Paper Bag Template to Print and Fold

A paper bag is measured width × gusset × height, inside: the width of the front and back faces, the gusset or side that opens front to back, and the height from the bottom crease to the top edge. That order is common practice in the bag trade, and it is the order the tool asks for. Measure the item, add a little room on each side so it slides in easily, and type the bag’s width, gusset and height.

The four presets show the range. A jewelry box up to about 2.75 × 1.25 × 3.75 in fits the 3 × 1.5 × 4 in jewelry bag with air around it; the bag’s sizes are inside sizes. A handful of candy or two cookies sit in the 3 × 2 × 4.5 in candy favor bag. A mug or a candle takes the 4 × 2.5 × 6 in small gift bag, and a paperback or a greeting card the 5 × 1.5 × 7.5 in book and card bag. For anything else, measure the item, add a little room and type the bag’s width, gusset and height; the template adds the bag’s folds, not the room. Start from the box volume calculator when you want to check a box first.

A bag’s ring runs all the way around the item, and for most bags that ring is longer than a Letter or A4 page (the jewelry bag’s whole ring fits one). The two-piece construction solves it: each piece is one face plus one gusset, and each paper bag template piece prints whole on a single page. The two pieces wrap into a ring and join at two seams, so the front stays one clean panel. This is why two pieces is the default: no taping and no seam down the middle of the front.

The one piece construction is still there for print shops and large paper. A single sheet wraps the whole ring with one seam and no second join, which suits a production run or a bag bigger than a home printer. On this page, choose One piece under Bag and the same measurements are redrawn; the jewelry bag still fits a Letter or A4 page in one piece, while the three larger bags take two pages at actual size.

Print the two pieces at 100% and check the 1 in square. Cut the pieces and score every dashed line before any fold. Scoring matters more than cutting: a bone folder or an empty ballpoint pen pressed along a ruler makes a crease that folds cleanly, while a fold without a score cracks the printed surface. With the pieces still flat, fold the top turn-in down inside on its crease.

Fold the ring at its four corners; the gusset’s center creases stay flat while the bag is open and let it fold flat later. Bring the two pieces together, turn in the glue flaps and glue each one to the other piece’s gusset end. Hold the seam for a few seconds or use a double-sided tape for an instant bond, then let the ring dry flat. The bottom flap is folded only after the ring is dry, so the bag stays square while it is handled.

The bottom section is 3/4 of the gusset deep, the share a common handmade bag uses. With the ring upright, the gusset folds in on two 45 degree creases that start at the gusset’s bottom corners and meet half a gusset below the bottom fold line. That fold turns the gusset into a triangle and lets the bottom flatten into a rectangle. The two mitered corners fold over the triangle and out of the way of the flaps.

Now fold the front flap down over the bottom and press the crease, then fold the back flap over it. Each flap covers 3/4 of the gusset and the two overlap by 1/2 of the gusset in the middle, which gives a wide glue line. Glue the overlap, press the bag flat and open the ring: the bottom squares up on its own. The bottom fold sits at 3/4 of the gusset by default and can be set from 1/2 to the full gusset, with the creases and the overlap following.

The top fold is 1 in (25.4 mm) deep by default, the turn-in a paper bag normally has. While the pieces still lie flat, fold the top edge down inside on the crease, all the way around the ring. The turn-in hides the top’s cut edge, stiffens the opening and gives the bag a clean line from the front. Because the fold turns inside, it is added above the inside height rather than taken out of it: a 6 in bag still holds 6 in of gift.

Set the top fold to 0 for a plain top edge, or make it deeper for a heavier paper or a bag that will be opened and closed often. Fold it before the ring goes together, so the band follows the flat pieces. The turn-in is also what a folded paper topper or a clip-on label grips, so a candy favor bag with a 1 in fold can carry a small printed header. The edge is cut straight and the crease is scored, so the fold follows the printed line around all four panels.

The paper bag template starts on 80 lb cover card stock, about 216 gsm and 0.267 mm thick. It is stiff enough to stand open and soft enough to fold by hand, which is the balance a gift bag needs. 65 lb cover card stock, 176 gsm and 0.216 mm, is a common lighter choice for a softer bag; it folds even more easily and suits a bag that will be opened once. Both are sold as cover or card stock, not as text paper.

Board thickness is built into every panel, not ignored: the face and gusset each gain a board, the height half a board, and the bottom follows. The glue flap stays 1/2 in (12.7 mm) whatever the board; only its end inset follows. Change the board under Board and the flat size changes with it, so the bag’s inside stays the size you asked for. Card stock is the material the page is drawn for, and its thickness is built into every panel.

The bag is complete as it is, and a handle is something you add. Turn on Ribbon holes and the template cuts two holes on each face, 1/4 in (6.35 mm) across, 1/2 in below the top edge and 2 in apart, through both layers of the turn-in, so a ribbon or a cord can run in one side and out the other. Thread the ribbon from the inside, knot it or tie it, and the bag carries like a small shopping bag.

For a thin cord, run one end through each hole and knot it inside. The holes sit 1/2 in below the top edge by default, through the folded band, and the tool keeps them clear of the side creases. For a heavy gift, a small piece of tape or card inside reinforces them; the template’s check warns when a hole sits too close to an edge.

A plain bag is a good start, and the artwork is where the bag becomes a gift. After a download, Design the bag with AI opens AI packaging design in Auto mode: the AI pages design a bag front from your words, so describe the colors, the pattern and the words to print, and place the result on the bag’s face in the Design section.

The paper bag template itself stays free, and a design run uses credits only when you start one. For a logo or a name on both faces, the Design section works on this same bag; nothing is handed to AI or a tag tool. Start from all box templates for a box instead, or open the dieline generator when you need a production file with layers, bleed and spot colors.