How Much Does It Cost to Get Custom Paper Bags Made?
Custom Packly Editorial Team
10 July 2026
Custom paper bags can cost from less than 2p each for a very large run of simple counter bags to around £1.80 each for 500 premium rope-handle bags.
That is a wide range because there is no single standard custom paper bag. A handle-free kraft bag printed in one colour is a different product from a full-colour retail bag with rope handles, heavy paper and luxury finishes.
The main factors affecting the price are:
In my experience, businesses often focus on print colours and finishes too early. The bag style usually has a greater effect on cost.
A practical twist-handle bag may be the right choice for a takeaway, café or everyday shop purchase. A rope-handle bag may be justified for fashion, cosmetics, jewellery or gifting. Neither is automatically better. The right one depends on what it must carry and how customers will use it.
Custom Paper Bag Price Examples by Style
The following prices are indicative benchmarks based on defined specifications. Each figure has been reduced by 10% from the original example price.
They are not fixed rates. Paper costs, bag dimensions, artwork, print coverage, production method and delivery requirements can change the final quote.
Luxury Rope-Handle Paper Bags
Luxury rope-handle bags suit premium retail, gifting, fashion, cosmetics and higher-value purchases.
Example specification:
Indicative prices:
Increasing the quantity from 500 to 5,000 reduces the unit price from £1.80 to just under 80p.
The total order value is higher but the cost per bag falls by more than half. This is why businesses with regular demand should look beyond the first invoice and calculate the cost over several months.
Rope handles and lithographic printing can support a premium presentation but they are not necessary for every product. Paying for them only makes sense when the customer experience justifies the added production cost.
Classic Twist-Handle Kraft Paper Bags
Twisted paper handles are a practical option for high-street retail, cafés, bakeries, takeaway orders, events and general merchandise.
Example specification:
Indicative prices:
This is often the strongest balance between appearance, function and price.
Brown kraft paper keeps the material choice simple. One-colour flexographic printing gives the business clear branding without the setup required for a more complex full-colour design. Twisted paper handles also cost less than rope handles while remaining suitable for many everyday products.
A simple bag does not have to look cheap. Good proportions, suitable paper strength and well-placed artwork often matter more than decorative extras.
Printed Paper Counter Bags
Paper counter bags have no handles and suit lightweight products such as cards, stationery, confectionery, bakery items, accessories and small retail purchases.
Example specification:
Indicative prices:
The unit price is much lower because the structure is simple, there are no handles to attach and the printing is spread across a large production run.
However, a counter bag is only economical when it suits the product. It is not a cheaper substitute for a carrier bag when customers need handles, a wider base or greater carrying strength.
The cheapest bag is the one that performs its job at the lowest sensible specification, not simply the one with the lowest quoted price.
What Current UK Website Prices Show
Public website prices can help establish a rough market range but they must be compared carefully.
Many online prices relate to digital printing on pre-made stock bags. This works well for short runs and fast orders but it is different from manufacturing a fully bespoke bag using lithographic or flexographic printing.
Small Digitally Printed Twist-Handle Bags
One UK supplier currently lists 200 white twist-handle bags measuring 240 × 110 × 310 mm at:
For 1,000 bags of the same size, the listed totals fall to £351 for black printing on one side and £521 for colour printing on both sides. That equals about 35.1p and 52.1p per bag respectively.
This example shows two pricing effects clearly. Printing both sides costs more than printing one side and the unit price falls as the quantity increases.
Other Low-Quantity Express Prices
Another supplier lists express brown twist-handle bags at starting prices of:
Its express range starts from 100 bags and includes options for printing one or two sides.
A separate online printer advertises custom paper bag printing from £9.95 including VAT and offers quantities from 10 to 2,000 bags. This type of low-minimum digital service can be useful for an event, market test or short campaign but it should not be compared directly with the unit price of a 5,000 or 50,000-bag production run.
These public examples reinforce an important point: a price is only meaningful when you know the size, quantity, material, handle, print coverage and production method behind it.
