Paper bag construction: base, handle, weight

Paper bags fail at the base and the handle holes long before the print wears out. Choosing paper weight and base construction from the intended contents is the difference between a bag that survives a shopping trip and one that tears at the fold.

For light retail use, 120 to 150 gsm kraft with a folded top and a single base patch is enough. For heavier contents, a double base patch and a card insert spread the load, and the paper weight goes up to 150 gsm or a laminated 200 gsm.

Handle attachment is the second weak point. A rope handle through a punched hole concentrates stress on two points; a card eyelet or a folded reinforcement spreads it. For bags that are reused, a stitched or glued handle patch lasts longer than a punched hole.

Print coverage affects stiffness. A bag printed edge to edge with heavy ink coverage sits differently than a bare kraft bag, because the ink and varnish layer stiffens the sheet. Where the bag needs to fold flat after use, keep the print away from the crease.

The practical way to settle these questions is to send a sample of what the bag will carry, along with the quantity, and ask for a dummy. Two dummies at different paper weights usually make the choice obvious in hand.

Written by our prepress and production team from the equipment and processes we run. Materials and structures behave differently, so the approved sample governs.