Bag sizes are written W × D × H — width, depth (the gusset) and height, in millimetres, with the handle excluded. Most retail bags sit between 200 × 80 × 250 mm and 320 × 120 × 420 mm, on 157–210 gsm art paper.
The number buyers get wrong is the third one. Height is the body of the bag, not the top of the handle, and a bag that is 20 mm too shallow will not close over the product no matter how good the print is.
1. How a bag size is written
Three letters, in this order: W × D × H. Width is the front panel, depth is the folded side (the gusset), height is the body from the bottom edge to the top edge. The handle is specified separately as a drop — the distance from the top edge of the bag to the highest point you grip.
| Dimension | What it is | Where to measure |
|---|---|---|
| W — width | Front face of the bag | Across the bag mouth, outside edge to outside edge |
| D — depth | Side panel / gusset | Open the bag flat and measure the folded side panel |
| H — height | Body of the bag | From the bottom fold to the top edge, handle excluded |
| Handle drop | Carrying height | From the top edge up to the grip point; 100–120 mm for hand carry |
One warning before anything else: the industry does not agree on the order. Plenty of suppliers quote W × H × D, and some quote height first because it is the number a buyer visualises. A 250 × 320 × 100 quote and a 250 × 100 × 320 quote can describe the same bag — or a bag 220 mm taller. Always put the letters next to the numbers in your enquiry, and ask for the dieline before you approve artwork.
2. Ten standard retail sizes
These are the sizes we cut most often. They are orientation, not a catalogue: any size in the range can be made, but starting from a size that already has a die saves tooling cost and about a week of lead time.
| Bag type | W × D × H (mm) | Inches | Typical contents | Paper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jewellery / small gift | 150 × 60 × 200 | 5.9 × 2.4 × 7.9 | Rings, soap, cosmetics, single item | 128–157 gsm art |
| A5 boutique | 200 × 80 × 250 | 7.9 × 3.1 × 9.8 | Books, small apparel, pharmacy | 157–200 gsm art |
| Medium retail | 250 × 100 × 320 | 9.8 × 3.9 × 12.6 | Clothing, a shoebox, general retail | 157–200 gsm art |
| Large fashion | 320 × 120 × 420 | 12.6 × 4.7 × 16.5 | Coats, bedding, multi-item | 200–210 gsm art |
| A4 document | 250 × 90 × 330 | 9.8 × 3.5 × 13.0 | A4 paper, catalogues, portfolios | 157–180 gsm art |
| Bottle / wine | 110 × 90 × 350 | 4.3 × 3.5 × 13.8 | One 750 ml bottle | 210 gsm + base board |
| Food takeaway | 220 × 120 × 280 | 8.7 × 4.7 × 11.0 | Pastry boxes, cups, deli items | 100–120 gsm kraft |
| Courier / merchandise | 300 × 150 × 400 | 11.8 × 5.9 × 15.7 | Online orders, event kits | 150–180 gsm kraft |
| Flat, no gusset | 250 × 330 (W × H) | 9.8 × 13.0 | Prints, posters, flat mailers | 150–200 gsm |
| Extra large | 400 × 150 × 450 | 15.7 × 5.9 × 17.7 | Home textiles, bulky goods | 210–250 gsm + base board |
A flat bag has no gusset, so it is quoted as two numbers only. Everything else carries three.
3. Four things that actually decide the size
The product, plus what goes around it
Measure the product as it will be packed, not as it sits on a table. A folded shirt is 20 mm thick once it is in tissue and a box; a candle in a carton is three times the diameter of the candle. Leave 10–15 mm of clearance per side — enough to slide the product in without forcing, not so much that it slides around. Glass and ceramics need more, plus an inner fitment.
The printable front panel
A front panel under about 80 mm wide holds a logo and nothing else. If the artwork carries a brand name plus a claim plus a legal line, you need 120 mm of width and 150 mm of height to keep type above the minimum legible size on kraft. Designers routinely lay out a beautiful lockup on an A4 artboard that has to shrink to 60% on a 200 mm bag.
Height against the hand and the shelf
Under 200 mm tall, a hand-carry bag sits awkwardly and the handle tends to fold into the product. Above 420 mm, the bag needs a reinforced base board or the bottom panels bow when loaded. Retail display adds a third constraint: a bag taller than the shelf gap will be laid on its side, which is where laminated paper scuffs.
