the packaging format and size.
- Measure the actual product.
- Identify the printable area.
- Decide what the packaging needs to say.
- Check the logo at real print scale.
- Design for the actual bag colour.
- Supply artwork in the correct format and colour space.
- Proof, test with the product, then order.
Do not start with the logo
Most businesses open this conversation with "how big should our logo be?" It is the wrong first question.
The correct first questions are about the product and the format: what goes inside, what size bag is needed, what material, what colour, what handle, how it will be carried, and where the printable area actually sits.
The packaging format determines the artwork constraints, not the other way around. A logo designed in isolation and dropped onto whatever bag gets ordered is how artwork ends up disappearing into a gusset, running across a fold, or looking balanced on screen and lost on a small bag. Choose the packaging first and the artwork decisions become far simpler.
Step 1 - Select the packaging before finalising artwork
Confirm all of the following before your designer starts final artwork: bag or box type, width, height, gusset depth, handle type, finish, paper colour, printable area and quantity.
Custom printing is available across a range of formats, brown, white, takeaway, wine and grocery paper bags, mailing boxes, pizza boxes, totes, laminated bags, alongside stickers and rubber stamps as lower-commitment alternatives. Each format carries different artwork constraints, so the same design rarely transfers cleanly between them.
Publishing note: confirm the current custom-print range, eligible products, minimum order quantities, turnaround times and double-sided printing conditions on the custom printed page before this goes live. These change.
Step 2 - Measure the actual product
Do not design packaging around a guessed size.
Measure the width, height and depth of what goes inside, the total packed weight, your largest common order, and any allowance needed for tissue, protective packaging or a gift box.
Then test with the real product. The bag that looks best on screen may not be the bag that works best operationally. A slightly larger bag that packs quickly often beats a perfectly proportioned one staff have to wrestle with during a rush.
Step 3 - Identify the printable area
A paper bag is not a flat rectangle. Depending on construction it may include a front panel, back panel, side gussets, a bottom fold, a turnover top, handle attachment points and seams.
Artwork should not accidentally sit across creases, handles, gussets, fold lines or seams unless it has been deliberately designed to. Common failures include a logo split down the middle by a gusset fold, text disappearing under a turnover top, and a design centred on the flat artwork template that sits noticeably off-centre once the bag is assembled and standing up.
Ask your supplier for the print area dimensions and any safe-area margins for the specific product, and design inside them rather than to the full panel.
Step 4 - Decide what the packaging actually needs to say
Packaging has limited space and limited attention. Prioritise ruthlessly.
Usually useful: logo, business name, a short website address, a simple tagline, and a QR code if it genuinely leads somewhere useful.
Sometimes useful: a social handle, a product-care instruction, a recycling instruction, or a campaign message.
Usually unnecessary: full street address, multiple phone numbers, an email address, several social icons, a paragraph of copy, more than one QR code, a product catalogue, or multiple competing slogans.
Every element you add reduces the impact of the ones that matter. If you cannot decide what to remove, that is a sign the design is carrying too much.
Step 5 - Establish a visual hierarchy
Decide what a customer should see first, second and third. For most businesses that order is brand, then product or campaign if relevant, then secondary information.
The most common hierarchy failure is making everything equally dominant, logo, slogan, URL, QR code and sustainability messaging all competing at similar visual weight. The result reads as cluttered rather than confident, and nothing gets noticed properly.
Step 6 - Check logo size at actual print scale
Do not judge logo size on a zoomed-in PDF. Print the artwork at actual size, cut it out if it helps, and hold it against the real bag.
Then ask: can the logo be recognised from a normal distance? Is it overpowering the rest of the design? Does it sit comfortably inside the print area with margin to spare? Does the handle interfere with it? Does it still read when the bag is being carried, rather than sitting flat on a desk? And does it work across both your smallest and largest bag sizes?
