Designing High-Performance Mylar Bags for Optimal Packaging

Introduction to Mylar Design Bags

Mylar bags have become an increasingly popular packaging choice for many products, especially in the food, pharmaceutical, and cannabis industries. With their sleek, professional look and excellent barrier properties, mylar bags allow companies to maintain freshness and extend shelf life unlike traditional packaging options. However, mylar bags also present some unique design considerations to create bags that are high-functioning, secure, and aesthetically pleasing.

What are Mylar Bags?

Mylar, also known as BoPET (Biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate), is a polyester film made from stretched polyethylene terephthalate (PET). It is known for its high tensile strength, chemical and dimensional stability, transparency, reflectivity, gas and aroma barrier properties, and electrical insulation.

Mylar bags are packaging pouches made from this durable, flexible plastic film. They are lightweight and can be produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Some of the reasons why mylar bags have become a popular packaging choice include:

• Impermeable to air and moisture
• Resistance to oils, greases, and many solvents
• Reflective surface to block UV rays
• Can be metallized for light blocking
• Withstands wide temperature ranges
• Clear surface for high visibility of contents
• Flexibility for unique pouch shapes
• Tamper-evident and child-resistant options

These properties allow mylar bags to provide excellent protection for many products against oxygen, moisture, aromas, oils, and more. They prevent deterioration and maintain freshness longer than traditional plastic or cellophane packaging.

Child Resistant Mylar Bags

One of the fastest growing uses of mylar bags is for child resistant packaging. Many states now require child resistant packaging for cannabis products, but it is also important for items like medications, chemicals, and supplements. There are a few different ways to make mylar bags child resistant:

• Zipper Bags: These bags seal with a press-to-close zipper that takes coordinated pressure to open and close. The zippers are designed to be difficult for kids to manipulate.
• Peel and Reseal: A peelable sealant is applied when sealing the bag. To open, the customer must peel the seal apart, which is challenging for children but easy for adults.
• Sliding Zipper: The zipper is concealed inside the bag and must be slid open. This type of zipper is very tough for kids to access and open.

Testing is conducted to ensure the mylar bag designs meet child safety standards. Different states have varying requirements, so itâ€TMs important to review local regulations when selecting child resistant bag styles.

Smell Proofing Mylar Bags

Certain products, like cannabis, coffee, and spices, have pronounced aromas. While this can be desirable for the end consumer, preventing excess aroma exposure during storage and distribution helps maximize freshness and shelf life. There are two main strategies for smell proofing mylar bags:

• Lining: Laminating a layer of foil, nylon, or a proprietary plastic to the inside of the bag creates an extra barrier against aroma transmission.
• Thicker Material: Using a thicker gauge mylar film, such as 3mil or 5mil, reduces the permeability and provides more odor containment.

Metallized mylar with a foil lining is a popular choice for high smell proofing ability. The metallic layer reflects light to prevent UV damage while blocking aromas. Nylon and specialty plastic liners also work well while maintaining transparency of the bag.

Custom Printing Mylar Bags

One benefit of mylar packaging is the ability to customize the appearance with high quality printing. Full color graphics, logos, product details, warnings, barcodes, and more can be printed on mylar bags to support branding and design aesthetics.

There are two primary printing methods used for mylar bags:

• Flexographic: Flexographic printing uses raised plates and fast-drying inks. It allows for high color quality and precision on flexible materials like mylar.
• Rotogravure: Rotogravure is a gravure method that uses an engraved cylinder. It produces excellent image quality ideal for detailed designs, photographs, or fine text.

Factors like minimum order quantity, number of colors, and bag size impact the optimal printing technique. Working with an experienced mylar bag manufacturer will ensure your artwork is printed with maximum quality.

Design Considerations for Mylar Bags

Mylar is a highly versatile packaging material available in many shapes, sizes, gauges, and properties. Here are some key considerations when designing custom mylar bags for your product:

Sealing Methods

Mylar bags can be sealed in a few different fashions, including:

• Heat Sealing: A heated metal bar is applied across the surface to melt the two sides together. Heat sealing creates an airtight, watertight seal.
• Ultrasonic Sealing: Ultrasonic acoustic vibrations are used to generate heat and bond the bag surfaces. It produces clean, precise seals.
• Adhesive Strip: A peel-able adhesive strip is applied along the mouth of the bag for a resealable closure.