Carton density and freight
Bag size decides how many fit in an export carton, and carton count drives freight cost as much as piece count does. A 250 × 100 × 320 bag packs roughly 100–150 pieces per carton; a 320 × 120 × 420 bag packs roughly 60–80. Moving up one size can add 20–30% to the freight per piece before the paper cost moves at all.
4. Paper weight: how thick the bag needs to be
Paper weight is quoted in gsm — grams per square metre. It is not thickness, but for the same grade the two move together. Too light and the bag creases white at the folds and sags at the base; too heavy and it will not fold flat at the gusset without cracking.
| Paper | Bag size it suits | Typical load | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100–120 gsm kraft | Food and takeaway, small | 1–2 kg | Uncoated, breathable, grease-resistant grades available |
| 128–157 gsm art paper | Small gift bags | 1–2 kg | Needs lamination or varnish, otherwise fold lines show white |
| 157–200 gsm art paper | Medium retail | 3–5 kg | The most common retail bag in Europe and North America |
| 200–250 gsm art paper | Large fashion, extra large | 5–10 kg | Pair with a rope handle and a base board |
| 210–300 gsm kraft or white card | Bottle, bulky goods | 8–12 kg | Point load at the base — reinforcement is mandatory |
Load capacity is decided by the handle and the base, not by the paper alone. A 200 gsm bag with a die-cut handle will fail before a 157 gsm bag with a twisted paper handle. The load ratings for each handle type are in Paper Bag Handles Compared.
5. How size moves the unit price
Paper is bought by area, so the material cost of a bag scales with the flat blank: roughly (2W + 2D) × H, plus flaps and a trimming allowance. Doubling the width roughly doubles the paper; doubling the height does the same. What does not scale is the setup — plates, cylinders, die and make-ready — which is why a large bag at 1,000 pieces and a small bag at 1,000 pieces can differ by less than the paper alone suggests.
- Sheet yield. Paper arrives in sheets of 787 × 1092 mm or 889 × 1194 mm. A size that lays out eight-up on the sheet can be cheaper per bag than a slightly smaller size that only lays out six-up. This is worth asking about before you finalise a dimension.
- New die. A non-standard size needs a cutting die, a one-time cost, and usually 5–7 days before the first sample.
- Freight. As above, carton density moves faster than paper cost as the bag grows.
- Family of sizes. Small, medium and large in the same artwork share the print setup, so three sizes do not triple the tooling. They are still three dies unless the depths and heights are designed to nest.
The full set of cost lines behind a quotation is broken down in Custom Packaging Cost Breakdown.
6. How to measure a bag you already like
If you are matching a bag you have used before, do not measure the product — measure the bag, and measure it the same way a factory does.
- Lay the bag flat and measure across the front panel: that is W.
- Open the gusset fully and measure the side panel: that is D. Measure both sides; a bag that has been used may be uneven.
- Measure from the bottom fold to the top edge: that is H. Do not include the handle.
- Measure the handle drop, and note the handle type — it changes the load rating more than the paper does.
- Weigh the bag on a kitchen scale and divide by its flat area in square metres to estimate gsm. Within 10% is close enough to quote against.
Send those five numbers plus a photo of the bag on a plain background, and a factory can quote without a sample in hand.
7. What to confirm in writing
- The order of the dimensions — W × D × H, spelled out, not just three numbers.
- Whether height includes the handle, and the handle drop you are getting.
- Paper grade and gsm, not just "kraft" or "art paper".
- Base reinforcement: none, a paper board insert, or a greyboard panel.
- Packing quantity per carton, and the carton dimensions — this is your freight estimate.
Frequently asked
What is the standard size of a paper shopping bag?
There is no single standard, but most retail shopping bags fall between 200 × 80 × 250 mm and 320 × 120 × 420 mm, written as width × depth × height. A medium clothing bag is usually around 250 × 100 × 320 mm. What matters more than the number is that width, depth and height are stated explicitly, because suppliers quote the same three numbers in different orders.
Can you make a non-standard size?
Yes. Any size between roughly 100 × 60 × 150 mm and 450 × 160 × 500 mm can be made, but a new size needs a new cutting die, so the minimum is 1,000 pieces per design. If you can fit your product into one of our existing dies, you skip the die cost and the tooling lead time.
What size bag fits a 750 ml wine bottle?
110 × 90 × 350 mm covers a standard 750 ml Bordeaux or Burgundy bottle with a little room to slide in. Use 120 × 100 × 400 mm for champagne, magnums or a bottle plus a gift box. Bottle bags need a reinforced base board, because the whole load sits on one small panel.