That last point catches businesses out. Artwork scaled down from a large bag often becomes illegible on a small one, and fine detail goes first. Bigger does not automatically mean more recognisable, an oversized logo with no surrounding space often reads as less considered than a smaller one with room to breathe.
Step 7 - Check logo placement
There is no universally correct position, and the right answer depends on your design and the bag format.
- Centred is simple and balanced, and the safest default for most single-element designs.
- Upper-third placement can leave useful visual space below and often sits well when the bag is carried at hip height.
- Lower placement can suit deliberately minimal designs, but risks being obscured by handling or by how the bag folds when partially full.
- Off-centre works when it is clearly intentional and the rest of the layout supports it.
Whichever you choose, check it on an assembled bag rather than a flat template.
Step 8 - Design for the actual bag colour
The substrate changes how artwork reproduces, and this is regularly underestimated.
Brown kraft is not a neutral background. It can noticeably alter how pale, pastel and subtle colours appear, and light inks may not achieve the contrast you expect. White gives a more neutral base for bright or multicolour artwork. Black usually requires strong contrast and a suitable printing method, since standard process printing behaves differently on a dark substrate.
Design against the colour you are actually ordering, and ask for a printed sample on that stock rather than judging from a screen. Our paper bag colour guide covers colour selection in more depth.
Step 9 - Understand RGB, CMYK and spot colours
A brief orientation, because this causes more reprints than almost anything else.
RGB is the additive colour model used by screens. Artwork created for digital use is usually RGB, and it can display colours that commercial printing cannot reproduce.
CMYK is the four-colour process, cyan, magenta, yellow and black, used in most commercial printing. Converting RGB artwork to CMYK can shift colours, and bright, saturated blues, greens and oranges are the most likely to change noticeably.
Spot colours are pre-mixed inks printed from their own plate, used where colour accuracy matters or where a limited-colour design is being printed. They give more consistent brand colour reproduction than process printing, but availability depends on the print method for that product.
Practically: supply artwork in the colour space your printer asks for, expect some shift if you are converting from RGB, and if you have specific brand colours, raise them before artwork is finalised rather than after the proof.
Step 10 - Supply artwork in the right format
Ask your supplier for their exact requirements, but the general expectations are consistent across packaging printing.
Vector files (AI, EPS, PDF) are preferred for logos and text because they scale without quality loss. Raster images should be supplied at print resolution at the size they will actually appear, an image that looks sharp on a website is usually well below what printing requires. Fonts should be outlined or supplied with the files. Check whether bleed and crop marks are needed and at what measurement.
If all you have is a low-resolution logo pulled from a website, resolve that before ordering. Enlarging it will not recover detail, and it is very visible in print.
Step 11 - Decide whether to print one side or both
Single-sided costs less and is sufficient where bags are handed over across a counter and seen briefly. Double-sided makes sense where bags are carried in public for longer, used at markets or events, or where the second side carries genuinely useful information rather than repeating the first. Conditions and pricing vary by product, so confirm before designing for it.
Step 12 - Check anything that can expire
Packaging often outlives the information printed on it. Before approving, check every element that could date: website address, QR code destination, social handles, phone numbers, promotional offers, campaign messaging and any printed year.
Scan the QR code yourself, from a printed sample at actual size, on more than one phone. Confirm it resolves to a live page you control and will keep live. A QR code printed across a fold, printed too small, or printed with insufficient contrast frequently fails to scan even when the link itself is fine.
Avoid printing time-limited offers on large quantities. If the bag is likely to be in circulation for a year or more, keep the printed content evergreen and put temporary messaging on a sticker or insert instead.
Step 13 - Check any claims you are printing
If you are printing environmental messaging, be certain you can support it for that exact product.
Do not print "eco-friendly", "sustainable", "biodegradable", "compostable", "recyclable" or "plastic-free" without product-specific evidence. Construction determines the disposal pathway, lamination, coatings, synthetic handles, adhesives and foil can all change it, and kerbside acceptance varies between councils. Recycled content and certifications such as FSC apply per product, not per material.