Why Can Two Paper Bag Quotes Be So Different?
Two quotes can differ because they are pricing different bags, even when both descriptions simply say “custom printed paper bags”.
One quotation may include:
Another may include:
The second specification naturally costs more because it requires more material, more production stages and more manual work.
Before comparing quotations, check that the following details match:
A quotation that appears cheaper may be using lighter paper, a smaller bag or a simpler print specification.
Which Features Increase the Cost Most?
Some upgrades add visible value. Others increase the cost without improving how the bag performs.
Specialty Post-Print Finishes
Foil, embossing, debossing, spot UV and lamination require extra production stages.
These finishes can suit premium fashion, jewellery, cosmetics and gifting. They are harder to justify on a takeaway bag or low-cost retail purchase that will be used for a short time.
One carefully chosen finish usually has more impact than several competing finishes.
For example, a restrained foil logo on an otherwise simple bag can look more considered than combining foil, gloss lamination, embossing and interior printing.
Luxury Handles
Rope and ribbon handles usually cost more than twisted paper handles.
They may also require reinforcement around the top of the bag. This adds material and assembly work.
Luxury handles make sense when the bag is intended to feel like part of the gift or premium retail experience. For everyday high-street purchases, twisted paper handles often provide enough strength and a clean branded appearance at a lower cost.
Excessive Paper Weight
Heavier paper is not automatically better.
The correct GSM depends on:
Using paper that is much heavier than the product requires adds cost without necessarily making the bag look better.
A well-sized bag made from suitable paper often performs better than an oversized bag made from unnecessarily heavy stock.
Custom Windows and Unusual Shapes
Die-cut windows, shaped edges and unusual openings can make a bag distinctive. They can also require custom tooling and more complex production.
A window is useful when seeing the product helps the sale. It adds less value when it shows only an inner box, tissue paper or empty space.
Before approving a special shape, ask what it improves. If the answer is only “it looks different”, consider whether print design could create the same effect at a lower cost.
Interior Printing
Interior printing can work for premium gifting but it is one of the easiest costs to remove when the budget is under pressure.
Most people see the exterior while carrying the bag. That is where the logo, colour and message have the greatest exposure.
Inside printing should have a purpose. It might reveal a message when the bag is opened or support a luxury presentation. When it adds no meaningful moment, outside-only printing is usually the better investment.
How We Reduced the Cost of a Regular Paper Bag Order
One customer wanted printing on both the outside and inside of their bags. They were also ordering only 500 at a time.
During the discussion, we found that the business actually used around 5,000 bags every month.
Their ordering pattern was increasing the cost in two ways.
First, they were paying for interior printing that customers were unlikely to notice. Second, the production setup was being spread across only 500 bags even though the same specification was required every month.
We recommended:
The finished bag still looked professional because the visible branding remained unchanged. The specification became simpler and the unit price dropped significantly.
This is the type of cost reduction I prefer. Nothing important was removed. The business stopped paying for a feature customers did not value and stopped purchasing a regular requirement as if it were a one-off order.
How to Reduce Paper Bag Costs Without Making Them Look Cheap
The best savings come from simplifying invisible or unnecessary details.
Start With a Standard Material
Standard brown kraft or white paper will usually cost less than speciality colours and unusual textured stocks.
Brown kraft can work well for food, handmade products, natural branding and everyday retail. White paper gives brighter colours and a cleaner base for full-colour artwork.
The material should support the design rather than carry the entire design.
Choose Twisted Paper Handles
Twisted handles suit many retail and takeaway uses. They are practical, recognisable and more economical than most rope or ribbon options.
They can still look polished when paired with:
Keep the Important Print on the Outside
Outside printing gives the strongest visibility because it can be seen in the shop, on the street and in customer photographs.
A simple exterior design can include:
Printing every surface is rarely necessary.
Order Around Genuine Usage
Order quantity should follow real usage, not habit.
