Where can I order a custom-made plastic bag sample?

Question

I need to make a plastic bag with my own design for my school project. I want to buy a clear plastic bag with 24"/20"/10" measurements. I need a very thick plastic (like this) with possibly a zipper and my logo on it.

All the companies in NY I'm asking about propose me to make 5 000 bags minimum at once. There is no possible way to make a sample of my bag before I put the order, unless I leave them a big deposit. Well, Im just a student and can't really afford it. So maybe someone could help me to find the answer? I would be glad to any information you can provide.

Answer 1

I would research screenprinting shops. You should be able to find some that work on a small scale and use the right inks

You might have some luck looking into sublimation. The feasibility depends on the kind of plastic of the bag, though. I think it should be some kind of polyester.

Other options would need more of an DIY-approach:

• Stencils. You could cut some stencils out of a number of materials and use spraypaint to get your logo on the bag. You might need a primer or test some spraypaint types.
• vinyl cutting. Not sure how it is really called, but it consists of a plotter that cuts adhesive (colored) vinyl sheets into the shapes of your logo. You can stick these to the bags OR use the cutouts as stencils. That way you get the sharpest contours.
  These vinyls also react to heat. So it might be that you can ensure a better adhesion to the plastic of the bag by ironing over them.
• Print. Buy some paperstock with autoadhesive backing and print it with your printer. You can then cut the shapes by hand and stick them to the bags. There are laser printers with very good inks that do not run (very important when its wet outside)

Another option might be to find a shop that prints relatively small volumes and order a sticker printed on transparent PVC. If you can get lower than 500 or even 250 you can stick them to your bags and use the rest as promotional handouts/marketing tools/gifts etc..

Answer 2

Custom dimensions are going to be a hurdle. If you want exactly 24" x 20" x 10", you'll have a tough time unless you can find a company that uses this as one of their standard sizes.

I would ask the company if they have non-printed bags available, likely they can supply this in a smaller quantity. You could then take it to a print shop and have them print the logo on it for you.

Answer 3

No vendor is going to be excited about that “opportunity” unless you can show them what amazing PR they'll get out of the deal. Except they probably won't, so no luck there.

The way I see it, you have two options:

1. Find a shop with with one of those print-on-anything inkjet devices and have them imprint a sheet of plastic that fits your specs. Then you'll have to do some creative prototyping with glue, double-sided tape, heat (to fuse the seams), or something.

2. Just put together an image of your idea, not a physical sample.