The sealing method impacts barrier properties, reusability, child resistance, and more. Evaluate each option to match the closing method with your bag's performance requirements.

Shape and Dimensions

Mylar bags can be produced in custom shapes and sizes. Consider factors like:

• Product dimensions
• Required internal space
• Bag stand-up properties
• Hand feel for consumers
• Shelf space allocation

Unique shapes help your product stand out. But balancing those desires with functionality and manufacturing processes is important. An experienced producer can help identify the optimal bag shape and dimensions.

Film Thickness

Mylar film is available in different gauges from 1mil up to 10mil or more. Thicker films provide more structural rigidity, barrier properties, and opacity. However, they also increase material usage and cost. Key factors for thickness selection include:

• Required barrier performance
• Product weight
• Aroma containment needs
• Desired bag opacity
• Printing properties
• Cost targets

2mil to 3mil films are commonly used for many mylar bag designs to balance performance, function, and cost.

Closures

Zipper closures, adhesive strips, tear notches, and other closure methods can optimize bag functionality. Considerations include:

• Child resistance
• Ease of opening and reclosing
• Maintaining barrier properties when closed
• Tamper evidence
• Measured dispensing

Test different closure options to ensure they meet regulatory requirements and usability needs before finalizing designs.

Printing & Graphics

Full color printing allows limitless possibilities for graphic designs, product information, regulatory text, and branding on mylar bags. When developing printed graphics, focus on:

• Conveying key information clearly
• Improving product visibility on shelves
• Increasing branding recognition
• Highlighting important details like dosing or warnings
• Barcodes and serial numbers

Also consider location of printed elements based on bag construction, visibility on store shelves, and areas covered by labeling. Careful design of printed graphics maximizes their impact.

Choosing A Mylar Bag Producer

To create effective mylar bag designs and achieve your packaging goals, partnering with the right producer is essential. Here are key factors to evaluate potential suppliers:

• Expertise with mylar films - Look for extensive experience printing and fabricating high-quality mylar bags.
• Customization capabilities - Can they produce unique sizes, shapes, thicknesses, and closure designs?
• Child resistant options - Do they offer different child resistant closure technologies and comply with relevant safety regulations?
• Print quality - Assess printing capabilities for graphic styles, precision, color quality, and fidelity.
• Secondary operations - What other operations like labeling, hole punching, orAttachments area available?
• Min order quantities - Can they accommodate prototyping small batches as well as production scale orders?
• Customer service - Do they respond promptly and provide design expertise and guidance?

Finding the right partner ensures you get innovative, functional, compliant, and visually appealing custom mylar bag designs that meet your exact product needs.

Mylar offers unique performance properties but also requires some special considerations when designing custom bags. Focusing on child resistance, smell proofing, specialized closures, printing, and other factors allows you to capitalize on mylar's advantages for your specific product. With careful planning and an experienced producer, mylar packaging can take your brand to the next level.

FAQs

What products are commonly packaged in mylar bags?

Mylar bags are popular for products like cannabis, coffee, tea, spices, pharmaceuticals, dehydrated foods, snacks, hardware items, and more. Mylar provides excellent barrier properties to maintain freshness and prevent aroma transmission.

Are mylar bags recyclable?

Mylar is technically recyclable, however many municipal recycling programs do not accept it. There are some specialty recyclers that can process mylar bags. Reusing mylar bags as much as possible optimizes their sustainability.

Can mylar bags be made child resistant?

Yes, mylar bags can be designed with child resistant features like secure zippers, peel-reseal closures, and sliding zippers. Testing is conducted to ensure they meet child safety standards.

What printing options are available for mylar bags?

Mylar bags support high-quality printing methods like flexography and rotogravure. These allow full color graphics, photographs, logos, text, and more. Metallized mylar bags can be printed before or after metallization.

How is artwork prepared for printed mylar bags?

Artwork should be high resolution (at least 300dpi) and set up as ready-to-print vector files (PDF, AI, EPS). No bleed or crop marks are needed. An experienced producer will guide artwork preparation and provide templates.