Before placing another small repeat order, calculate:
A larger order is not always the right decision. It makes little sense when branding is about to change or the product is still being tested.
However, ordering 500 bags every month when demand is consistently 5,000 usually means paying the small-run premium repeatedly.
The wider principles behind custom packaging costs in the UK are the same. Size, material, print, structure and quantity should be considered together rather than priced as separate decisions.
How Do You Choose the Right Paper Bag Style?
The right paper bag is selected by use, product weight, dimensions, quantity and budget.
Start With Retail or Takeaway Use
Retail bags often need to support presentation as well as carrying.
Fashion, cosmetics and gift businesses may place more value on handle style, colour accuracy and finish. A premium bag can become part of the purchase experience.
Takeaway bags have different priorities. They may need a wide base, easier loading, practical handles and enough strength for several containers.
A luxury rope handle does not solve a weak base. A premium finish does not fix the wrong dimensions.
Calculate the Product Weight
The bag must support the total packed order, not just one product.
Consider:
A bag that looks good but stretches around the handles is not correctly specified.
Measure the Packed Product
Measure the product as it will go into the bag.
Allow space for:
Do not add more space than needed. An oversized bag uses more paper, takes up more storage room and can make a small purchase look lost.
When paper bags are only one of several possible structures, choosing the right packaging for your product starts with how the item will be sold, carried, stored and presented.
Match the Style to the Budget
A useful starting rule is:
You can compare practical and premium custom paper bags before deciding which structure fits the product.
What Information Is Needed for an Accurate Quote?
A paper bag quote becomes more reliable when the supplier knows exactly what must be produced.
Provide:
You do not need to know every technical detail before making contact. Product size, weight, use and quantity are enough to start narrowing the options.
Providing the details used for an instant custom packaging quote also prevents vague prices that later rise when print coverage, dimensions or finishes are confirmed.
Should You Choose the Cheapest Quote?
Choose the lowest suitable specification, not automatically the lowest quotation.
A cheaper bag is poor value when:
The goal is not to remove every premium feature. It is to pay only for features that improve strength, use or presentation.
For a low-cost takeaway order, that may mean brown kraft, twisted handles and one-colour outside printing.
For a luxury gift purchase, rope handles, full-colour lithographic printing and one carefully chosen finish may be entirely justified.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do printed paper bags cost?
Printed paper bags can range from less than 2p each for very large runs of simple counter bags to around £1.80 each for 500 premium rope-handle bags. Short online runs may cost more per unit.
Why does the unit price fall at higher quantities?
Printing and production require setup work. A larger run spreads those costs across more bags, reducing the cost of each unit.
Are rope-handle bags more expensive?
Yes. Rope-handle bags usually use heavier paper, reinforced tops and more manual assembly than standard twist-handle bags. They are best reserved for products that benefit from premium presentation.
Is printing both sides much more expensive?
Printing both sides normally costs more because it increases print coverage and production work. Public UK examples show that the difference can be significant, especially on short digital runs.
Is interior printing worth the cost?
Interior printing is worthwhile when it creates an intentional premium reveal. For most retail and takeaway bags, outside printing gives more visible value.
What is the most economical branded paper bag?
A standard-size kraft bag with twisted paper handles, simple outside printing and a quantity based on regular usage is often the most economical option for everyday retail and takeaway use.
Final Answer
Custom paper bag prices depend far more on specification and quantity than on the word “paper”.
A large run of simple counter bags may cost less than 2p each. A practical twist-handle kraft bag may cost around 23p to 38p each at quantities of 1,000 to 5,000. A premium rope-handle bag may cost around 79p to £1.80 each depending on quantity.
The biggest mistake is choosing the wrong bag style and then trying to reduce the price through small changes.
Start with five questions:
Once those answers are clear, the bag can be specified without paying for excess paper, unsuitable handles, unnecessary interior printing or finishes that add cost but little value.
Send your product size, packed weight, quantity and preferred appearance to Custom Packly for help comparing paper bag options and pricing the specification that fits how your business will actually use them.