Three side seal pouch
Barrier laminate200 minimum · 10 to 12 business daysA three side seal pouch is a flat bag sealed on three edges and filled through the fourth, with no gusset and no standing base. We produce them, printed digitally, from 200 units in 10 to 12 business days after proof, on food-contact grade barrier laminate with a tear notch and optional zipper. Sizes run from 3 by 4 inches for a sachet to 8 by 10 for a flat pack.
When to choose it, and when not to
Choose a three side seal pouch for anything flat, light or single-serve: face masks, drink powders, jerky strips, seasoning packets, trial-size skincare, hardware kits. It uses the least film of any pouch, seals fastest on a hand sealer, and hangs on a peg with a punched hole. If the product is going in a box or a mailer rather than on a shelf, this is usually the right bag.
Choose a stand up pouch when the bag needs to stand on its own on a shelf, since a three side seal lies flat or hangs. Choose a sample sachet when you need hundreds of tiny single-dose packs under 2 by 3 inches, which run on a different seal pattern with no zipper.
Specifications
| Film | PET/PE clear, metallized PET/PE, or PET/AL/PE foil laminate |
|---|---|
| Digital CMYK on front and back, white underprint on clear or metallized | |
| Finish | Matte or gloss |
| Closure | Heat seal, tear notch, press-to-close zipper optional, hang hole optional |
| Insert | None, the pouch lies flat |
| Seal width | 3/16 in standard, 5/16 in for heavier fills |
| Minimum | 200 units |
| Lead time | 10 to 12 business days after proof |
| Ships | Flat, in cartons of 250 |
| Sizes we run | 3 x 4 in (single serve) 4 x 6 in (1 to 2 oz) 5 x 7 in (3 oz) 6 x 9 in (4 to 6 oz) 8 x 10 in (8 oz flat) any size from 2 x 3 to 12 x 16 in |
Materials that suit it
Questions people ask
Does a three side seal pouch stand up?
No. It has no gusset, so it lies flat or hangs from a peg hole. If the pouch needs to stand on a shelf, you want a stand up pouch, which adds a bottom gusset and about 20 percent more film. Running both is common: a three side seal for the 1 ounce sample and a stand up pouch for the 8 ounce retail size.
Can it have a zipper?
Yes, a press-to-close zipper heat-sealed below the tear notch on any size over 4 by 6 inches. Below that the zipper takes up too much of the opening. Single-serve sizes are usually sealed without one, because the product is used in one go.
Which side do you leave open for filling?
The top by default, so the tear notch and any zipper sit at the opening. If you fill on a machine that feeds from the side, tell us and we move the open edge. The open edge ships unsealed and you close it with a hand or impulse sealer at 3/16 to 5/16 in.
Is the film food safe?
Yes. Every laminate we run for pouches is food-contact grade and the film documentation is supplied with the quote for your own records. For skincare, hardware and non-food samples the same films are used; there is no separate grade, and the PE sealant layer on the inside carries no odor of its own.
Can I print on both sides?
Yes, front and back print at the same time with no extra lead time. A clear window is possible on the front, back or both by leaving the white underprint off that area. Most sample pouches print a clear back so the product shows through.
How is a three side seal pouch different from a sample sachet?
The three side seal pouch is a flat retail bag, sealed on three edges and filled through the fourth, with an optional zipper and hang hole, in PET/PE, metallized or foil laminate. The sample sachet is the single-dose version, usually under 2 by 3 inches, heat sealed on all four edges after filling with a tear notch and no zipper. Both start at 200 units in 10 to 12 business days after proof. A product sold flat on a peg or in a box suits the pouch; a trial dose in a mailer suits the sachet.
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Ready to price your three side seal pouch?
Send the size and quantity for a quote and a dieline, usually within one business day. Your digital proof follows, usually within one business day of your artwork. Design help and the Swatch Book of materials are free.