Packaging glossary

The words that turn up in a packaging quotation — doypack, gusset, OTR, mono-material, gravure, DDP — explained the way we use them.

Pack formats

What the bag or box is actually called — the words that appear in a quotation.

Doypack / stand-up pouch: A pouch with a gusseted base so it stands on a shelf. Doypack is the common European name; we call it a stand-up pouch.
Flat-bottom pouch: A four-sided pouch with a folded base and a rectangular footprint — it stacks and faces the customer squarely. The usual choice for coffee and dry foods.
Side gusset: Side folds that let a bag expand into a brick shape — the classic side-gusset bag for beans, tea and pet food.
Spout pouch: A pouch with a fitment — a screw cap, a nozzle or a tap — for liquids and refills. See spout pouches.
Retort pouch: A laminated pouch that survives heat sterilisation, so food can be cooked or preserved in the pack. See vacuum and retort pouches.
Sachet / stick pack: A small single-serve sealed pack, from a few grams to 30 g — the format for samples, supplements and drink mixes.
Rollstock film: Printed film on reels for your own form-fill-seal line, instead of finished bags. See rollstock film — from 10 kg digital, 200 kg gravure.
Gusset: A fold in the base or the sides of a bag that gives it volume. A bottom gusset lets the bag stand; side gussets let it expand.
Mailer box: A corrugated carton that folds around the product for ecommerce. See mailer boxes.

Features and closures

The details that decide how the pack is opened, closed and used.

Degassing valve: A one-way valve that lets carbon dioxide out of freshly roasted coffee without letting oxygen in — so the bag does not puff up. When you need one.
Zipper: A press-to-close closure for resealable packs. A child-resistant zipper is a different, tested design — see the compliance note below.
Tin tie: A bendable strip built into the top of a bag to fold and hold it shut — common on coffee and bakery bags.
Tear notch: A small cut that starts a controlled tear so the pouch opens without scissors.
Hang hole: A punched hole that lets a bag hang on a retail peg — usually combined with a printed header panel.
Window: A clear film patch or open die-cut in a box or pouch so the product is visible without opening the pack.

Materials and barrier

Where the protection comes from — and what the words on a material data sheet mean.

Laminate: Two or more layers bonded together, each doing a job: an outer print layer, a barrier layer and an inner sealant layer.
Metallised film: A plastic film with a thin vacuum-deposited metal layer. Good light and oxygen barrier at a lower cost than foil, but not as high as aluminium foil.
Mono-material: One polymer family through the whole structure — the usual route to a recyclable pack, and usually a shorter barrier window than a foil laminate.
Kraft: Unbleached paper, used as an outer layer for a natural look. On its own it gives almost no moisture or aroma barrier, so food grades are laminated to a liner.
PCR (post-consumer recycled): Recycled plastic content from used packaging rather than factory scrap. The achievable percentage is per structure — see PCR packaging.
OTR / WVTR: Oxygen transmission rate and water vapour transmission rate: how much oxygen or moisture passes through a square metre of film per day. The lower the number, the better the barrier — and the number only applies to one specific structure.
Compostable (EN 13432): A film that a composting scheme will accept, certified per structure and per production site. Different from biodegradable — which is why we use the certified word only.

Printing

The methods, and the words on a print quotation.

Digital printing: Printing straight from the file with no cylinder, so short runs start from 100 pcs and artwork can change between runs. See digital printing.
Gravure / rotogravure: Printing from engraved cylinders: the lowest unit price at volume, but each colour needs its own cylinder, which is why it starts at 10,000 pcs or 200 kg of film.
Flexo: Printing from flexible relief plates. Common for corrugated boxes and for simple one or two-colour work.
Cylinder / plate cost: The one-time cost of engraving the cylinders or plates for gravure or flexo. It is paid once and reorders use the same cylinders; digital printing has none.
Dieline: The flat outline of the pack — where the folds, seals and cuts sit. Artwork is laid out on the dieline, and changes here are cheap until the print is set up.
Proof: The version of the artwork you approve before printing. Digital proofs show layout; for critical colours a printed sample is the honest check.
Soft-touch / spot gloss / foil stamping: Finishes: a soft matte feel, a glossy varnish applied to part of the design, or a metallic foil stamped onto the surface. Each adds cost and a little lead time.

Compliance and commercial terms

The abbreviations that decide who is responsible for what.

MOQ: Minimum order quantity. With digital printing it is 100 pcs for pouches and bags, or 10 kg for film; rotogravure starts at 10,000 pcs or 200 kg. MOQ questions.
Over / under-run (±10%): Flexible packaging is produced within about ±10% of the ordered quantity because the machine is set up per run. You are invoiced for the quantity delivered — it is written into the terms.
DDP / EXW / FOB: Incoterms. DDP means we deliver to your door with duties and clearance included; EXW means you collect from the factory; FOB puts the goods on the vessel in your name. We normally quote DDP so there is no second invoice on arrival.
BRCGS / ISO 9001 / SMETA: Factory-level schemes: hygiene and product safety, quality management, and social audit. They belong to the producing factory — see certifications.
GRS / DIN CERTCO / BPI: Product-level certificates for recycled content and compostability. Each one covers a specific material produced at a specific site, so ask which certificate applies to your structure.
ASTM D3475 / 16 CFR 1700: The US child-resistant packaging standard and its regulation. Child-resistant closures are built and tested for it, and the test documentation is held by the component manufacturer and confirmed per project — see child-resistant pouches.
Food contact (FDA / EU 10/2011): The rules a material has to meet to touch food. The declarations come from the material supplier and the factory that converts it, and we send the documents that cover the structure you order.

A word you need that is not here? Ask it in the quote — we will answer it and, if it is missing, add it to this page. Start at get a quote or see the FAQ.