This matters more in print than anywhere else. A claim on a website can be corrected in minutes; a claim printed on several thousand bags cannot. Under Australian Consumer Law, environmental claims must be accurate and substantiated, and the ACCC has published guidance for businesses making them. Confirm the specification for your exact product before it goes on artwork.
Step 14 - Approve a proof, then test with the product
Never approve from a screen alone. Ask for a proof, check it at actual size, and where possible get a printed sample on the correct stock.
On the proof, check: spelling and contact details, logo position on the assembled bag, colour against expectation, text legibility at real size, artwork clearance from folds and seams, and QR code function.
Then test the packaging with your actual product, loaded, carried and handled the way a customer would. It is far cheaper to discover a sizing or artwork problem on a sample than on a pallet.
Common pre-print mistakes
- Designing artwork before choosing the bag
- Judging logo size on a zoomed-in screen view
- Ignoring gussets, folds and handle attachment points
- Supplying low-resolution or RGB-only artwork
- Assuming brand colours will reproduce exactly
- Printing a year or an expiring offer on large quantities
- Never scanning the QR code from a printed sample
- Overcrowding the design with contact details and social icons
- Printing environmental claims that cannot be substantiated
- Approving a digital proof without seeing a physical sample
- Ordering in bulk before testing with the real product
Final pre-print checklist
Format
- Bag or box type, size and gusset confirmed
- Handle and finish selected
- Paper colour chosen
- Print area and safe margins obtained
Product
- Dimensions and packed weight measured
- Largest common order accounted for
- Test pack completed
Content
- Elements prioritised, unnecessary details removed
- Visual hierarchy decided
- All contact details current
Artwork
- Logo checked at actual print scale
- Placement checked on an assembled bag
- Designed for the actual substrate colour
- Correct colour space supplied
- Vector files or print-resolution images supplied
- Fonts outlined, bleed confirmed
Verification
- QR code scanned from a printed sample
- Claims substantiated for the specific product
- Proof approved
- Sample tested with real product
Frequently asked questions
What should I check before printing packaging? Confirm the packaging format and size first, then check logo scale and placement on the assembled bag, artwork resolution, colour space, contrast against the substrate, clearance from folds and handles, text legibility, QR code function and any printed claims. Approve a proof and test with the product before ordering in bulk.
How big should a logo be on a paper bag? There is no fixed proportion. Print the artwork at actual size and check whether it is recognisable from a normal distance, fits comfortably inside the print area, and still works on your smallest bag. Bigger is not automatically more recognisable, surrounding space usually improves legibility.
What file format is needed for custom printed bags? Vector formats such as AI, EPS or print-ready PDF are preferred for logos and text. Raster images need to be at print resolution at final size. Confirm your supplier's exact requirements for bleed, crop marks and font handling before submitting.
RGB or CMYK for packaging artwork? Most commercial packaging printing uses CMYK. RGB artwork can display colours that cannot be reproduced in print, so converting may shift your colours, bright blues, greens and oranges most noticeably. Raise specific brand colours before artwork is finalised.
Should I print on one or both sides of a paper bag? Single-sided is sufficient for most counter handovers and costs less. Double-sided suits bags carried in public for longer periods or used at events, and is worth it when the second side adds something rather than repeating the first. Conditions vary by product.
How do I test a QR code on packaging? Scan it from a printed sample at the actual size it will appear, using more than one phone. Check that it has enough contrast and clearance, is not crossing a fold, and resolves to a page you will keep live for the life of the packaging.
How do I proof custom packaging before printing? Request a proof, review it at actual size rather than zoomed in, and get a physical sample on the correct stock where possible. Check spelling, contact details, colour, position on the assembled bag and fold clearance before approving.
Can I print recycling or environmental claims on my packaging? Only where you can substantiate them for that exact product. Coatings, handles, adhesives and foil affect the disposal pathway, and kerbside acceptance varies by council. Confirm the specification before it goes to print, because a printed claim cannot be corrected after the run.