Custom 3 Side Seal Bags in Any Size, Material, Thickness and Finish
A custom 3 side seal bag is a flat pouch with fin seals on three edges and no bottom gusset — also called a three side seal pouch, 3 side seal sachet or flat seal bag. Ruihong Packaging builds them to your size, film structure, thickness, artwork, surface finish and zipper, at MOQ 10,000 pcs for gravure or 3,000 pcs per order for digital printing, with 12-15 day and 7-9 day production lead times counted from artwork approval.
- Up to 11-color rotogravure on 4 printing lines
- MOQ 10,000 pcs gravure / 3,000 pcs digital per order
- Zipper, hang hole, window, tear notch and spout options
What Is a Custom 3 Side Seal Bag?
A three side seal bag is a laminated film pouch sealed along both sides and the top, with no bottom gusset and no insert. The result is a flat sachet with a full-face printed panel on both sides — the least film and the fastest filling of any pouch format we produce.
That flat construction is what buyers are really choosing. There is no base to open, so the pouch takes less film per unit, stacks tightly in export cartons, and runs quickly on pre-made pouch filling machines. It also gives you the largest print area per gram of packaging, because both faces are flat and unbroken by a gusset or a back seam.
The format is a poor fit when the pack has to stand unaided on a retail shelf — that is what a stand-up pouch or a spouted pouch is for, and a large premium retail pack usually wants a flat bottom pouch (box pouch). For single-serve portions, sachet ranges and any product where cost per pouch and filling speed decide the margin, three side seal is the format to specify.
Custom, in this context, means six things are set by you rather than taken from a catalogue: pouch size, film structure, film thickness, printing, surface finish, and closures such as a zipper. Because printing, lamination and bag making all run in one plant, they are agreed on a single die-line and quoted as one unit price. See how that fits the wider custom printed flexible packaging programme.
- Legal name
- Foshan Ruihong Industry & Trade Co., Ltd.
- Brand
- Ruihong Packaging
- Location
- Foshan, Guangdong, China
- Established
- Since 2017
- Pouch format
- Three side seal bag (3 side seal sachet, flat seal bag)
- Printing
- 4 rotogravure lines (7, 8, 9, 11-color) plus digital printing
- MOQ
- 10,000 pcs (gravure) / 3,000 pcs per order (digital)
- Production lead time
- 7-9 days (digital) / 12-15 days (gravure), from artwork approval
Custom 3 Side Seal Bag Types We Manufacture
The builds below cover almost every custom 3 side seal bag enquiry we receive. Each one starts from the same flat sachet body and differs in material, thickness, printing, surface finish or the accessory fitted on the sachet — so a zipper, a tear notch, a clear window or a spout is a specification change, not a change of supplier.
Plain Flat Sachet
The standard 3 side seal bag: three fin seals, no gusset, unprinted or fully printed. Used for candy, biscuits, powder portions, samples and any product sold as a single-serve unit.
Custom printed pouch options
3 Side Seal Bag With Zipper
A press-to-close zipper above the sachet body, usually paired with a tear notch. Keeps dried fruit, nuts, treats, cheese cubes and small parts resealable after opening.
Resealable snack bags
Sachet With Tear Notch
A tear notch or laser score gives a controlled opening point, so the sachet can be opened by hand without scissors. Standard on coffee sticks, sauce portions and food-service sachets.
Three side seal coffee bags
Clear or Window Sachet
An unprinted clear area, or a fully transparent film, so the product itself is visible on shelf. Popular for candy, dried fruit, tea and snack sachets where colour sells.
Flexible packaging materials
3 Side Seal Bag With Spout
A small-diameter spout and cap fitted into the sachet, so liquids and gels can be poured or dosed without a cup. Used for energy gels, honey, sauce portions and cosmetic samples.
Custom spout pouch specifications
Aluminium Foil Sachet
A PET/AL/PE or metallised laminate blocks light, oxygen and moisture, which is what protects aroma and extends shelf life on coffee sticks, milk powder and spice sachets.
