Buyer's guide · Updated October 2026
Blank Bags with Labels vs Custom Printed Coffee Bags: When to Switch
Switch from blank bags with labels to custom printed coffee bags once you can use 500 bags of one design before the coffee changes. Packluma prints from 500 bags per design at about $1.60–$2.00 per 12 oz bag, shipping included.
Not ready for 500? Say so. We will tell you if blank bags are the better buy.
Stay with blank bags
When blank bags and labels are the right call
Blank bags with labels are a good choice when you are small, and many roasters stay with them for years.
Take a roaster who sells 20 bags a week. A 500-bag printed order lasts about 25 weeks, and the design may change before the last bag is used. A box of blank bags and a roll of labels is the safer buy.
Labels also suit roasters who change coffees often. A single-origin that sells out in three weeks does not need its own printed bag. You print a new label and the bag stays the same.
Stock bags are there the day you need them. Printed bags take 7–10 business days to make after artwork approval, plus freight, so you need to plan ahead.
Printed bags also lock in a design. If you reword the tasting notes, move the logo or rename a blend, the leftover bags carry the old version. A label is cheap to reprint, so a young brand that is still changing its look loses less with labels.
If you sell under 500 bags of a design before you change it, stay with blank bags and labels.
Not sure which side you are on? Read how to choose coffee packaging for bag style and size.
Switch to printed
Signs it is time to switch
When one coffee sells 500 or more bags per order, you can print it. At 1,000 bags the price falls to about $1.15–$1.25 per 12 oz bag, shipping included.
If you run several blends, designs in the same bag size are priced on the combined quantity, with at least 500 bags per design. Three blends at 500 bags each are priced as one 1,500-bag order, so you do not pay the 500-bag price three times.
A label on a blank bag covers part of the bag. A printed bag is printed on every panel, which is how a bag looks on a shelf next to other brands.
A printed bag that sells every month is the easiest one to switch. Order it again on the same artwork and it comes back looking the same.
Every label is applied by hand or by a labelling station. Count the hours you spend on labels each week and put a price on them, because printed bags remove that step.
See the full price table and the custom coffee bag cost guide. How the printing works is on coffee bag printing.
Side by side
Blank bags with labels vs custom printed bags
| Compare | Blank bags + labels | Custom printed bags |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity per design | Any quantity, including a few dozen bags | 500 bags or more per design |
| Changing a coffee | Print a new label | New artwork, new order |
| Look on the shelf | Label on a plain bag | Printed on every panel |
| Time per bag | Labelling by hand or with a labelling station | No labelling step |
| Wait for bags | Bags from stock | 7–10 business days after artwork approval, plus freight |
| Cost per bag | Bag price plus label price plus your time | $1.60–$2.00 at 500 bags, $1.15–$1.25 at 1,000, shipping included |
Prices are ranges for a 12 oz bag, not quotes. Packluma does not sell blank bags, so there is no blank bag price here.
Before you switch
How to make the first printed order safe
Order a printed sample first. Samples cost about $60–$100 per bag size, plus courier, and take about 7–10 days to make. A free digital mockup comes with every quote.
Check the printed sample against your own beans and your own filling setup. Hand filling, a scoop or a small filling machine can all work, so confirm the zipper and the bag opening suit the way you fill.
Start with your best-selling coffee only. Keep your blank bags and labels for the rest until each one reaches 500 bags per order.
Pick the bag style and size first. The coffee bag size chart and the flat bottom and stand-up pouch pages cover that.
Tell us your volume
Send your coffees, bag size and monthly volume. We reply within 24 hours with a price and a free design mockup, or tell you to wait if blank bags suit you better.
FAQ
Blank bags vs printed bags FAQ
When should I switch from blank bags to custom printed coffee bags?
Switch when one design sells at least 500 bags before it changes, or when you run several coffees in one bag size and want the combined quantity. Packluma prints from 500 bags per design with digital printing.
Is it cheaper to use blank bags with labels?
It depends on volume. Blank bags need no minimum order, so a small roaster spends less up front. Custom printed bags from Packluma cost $1.60–$2.00 per 12 oz bag at 500 and $1.15–$1.25 at 1,000, shipping included, and they remove the labelling work.
Does Packluma sell blank bags?
No. Packluma makes custom printed coffee bags, with a minimum of 500 bags per design.
What if I only have a few coffees and low volume?
Stay with blank bags and labels until one coffee sells 500 bags. Once it does, order a printed sample (about $60–$100 per bag size, plus courier) and then a first run.
Can I print several coffees and still order small quantities?
Yes. Packluma prices several designs in the same bag size on the combined quantity, with at least 500 bags per design.