Custom Printed Takeaway Paper Bags with or without Handles

What makes a takeaway paper bag different from a shopping bag?

A takeaway bag is built around food boxes. Its base is wide and square, so a meal box sits flat and a cup stays upright instead of tipping into the corner.

The sides fold in with a gusset, which lets the bag lie flat when empty and open fully when packed. The photos show the three handle options: flat paper strips, twisted paper rope, and plain bags with no handles that fold over at the top.

Each one is made from kraft paper, in natural brown or white.

Paper bags also stand on their own once opened, which frees both hands at a busy pass for loading boxes.

Which handle should you choose?

The handle decides how the bag is carried, and that depends on who is carrying it and how far.

Who uses printed takeaway bags?

Almost every takeaway ends the order with a bag. Printed ones turn the last thing the customer touches into a reminder of where the food came from.

Plain kraft bags with a one colour logo are the most common choice, because they look tidy without adding much to the cost of each order.

• Burger, chicken and kebab shops packing full meals
• Indian, Chinese and Thai takeaways with several tubs per order
• Cafés handing over pastries and coffee together
• Restaurants running collection and delivery
• Bakeries packing loaves and cakes for the walk home
• Market traders who need a quick, plain-sided bag

What size takeaway bag fits your boxes?

Measure the base of your most common box. The bag base, width by gusset, should be a little bigger, so the box drops in flat.

Height matters too. With handled bags, the handles meet above the contents, so the bag should rise at least 50 mm above the tallest item. With fold-over bags, allow extra height for two folds at the top.

Many shops order two sizes: a small bag for single items and a large one for family orders. To check box measurements first, use our guide to takeaway box sizes as a reference.

Can a paper bag cope with grease and steam?

The bag is the outer layer, so food should already be boxed or wrapped before it goes in. That keeps grease off the kraft paper.

Hot boxes do release steam inside the bag. Leaving the top open, or folding it loosely, lets some steam out so chips and fried food stay crisper. Put sauces and drinks upright in one corner, away from food boxes that might crush them.

Rain is the other enemy. A paper bag left on a wet doorstep softens at the base, so riders should keep bags in an insulated box until handover.

If food will touch the bag directly, such as a loose bread roll, food-contact paper can be requested and confirmed on your quote.

How do you print a takeaway bag?

Kraft paper bags print best with strong, simple artwork. One or two colours on brown kraft look clean and cost less. White kraft takes full colour CMYK and shows bright brand colours.

The front and back panels are the main spaces. Side gussets suit a pattern or your web address, as in the bag with the patterned side panel in our photos. A band of colour across the base, like the dark strip shown, gives a simple design real presence.

Keep the logo in the upper half of the front panel. Once the bag is full and the handles are gathered, the top third is what faces the customer walking out of your door.

For artwork that reproduces cleanly on paper, see our guide to printed food packaging design.

How should you pack a takeaway bag for delivery?

A good packing routine stops most delivery complaints before they start.

1. Open the bag fully and press the base flat.
2. Put the largest, flattest box in first, level on the base.
3. Stack smaller boxes on top, hot with hot and cold with cold.
4. Stand drinks and sauce pots upright at one end.
5. Add napkins and cutlery down the side, not on top of the food.
6. Close the top with a fold and a sticker, or hand it over by the handles.

What goes wrong with takeaway bags?

The most common issue is a bag that is too narrow. Boxes go in at an angle, sauces tip, and the customer opens a mess.

Overloading is the second. A big family order is better split into two bags than forced into one. Finally, printing small text near the base wastes space, because the bottom of the bag is rarely seen once it is packed.

Handle choice can go wrong too. Twisted handles look smart, but a heavy curry order with four tubs pulls hard on them. For weight, flat handles spread the load across a wider strip.

Do takeaway bags work with the rest of your packaging?

A bag pulls a mixed order together. If the burger box, chip box and cup all carry the same artwork, the bag completes the set. Our burger and fast food box range shows packaging that pairs well with printed bags.

Sandwich shops often use a smaller handle-free bag for single items and a larger handled bag for lunch orders.

How do you order printed takeaway bags?

Tell us the sizes, handle types and quantities you want. Bags start at £0.25 each. Your written quote states the exact price for the run you describe.

Every panel of the bag appears on a free proof first, so you sign off front, back and gussets before ink touches paper. The bags are made in 4–6 business days from that sign-off. A tracked courier then brings the bundles free to any UK address, typically 2–3 business days later. If a bundle turns up crushed or printed wrongly, photos sent inside 10 days get the bags reprinted or your money back.

When you have sizes in mind, request your takeaway bag quote and we reply in writing.