Pure aluminium foil pouches
Kraft Paper Sachet
A kraft paper outer layer laminated to a moisture barrier inner film, for organic, clean-label and farm-direct brands. Prints well in one to four colours with a warm, uncoated surface.
Kraft paper laminated pouches
Tea and Herbal Sachet
Single-serve tea, herbal blend and matcha sachets with metallised or kraft-backed barrier film. A hang hole turns the same sachet into a pegboard retail unit.
Tea packaging solutionsNeed a build that is not listed here? Send the product, the target portion size and how it is filled — the structure, thickness and accessories are confirmed with the quote.
Customisation Options: Size, Material, Thickness, Printing, Finish and Zipper
A custom 3 side seal bag is specified in six places: pouch size, film structure, film thickness, printing, surface finish and closures such as a zipper. Ruihong Packaging runs printing, lamination and bag making in one plant in Foshan, so all six are agreed against one die-line and quoted as a single unit price.
| What you customise | What you specify | How it is confirmed before tooling |
|---|---|---|
| Pouch size | Finished width × height in mm, plus the seal width if your filling machine needs one | Matched to your filling machine and target fill weight on a die-line drawing |
| Capacity | Target fill weight in g or ml per sachet | Converted into the internal volume your product needs, including headspace for powder or liquid |
| Film structure | Barrier level: standard, metallised, aluminium foil, or heat resistant for hot fill | Recommended from the product, shelf life and filling process, then confirmed on the sample |
| Film thickness | Total gauge of the laminate | Set by fill weight, product type and barrier target — thickness follows the structure, it is not chosen separately |
| Printing | Gravure or digital, number of colours, and artwork coverage | Colour count is checked against your artwork file, and a printed proof is approved before the run |
| Surface finish | Gloss, matte, soft-touch, or spot (registered) gloss and matte | Chosen together with the artwork, because finish changes how printed colours read |
| Zipper | Press-to-close zipper, with or without a tear notch above it | Zipper width and position are set on the die-line, because a zipper changes the bag-making setup |
| Other accessories | Tear notch, clear window, hang hole, rounded corners, degassing valve or spout | Confirmed before tooling — each accessory needs its own station on the bag-making machine |
Two details cause most of the back-and-forth on a first order, so it is worth settling them early. Size: quote the finished pouch width × height, not the flat film size, and state the fill weight the sachet has to hold. Filling method: tell us whether the sachets are filled on a pre-made pouch machine or formed from roll film on your own form-fill-seal line — the same structure can be supplied either as finished sachets or as printed roll stock film.
Film Structures and Barrier Levels
The film structure decides shelf life, seal strength and how the sachet behaves on your filling line. For three side seal bags we most often produce five builds: PET/PE for short shelf life, PET/VMPET/PE where light protection is needed, PET/AL/PE for long shelf life, PET/PA/AL/RCPP for hot fill and retort, and kraft paper laminates for a natural shelf look.
| Structure | Barrier level | Best suited to | Typical use in a 3 side seal bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| PET/PE | Standard | Short shelf life, non-sensitive dry goods | Candy, biscuit, hardware and sample sachets |
| PET/VMPET/PE | Medium to high | Dry products that need light protection | Snack, nut, tea and powder sachets with a metallised finish |
| PET/AL/PE | High | Products sensitive to oxygen, moisture and light | Coffee sticks, milk powder, spice and sauce sachets with a long shelf life |
| PET/PA/AL/RCPP | High, heat resistant | Hot fill and retort sterilisation | Retortable sauce, paste and wet pet food sachets |
| Kraft paper laminates | Medium | Natural and premium positioning | Organic tea, coffee and dry food sachets |
These are the structures we produce most often; the final build is confirmed per product, shelf life and filling process. Because lamination runs in house on 3 solvent-free lines and 2 dry lamination machines, barrier level can be adjusted to your shelf-life target instead of being picked from a fixed list. See the full material and film options.
