Flat Bottom Pouches

A flat bottom pouch — a box pouch — has five printable panels and a square base. It stacks like a carton, stands rigidly whether full or half empty, and gives you two side gussets to print on as well as the front, back and base.

The build. PET/MET-PET/PE at 150 micron, matte, printed up to nine colours. Very high barrier from the metallised layer, with a press-to-close zip as standard and a tin tie available instead.

Why five panels matter. Most pouches give you a front and a back. This gives you side panels wide enough to carry ingredients, brewing instructions, a nutrition table or a story, which means the front can stay clean and be about the brand rather than about regulatory text. For coffee and speciality tea, where there is a lot to say and a crowded shelf to say it on, that is the deciding factor.

Why it stacks. The square base means these sit flat and square on a shelf, front-facing, without the lean that a stand-up pouch develops as it empties. In a retail environment where facings are counted, a pack that holds its shape through the life of the product is worth the extra film.

Barrier. At 150 micron with a metallised layer this is one of the highest-barrier formats we make, which is why it is the standard for roasted coffee. A degassing valve can be fitted if you are packing coffee within days of roasting — ask for it explicitly, because it is not fitted by default.

Ordering. Minimum 2,000 pieces, lead time 25 working days. This is a more complex pouch to make than a stand-up: more seals, more folds, more registration to hold across five printed panels. That is reflected in both the minimum and the lead time, and it is why this format suits a proven SKU rather than a first test.

What people pack. Coffee, tea, pet food, protein powder and rice. If you are choosing between this and a stand-up pouch, the question is whether you need the side panels and the square stack. If you do not, the stand-up is cheaper and faster.