Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve gathered some information here to help you find answers to your frequently asked questions. If you do not find your question or an answer does not meet your needs, contact us for additional help.

Customer Service

Who handles importing?

Pacific Packaging’s Logistical Department handles all aspects of the importing process, including all shipping and customs documents.

Do you warehouse material for your customers?

Yes. With a warehousing agreement, Pacific Packaging will inventory for you. We can use our facility in Portland, Oregon, or a warehouse near your facility. We can help with any logistical issues before they arise, and use our expertise in handing the slightest issues.

What about printing?

We are a full service bag company. We are not bag brokers; we do not "shop” for your bags. We import plain bags and print the bags at our Portland factory using one of our six printing presses. We have an art department on-site, ready to assist with any art needs. We even make our own plates on-site; something our competitors have a hard time claiming

What is Pacific Packaging's lead-time?

Once you complete your artwork and hand it off to Pacific Packaging, we upload it to our server, and within minutes, your artwork is downloading at our plant in China. Manufacturing and shipment times run between two and three months depending on the packaging and order size.

Can I do a press-check?

We welcome you to visit our printing facilities in China. We will make all travel arrangements for you, including arranging for a translator, transportation, hotel, and dining. In addition, a consultant from Pacific Packaging will accompany you if necessary.

How long does it take to ship orders from China?

We use the top container carriers out of China, and it takes about 27 days to ship from our home port in China to our loading dock in Portland. From Portland, we can ship your order directly to you.

Is your packaging food grade?

Yes. We are proud to be one of only five packaging vendors in all of China that is American Institute of Baking (AIB) certified. The AIB is the premiere food safety auditing company in the US, exceeding USDA and EU standards. For more information about the AIB, visit.

Can you send me more information and some samples of your work?

Yes! Please e-mail us at main@pac-packaging.com or call us at toll free at 866-839-9443; we will send you information and samples that day.

Artwork

Do you have a design department?

Yes. Our design team will help you in any stage of packaging devolvement – just bring your ideas. We can also work hand in hand with your in-house art department or agency.

How many colors can Pacific Packaging print?

Up to nine colors per design, which allows sharp, photographic quality.

In what form should art be supplied?

We request artwork be supplied on any disk media in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop format at 300 dpi resolution or better to give you the best quality. If you supply art created in any other programs, such as PageMaker or Quark Express, we will convert your files to Illustrator files.

About the Company

Where do your bags come from?

They are manufactured in China.

What about quality? What makes one bag better then the next?

What makes a bag better or worse comes down to four issues: UV protection, resin quality, denier (weight) and tinsel (strength, or what stress is required to break the material). All of our bags are woven with 100% virgin resin – resin that is supplied with an ultraviolet inhibitor additive that extends the life of the bag in sunlight conditions. We can make a bag with up to 1600 hours. Most woven bags we sell have 400 hours of UV protection in them. However, we will make bags to fit any need.

Is Pacific Packaging a Chinese-owned company?

No. Pacific Packaging is incorporated in the United States and family-owned and operated since 1947.

Does Pacific Packaging “shop” or use more than one vendor?

No. Unlike many packaging companies, we do not shop for a better price. Shopping brings inconsistency and the danger of not getting what you paid for. We maintain exclusive relationships with our vendors. Both of our plants are ISO-certified and follow strict Quality Control guidelines.

How do your bags stack up to others?

Our woven polypropylene and laminated OPP bags are the finest available. Our prices within North America are very competitive because our buyers enjoy better quality at lower prices.

Products

Flexible Packaging and Roll Stock

What is rotor gravure printing?

Rotor gravure printing uses etched steel cylinders to transfer inks to a substrate (film).

Is gravure printing better than flexo printing?

Yes. With rotor gravure printing, you get photographic quality, brighter colors, and superior registration of colors. The main reason you do not find more gravure printing in America is simple: Cost. A gravure plate in the USA will cost anywhere from $800 to $1,400 per plate (per color). A flexo plate will run about $400.00.

What are your cylinder engraving charges?

We charge $350.00 per cylinder (per color). We also can amortize plates over 4 years.

How are the plates made?

Engraved cylinders are made out of metal; your design is etched onto the cylinder by computer stylus. In the gravure printing process, the image areas to be printed are recessed below the non-printing surface of the printing plate. These recesses (cells) are filled with ink, the surplus is removed from the non-printing areas by the "doctor blade," and the ink is drawn from the cells by the paper.

Do the plates wear out?

Unlike flexo plates, rotor gravure plates rarely wear out, even after million-bag run. If they do, we replace them free of charge.

Woven PolyPropylene

Why woven polypropylene? Isn’t paper better?

Woven polypropylene bags offer many advantages over paper:
• Lighter weight
• Much greater bursting strength
• Better pest resistance
• Greater tear resistance
• Reusability
• Can be air permeable and moisture, pollutants, bacteria, mildew, and oil resistant
• Properties do not degrade if wet
• Less expensive than paper
• Reduced slipping and shifting when placing on a pallet

Bulk Bags/FIBC

Do you offer a variety of different bulk bag styles?

Yes. We stock a complete range of sizes and styles. We also stock form-fit liners.

What’s the difference between coated and uncoated material?

Coated bulk bags prevent fine materials from escaping; uncoated bulk bags allow materials to breathe. We can also explain the other, more technical reasons if necessary.

We need a bulk bag in a very strange size and shape. Can you do that?

We can custom make any size or shape you need.

How long does it take to make a custom bulk bag overseas?

Depending on the time of year, about three months.

Our needs fluctuate; some months we need a ton of bulk bags and other months we don’t need any. How can you help us??

We can run several months for you at one time, then release them to you as needed and bill you for them as you receive them. All we ask is that you agree to take the material over a certain period of time

Burlap Bags

What is burlap?

Burlap is a woven cloth created from jute, hemp or flax fibers. These plants are not known for their silky or cottony textures, so the result is a coarse fabric with a large weave pattern and natural beige coloring. The actual meaning of the word burlap is a bit of a mystery, but some sources also refer to it as Hessian cloth.

Glossary of terminology
Some of the definitions included in the faq's can be found on our glossary page.
To go to the glossary page "click here."