Gravure or Digital Printing: Choosing Your Print Method
Two print methods cover custom 3 side seal bags: rotogravure for repeat orders and colour-critical brand work, and digital printing for short runs and multi-SKU projects. Ruihong Packaging runs four rotogravure lines — 7, 8, 9 and 11-colour presses — plus digital printing, so the same artwork is produced either way without changing supplier.
| Aspect | Rotogravure printing | Digital printing |
|---|---|---|
| Best run size | Repeat orders and high volumes | Trials, launches and several SKUs at once |
| Minimum order | 10,000 pcs | 3,000 pcs per order — multiple SKUs can be combined to reach it |
| Colours | Up to 11 colours across 4 lines (7, 8, 9 and 11-colour presses) | Full-colour digital print with no plate cost |
| How unit cost behaves | Plate cost is charged once per design, and unit price falls as quantity rises | No plates, so short runs stay affordable — but unit price rises noticeably when a single SKU is very small |
| Production lead time | 12-15 days from artwork approval | 7-9 days from artwork approval |
| Typical project | Retail sachet ranges, coffee sticks, snack and spice lines | Multi-flavour launches, samples and market tests |
More on colour separation, proofing and press capability on our printing technology page.
Surface Finishes and Accessories for 3 Side Seal Bags
Surface finish and accessories are what make two 3 side seal bags with identical film structure look and behave differently on shelf. Finish is chosen together with the artwork, and every accessory below is fitted during bag making, so all of it is confirmed on the die-line before tooling starts.
| Surface finish | How it reads on shelf | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Gloss | Brightest colours and the highest contrast | Snack, candy and confectionery sachets |
| Matte | Soft, low-reflection surface with a premium feel | Coffee, tea and specialty food sachets |
| Soft-touch | A velvet feel in the hand, used for premium positioning | Cosmetic, gift and high-end food sachets |
| Spot gloss or spot matte | Two finishes registered on one sachet so the logo lifts off the background | Brand artwork where one element has to stand out |
| Accessory | What it adds | When buyers ask for it |
|---|---|---|
| Press-to-close zipper | A resealable opening above the sachet body | Dried fruit, nuts, treats, cheese cubes and small parts |
| Tear notch or laser score | A controlled opening point that needs no scissors | Food-service sachets and single-serve consumer packs |
| Clear window | An unprinted area so the product shows through | Candy, tea, dried fruit and snack sachets |
| Hang hole or euro hole | A punched hole for pegboard and retail strip display | Retail sachets sold on a hook rather than in a box |
| Rounded corners | A die-cut radius instead of square corners | Consumer handling, travel packs and mail-ready formats |
| One-way degassing valve | Releases carbon dioxide without letting air back in | Roasted coffee and other products that release gas after filling |
| Spout and cap | A sealed spout for pouring or dosing | Liquid and semi-liquid single-serve packs |
| Roll film instead of sachets | The same structure supplied as printed roll stock | Buyers filling on their own form-fill-seal line |
Accessories change the bag-making setup and the unit price, so tell us which ones you need with the enquiry rather than after the sample. Spouted versions are covered in detail on our custom spout pouches page.
Applications for Custom 3 Side Seal Bags
Custom 3 side seal bags are used wherever a product ships as a single-serve or small-format portion. Ruihong Packaging supplies them across the industries we serve, matched to the filling method, shelf life and retail channel rather than sold from a fixed catalogue.
| Industry | Typical products | What the sachet has to solve |
|---|---|---|
| Food & Beverage | Instant coffee sticks, tea sachets, milk powder, cocoa, drink mixes | Aroma and moisture protection, plus a clean tear opening |
| Snacks & Confectionery | Candy, biscuits, nuts, granola, dried fruit portions | Grease resistance, a printed full-face panel and fast filling |
| Condiments & Sauces | Ketchup, dressing, soy sauce, hot pot base, curry portions | Leak-proof seals, hot-fill or retort capability and clean dosing |
| Specialty Nutrition | Baby food puree, protein powder, nutritional paste | Accurate portioning, barrier protection and a hygienic opening |
| Personal & Home Care | Mask and serum samples, shampoo sachets, detergent samples | Chemical compatibility, premium surface finish and small sample volumes |
| Pet Food | Treat portions, toppers, nutritional paste, powder supplements | Strong seals for export handling and easy portioning over food |
| Agriculture & Horticulture | Seed samples, fertiliser portions, plant nutrients | Chemical resistance and moisture protection in small doses |
| Industrial Products | Lubricant sachets, cleaning agents, small hardware parts | Puncture resistance and a clear printed part reference |
Industry-specific specifications: see our snack and confectionery packaging, beverage and sauce packaging, coffee packaging solutions and pet food packaging solutions, or compare all packaging solutions by industry.
