The Best Printing Methods for Custom Mylar Bags

Custom Mylar Bags

Custom Mylar bags ain't just pouches; they’re your walking billboards, mini salespeople, and brand loudspeakers. These shiny, crinkly little vaults hold your snacks, herbs, or whatever you’re slingin’ safe from moisture, air, and time itself. But— slap on a weak, dull print? You might as well be selling your product out of a brown paper sack.

Printing Mylar Ain't a Walk in the Park

Before we go paintin’ these bad boys, we gotta face some cold hard truths about printing on Mylar:

• Ink is picky – Regular ol’ ink don’t wanna stick. Mylar’s too smooth, like a greased-up bowling lane.

• Heat’s a menace – Some printing methods involve sizzling temperatures. Mylar? It melts like cheap plastic left in the sun.

• Durability matters – Ever buy chips, toss the bag in a backpack, and pull it out looking like it got in a bar fight? Yeah, prints gotta survive that kinda abuse.

With that in mind, let’s get to the real meat of this: what kinda printing actually works?

1. Flexo Printing – The Budget Workhorse

Think of flexographic printing like a rolling stamp, slapping down ink real fast on huge sheets of material. It’s fast, reliable, and kinda old-school.

✔️ Cheap as dirt for big runs – Need 100k bags? This’ll keep costs down.

✔️ Can use lots of ink types – Water-based, solvent-based, even UV-curable (whatever that means).

✔️ Vibrant colors – If you keep the design simple, it pops.

❌ Not great for small runs – That setup cost is steep, so unless you're printing an army of bags, don’t bother.

❌ Detail gets lost – This ain't Photoshop; fine details might get blurry.

❌ Ink inconsistencies – Ever seen a poster where one color just looks... off? Yeah.

👉 Who should use it? Big-time food brands, coffee shops, and cannabis companies ordering enough to fill a warehouse.

2. Gravure Printing – The Bougie Choice

If flexo’s the old reliable pickup truck, rotogravure is the Rolls-Royce. It uses a fancy etched cylinder to transfer ink, making prints that are so clean you could cry.

✔️ Photo-quality detail – Every shade, every gradient, every crisp little line.

✔️ Lasts forever – Smudge-proof, scratch-resistant, apocalypse-ready.

✔️ Looks crazy good on metallic finishes – Think luxury, think holographics, think chef’s kiss.

❌ Costs an arm, leg, and maybe a kidney – Engraving that cylinder ain't cheap.

❌ Not for tiny batches – If you’re doing a test run, forget it.

❌ Takes forever to set up – If you're in a rush, you’re outta luck.

👉 Who should use it? Premium brands who want their packaging to scream luxury and have the budget to back it up.

3. Digital Printing – The Rebel's Choice

No plates. No waiting. No hassle. Digital printing is like hitting “print” on your home printer—except way cooler and on Mylar bags.

✔️ Low setup cost – No need for expensive equipment.

✔️ Great for small batches – Wanna test a new flavor? This is your best friend.

✔️ Sharp, full-color images – Your design’s lookin’ crisp.

❌ Pricey per unit – Sure, there’s no setup cost, but printing a ton this way? You’ll feel it in your wallet.

❌ Less durable than traditional methods – Ink ain’t bulletproof.

❌ Not ideal for metallic finishes – If you want that flashy foil look, move along.

👉 Who should use it? Small biz owners, test-run kings, and anyone changing up designs frequently.

4. Screen Printing – Old-School & Bold

Ever made a DIY band t-shirt? That’s screen printing—but instead of shirts, we’re hitting Mylar bags with it.

✔️ Rich, thick ink layers – Colors pop like fireworks.

✔️ Great for logos and solid designs – Perfect for minimalist, bold branding.

✔️ Relatively cheap for short runs – Not as cheap as digital, but decent.

❌ Not great for fine details – You ain’t getting photorealistic results here.

❌ Slower than other methods – Print, dry, print, dry... you get it.

❌ Color limitations – If you need a rainbow explosion, look elsewhere.

👉 Who should use it? Brands going for that clean, bold, vintage look.

5. Hot Stamping – The Fancy Finisher

This one's like putting gold rims on your car—pure flex. A heated stamp presses foil onto the bag, giving it a shiny, high-end look.

✔️ Metallic finishes look killer – Gold, silver, holographic—you name it.✔️ Super durable – No smudging, no fading.✔️ Eco-friendly – No chemical-heavy inks.

❌ Limited colors – If it ain’t foil, it ain’t happenin’.

❌ Expensive – Luxury don’t come cheap.

❌ Not for complex designs – Best for logos and accents, not full-blown artwork.

👉 Who should use it? Luxury brands, boutique cannabis packaging, and anyone who wants their bag to glow in the dark (kinda).

So, What’s the Best Printing Method?

That’s like asking what’s the best pizza topping—depends on what you’re craving. If you’re rolling in cash and want your bags to look museum-worthy, gravure’s your move. Need bulk printing on a budget? Flexo all the way. Launching a new flavor of artisan coffee and wanna test designs? Digital’s your MVP.

At the end of the day, Mylar bags ain’t just packaging—they’re a statement. So pick your print method wisely, or risk looking like you slapped your branding on with a half-dried Sharpie.