How to make custom chip bags
A party chip bag is not a bag you make. It is one flat sheet — 11 × 8.5 in — printed on both halves, wrapped around a shop-bought bag of crisps and sealed at the back. Everything is laid out on that single rectangle.
How the wrap folds
Turn the sheet landscape, 11 in across. It wraps the bag the short way, so the 11 in runs around the bag and the 8.5 in is its height. Folded, it divides roughly into three down the width:
| Left third | Goes round to the back. The join lands here, so keep it plain or repeat the pattern. |
|---|---|
| Middle third | The front. This is the only part anybody sees standing up — the name, the age, the photograph. |
| Right third | The other side and the back overlap, glued or taped down. |
The exact thirds depend on the bag you buy, which is why these are sold as one wrap rather than as a template with the folds marked. Wrap a plain sheet of paper around the bag you are using first and pencil the creases; that tells you where your front panel really is.
The numbers
| Finished size | 11 × 8.5 in |
|---|---|
| With bleed | 11.25 × 8.75 in — 0.125 in on every edge |
| Safe area | Keep anything that must survive 0.125 in inside the trim |
| At 300 DPI | 3300 × 2550 px |
| Export as |
These are the numbers behind BoboCreate's chip bag preset, and the chip bag size reference has the rest of them.
What to keep out of the folds
- Faces. A photograph creased down the middle is the commonest regret. Put faces in the middle third and leave room either side.
- Words that run across a crease. A fold through the middle of a name makes it hard to read at a glance, which is the only way anyone reads a party table.
- Fine detail near the seal. The overlap hides a strip about half an inch wide. Anything there is simply gone.
Designing it
- Carry the background to the edges. The pattern should run into the bleed on every side, or a trimmed edge shows white against the foil.
- Repeat the pattern rather than centring one picture. Most of the sheet is wrapped out of sight; a design that reads from any angle beats one that only works flat.
- Mind the contrast. It is printed on paper and taped over a shiny bag, often photographed under a party light. Pale text on a pale pattern disappears.
- Make a plain version too if you are selling it — buyers often want one without a name to use as a filler.
Questions
What size bag does this fit?
It is sized for the standard single-serve crisp bag sold in multipacks, about 9 to 10 in tall before the wrap. Bags vary by brand and country, so measure one and compare before printing a dozen.
Do I need the bleed if I am printing at home?
Yes, more than usual — a chip bag is cut out by hand with scissors, and a hand-cut edge wanders further than a guillotine does.
Can I put a photograph on it?
Yes, and the middle third is where it belongs. Check it is big enough: the sheet is 3300 × 2550 px at 300 DPI, so a picture filling a third of it wants to be about 1100 px wide at least. See what 300 DPI means.