Manufacturing Capability Behind Your Order
Printing, lamination, slitting and bag making all run in one plant in Foshan, which is what makes a fully custom 3 side seal bag practical: the film structure, the print and the accessory layout are set by the same team that runs the machines.
| Equipment | Quantity | What it does for your order |
|---|---|---|
| Rotogravure printing lines | 4 lines (7, 8, 9, 11-color) | Up to 11-color printing for colour-critical artwork and repeat orders |
| Digital printing | Digital press | Short runs and combined SKUs without plate cost |
| Bag-making and auxiliary machines | 55 | Three-side-seal, stand-up, gusseted and flat bottom forming, with zipper applicators |
| Solvent-free lamination machines | 3 | Barrier builds with no solvent residue in the laminate |
| Dry lamination machines | 2 | Structures that require adhesive lamination, including foil builds |
| Slitting machines | 4 | Roll preparation and consistent web width before bag making |
| Quality inspection machines | 6 | Inspection of printed and finished sachets before packing |
Every batch is checked on these points before it is packed:
- Seal strength — fin seals are tested so the sachet holds through filling, cartoning and transit.
- Leak check — critical on liquid, sauce and retort sachets, where a seal failure ends the order.
- Print and colour — checked against the proof you approved, including registration on spot finishes.
- Dimensions — pouch width, height and seal width are measured against the die-line.
- Accessory fit — zipper, spout, valve, notch and hole positions are verified before packing.
Quality procedures and inspection points are described in full on our quality control system page.
MOQ, Pricing and the One-Roll Rule
Pricing for custom 3 side seal bags is driven by two things: how the artwork is printed, and how much film the order consumes. Ruihong Packaging quotes 10,000 pcs minimum for gravure printing and 3,000 pcs per order for digital, and unit price drops noticeably once an order consumes one full roll of film.
The one-roll rule: how buyers calculate the best price point
One roll of film holds 6,000 metres. The quantity that consumes one full roll is 6,000 ÷ bag width (in metres). The buyer example we quote from most often: for a 160 (W) × 240 (H) + 85 mm pouch, one roll equals 6,000 ÷ 0.16 = 37,500 pcs.
The same arithmetic tells you the best price point on a flat sachet. A 3 side seal bag is measured on its width, so a 60 mm wide sachet consumes one roll at 6,000 ÷ 0.06 = 100,000 pcs. Wide sachets use film faster: an 80 mm sachet reaches one roll at 6,000 ÷ 0.08 = 75,000 pcs.
Digital printing has no real minimum quantity. The 3,000 pcs floor exists to cover international shipping, multiple SKUs can be combined to reach it, and unit price rises noticeably when any single SKU is very small. If you are launching several flavours, fill weights or fragrances at once, digital printing with combined SKUs is usually the cheaper route.
Order quantity, film structure and print method are quoted together — send the details below and we will price both print routes so you can see where they cross over.
How to Order Custom 3 Side Seal Bags
Six steps from enquiry to delivery. Two of them decide the schedule: size and accessory confirmation, which has to be final before tooling because it changes the bag-making setup, and artwork approval, which starts the production clock.
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STEP 01
Requirement review
Send the product, pouch size in mm, target fill weight, print colours, accessories and order quantity. We confirm the film structure, thickness and accessory layout, then quote EXW, FOB or CIF.
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STEP 02
Quotation and die-line
You receive the unit price with the film structure, print method, MOQ and lead time stated, plus a die-line showing finished dimensions, seal areas and accessory positions for your artwork.
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STEP 03
Artwork and accessories confirmed
Artwork is checked for colour count, bleed, seal areas, barcode placement and finish. Production lead time starts when the artwork and the order are both confirmed.
