6/2/16
Many clients have multiple varieties within their custom printed polybag product line. Bagel bags, bread bags, apple bags, golf tee bags, beef jerky bags, whoopie pies, parts bags etc all potentially require multiple variety polybag prints within a common plastic bag size. Clients in this situation are often faced with trying to uniquely package each of these items while also ordering varying quantities per variety based on historical or forecasted demand. The challenge in meeting minimums for each print while keeping costs to a minimum can be best met by setting up prints with common plates. Common plates allows for volume pricing while ordering small amounts per item.
To minimize custom plastic bag cost and allow each variety to be unique, the following needs to be considered.
- COMMON PLATES: Consolidate all variety to variety changes (UPC code, nutritionals etc) to a single plate (single color). This allows the other colors to be common for all prints. The commonality allows the bag variety quantities to be combined for the volume price and also saves on plate costs. A small plate changeover charge per print change is required to cover scrap and downtime. The small change charge is typically dwarfed by the savings from gaining the volume price for all.
- COLOR CHANGE: To maximize the differentiation between varieties, not only will one plate change (see #1) but so will one of the colors. The color change gives a visual of the uniqueness for each variety and makes the product more easily recognizable to the end user. A small color changeover charge per print change is required to cover scrap and downtime. The small color change charge is minimal in comparison to the savings from gaining the volume price for all and the color uniqueness per item.
- We try to steer clients to a single plate and/or a single color change at most. In more complex prints, the plate and/or color changes can be more than one. More than two changes limits the ability to run efficiently in combination runs. More than two color changes and/or plate changes are typically viewed as separate and priced as individual prints.
- For process printed bags (CMYK), the variety to variety change cannot involve the process imagery.
To illustrate, we will look at specific scenario. A bread maker has 5 bread varieties to package in custom printed polybags in the quantities listed. The bread maker relays each custom printed polybag is the same size and is a 4 color print on 2 sides. The request also asks for each print to have a unique color and each print will have a UPC and nutritional change which can be consolidated on the black plate.
Rye 7,500
Wheat 5,000
White 5,000
Rosemary 2,500…new item for bread maker…wants to try it out at a low qty which is possible thru the common plate approach
Sesame 5,000
PRICING:
All bags get the 25,000 volume price per 1000 bags (the bag price per thousand would be issued based on bag size and construction per request)
Plate changes within the run: 4 (5 prints requires 4 changes) at $50 each* ($200 total)
Color changes within the run: 4 (5 prints requires 4 changes) at $75 each* ($300 total)
Common print plates: 3 common plates to be used for all at $125/each* ($375 for common plates)
Variety print plates: 5 variety plates (one per print) at $125/each* ($625 for all variety plates)
*subject to change upon seeing the art files specific to the items in question
We want to help you get your product to the market. The above illustration and concept can be adjusted based on each scenario. We hope the above provides a framework for you as you begin your journey. We are here to help. Contact us with any questions you may have or samples you may need.
The picture shows 3 bags. All the same size and same colors. The only change is the black plate print to print.
Thanks for reading.