Elevating Custom Food Packaging: A Guide to Surface Finishes

Custom food packaging does more than just contain your product – it's a powerful branding canvas. 

The choice of surface treatment can dramatically impact shelf appeal, consumer perception, and 

brand identity. Here’s an overview of six key finishing techniques for food bags:

1.  Matte Finish: A non-reflective, smooth surface exuding sophistication and understated elegance. 

Matte finishes reduce glare, offer a premium tactile feel, and are excellent for conveying artisanal, 

natural, or organic qualities. They also minimize fingerprint visibility. (Often achieved with specific 

laminates or coatings).

2.  Gloss Finish:Creates a vibrant, high-shine surface that makes colors pop and graphics appear 

sharper and more saturated. Gloss finishes reflect light, attracting attention on crowded shelves 

and conveying energy, modernity, and freshness. They also offer inherent water resistance. 

(Commonly a standard laminate or applied coating).

3.  Metallic Effect: Achieved using specialty inks or foils, metallic finishes (silver, gold, bronze, etc.) 

add significant luxury, prestige, and visual impact. They create a reflective, eye-catching shimmer that 

elevates premium products or special editions. Metallic inks are printed directly, while foil stamping applies 

a thin metallic film.

4.  Spot UV: A clear, glossy coating applied selectively to specific design elements (logos, text, patterns). 

Spot UV creates striking visual contrast against matte or uncoated backgrounds, adds significant texture 

and dimension (raised feel), and draws the eye precisely to key branding elements. It enhances perceived 

value and sophistication.

5.  Holographic: Involves using lasers to create intricate patterns, holographic effects, or selective ablation 

(removing layers) on specialty films or coatings. This produces unique, often iridescent or 3D-like visual effects 

that are highly distinctive and difficult to replicate, ideal for premium branding, security features, or creating 

a "wow" factor.

6.  Gold Stamping (Hot Stamping): A process using heat and pressure to transfer a thin metallic (gold, silver, 

holographic) or colored pigment foil layer onto the packaging surface. It delivers unparalleled shine, elegance, 

and a distinct tactile quality. Foil stamping is synonymous with luxury, tradition, and high-end branding, 

perfect for logos or key accents.

Choosing the Right Finish:

The optimal surface treatment depends on your brand personality, target audience, product type, and budget. 

Matte and gloss are foundational. Metallic effects, spot UV, and foil stamping add premium cues. Laser finishes 

offer cutting-edge uniqueness. Often, combining techniques (e.g., matte laminate with spot UV and foil stamping) 

creates the most impactful and luxurious results.

By strategically selecting from these surface treatments, food brands can transform their custom bags from simple 

containers into powerful, sensory-driven brand ambassadors that captivate consumers and command attention at 

the point of purchase. Always ensure chosen finishes comply with food contact safety regulations.