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STEP 04
Printing
Gravure printing on the 7, 8, 9 or 11-color line, or digital printing for short runs and combined SKUs, with colour checked against the approved proof.
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STEP 05
Lamination and curing
Films are laminated on 3 solvent-free lines or 2 dry lamination machines, then cured for the full period the adhesive requires before bag making begins.
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STEP 06
Bag making, inspection and packing
Sachets are formed, accessories fitted, then checked for seal strength, leaks, print, colour and dimensions before export cartons and pallets are packed.
Related pages: custom packaging process and sample policy.
Custom 3 Side Seal Bags: Buyer Questions
The questions buyers ask most often before a first three side seal order, answered with the numbers we quote from: size, material, thickness, printing, zipper, MOQ and lead time.
A three side seal bag is a flat sachet with no bottom gusset, used for single-serve and small-format portions: protein and drink-mix powders, spices, coffee and tea sticks, candy, nuts, biscuits, sauce and condiment sachets, cosmetic samples, pet treat portions, seeds and small hardware parts. It is chosen when cost per pouch, filling speed and full-face print area matter most.
A 3 side seal bag stays flat: it has no bottom gusset, so it uses the least film and fills fastest. A stand-up pouch has a bottom gusset so the pack stands unaided on a shelf, and a flat bottom pouch (box pouch, quad seal pouch) is a five-panel format for larger premium packs. Choose three side seal for single-serve cost, the other two for shelf presence.
Yes. A press-to-close zipper is fitted above the sachet body so the pack can be resealed after opening, which suits dried fruit, nuts, treats, cheese cubes and small parts. Zipper width and position are set on the die-line and a tear notch is normally added above it, so zipper and top-seal layout are agreed before tooling.
MOQ is 10,000 pcs for gravure printing and 3,000 pcs per order for digital printing. Digital printing has no real minimum: the 3,000 pcs floor covers international shipping, and several SKUs can be combined in one order to reach it. Unit price rises noticeably when any single SKU is very small.
Structure follows the product: PET/PE for short shelf life and dry goods, PET/VMPET/PE where light protection is needed, PET/AL/PE for long shelf life, PET/PA/AL/RCPP for hot fill or retort, and kraft paper laminates for a natural look. Thickness is set together with the structure by fill weight and barrier target, so it is confirmed on the sample rather than chosen separately.
Up to 11 colours, printed on four in-house rotogravure lines covering 7, 8, 9 and 11-color work, plus digital printing for short runs. Most industry presses run 7 to 9 colours, so the 11-color line is what reproduces gradients, photographic images and fine text on a flat sachet panel.
Production lead time is 7-9 days for digital printing and 12-15 days for gravure printing, counted from artwork approval and order confirmation, not from the first enquiry. Shipping transit time is additional. Projects combining several SKUs are usually faster on digital, because there is no plate making step.
Send the finished pouch width and height in mm, the target fill weight in g or ml, and your filling method. The best gravure price point is one full roll of film: a roll holds 6,000 m, so the quantity is 6,000 divided by bag width in metres. For a 60 mm wide sachet that is 100,000 pcs.
Get a Custom 3 Side Seal Bag Quote in 24 Hours
Send these details and we reply with unit price, film structure, accessory layout and lead time.
- Pouch size in mm (finished width × height) and target fill weight
- Product type: powder, liquid, oily, frozen or hot filled
- Film structure or barrier requirement, if already decided
- Printing: gravure or digital, number of colours, and your artwork file
- Surface finish and accessories: zipper, tear notch, window, hang hole, valve or spout
- Order quantity, how many SKUs, and delivery city for an EXW, FOB or CIF quote
Flexible packaging manufacturer in Foshan, Guangdong, China — since 2017
Jason · Jason@ruihongpackaging.com · +86 189 2597 5915
Ready to Start Your Custom 3 Side Seal Bag Project?
Send your pouch size, fill weight, artwork and accessory list — we will confirm the film structure, print method and price within 24 hours.
Last updated: 2026-10-02