Flexible Packaging Manufacturing Process: Comprehensive Guide

With the rapid development of the global market economy, flexible packaging has become an indispensable solution across industries such as food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, personal care, and household products. As a leading flexible packaging manufacturer with more than 20 years of production experience, Meishida Packaging is committed to delivering high-quality, custom-printed flexible packaging solutions to clients worldwide.

Backed by a modern factory equipped with advanced water-based ink printing and lamination lines, Meishida integrates innovation, sustainability, and efficiency in every step of the production process. In this article, we’ll walk you through our complete flexible packaging manufacturing process, showing how Meishida ensures quality from concept to shipment.

What is Flexible Packaging?

Flexible packaging refers to packaging solutions made from flexible materials such as plastic films, aluminum foil, kraft paper, or laminates that can be easily shaped or folded. These materials are lightweight yet durable, offering excellent barrier protection, cost-effectiveness, and visual appeal.

At Meishida Packaging, our materials include BOPP, PET, PE, NY, AL, and recyclable or biodegradable films. We offer a wide range of pouch styles — including stand-up pouches, spout pouches, flat bottom bags, zipper bags, and more — all customizable with your logo and specifications.

Meishida’s Flexible Packaging Manufacturing Process

Design & Prepress
Every successful packaging solution starts with a smart design. Meishida’s in-house design team provides free packaging design, label layout, and logo services, helping clients turn ideas into printable artworks.

We prepare the designs using professional prepress software, including color separation, layout alignment, and print proofing. Every step is carefully reviewed to ensure the final print meets our high standards and your expectations.

Plate Making
For traditional gravure printing, Meishida uses high-precision electronic engraving technology to prepare printing cylinders. These cylinders accurately reproduce detailed designs using microscopic ink cells, ensuring sharp images and vibrant colors — even at high speeds.

We follow strict quality control during plate making to minimize color deviations and improve ink transfer efficiency, especially for multi-layer laminated structures.

Printing (Gravure Printing with Ink)
At Meishida Packaging, we use gravure printing machines equipped with water-based ink systems, supporting up to 10-color high-definition printing. Compared to solvent-based inks, water-based inks are eco-friendly, low-VOC, and food-safe, aligning with global sustainability trends.

Our automated printing lines offer:

• Fast registration control
• Precise tension system
• Real-time defect detection
• Consistent color quality

This process ensures that all packaging rolls are printed with outstanding clarity and consistency — whether it’s for snacks, baby food, or cosmetics.

Quality Inspection
Quality is at the core of our operation. We integrate online defect detection systems and employ manual spot-checking throughout the production stages to eliminate any misprints or color inconsistencies.

Our dedicated QC team reviews each batch with:

Color density meters

Heat seal testers

Pinhole testers

Odor assessment for material compliance

5. Lamination (Solvent-Free and Dry Lamination)
   Depending on the product’s requirements, Meishida offers solvent-free lamination for eco-conscious brands, as well as dry lamination for high-barrier or multilayered packaging.

Lamination bonds different films together, enhancing:

Moisture and oxygen resistance

Structural durability

Gloss or matte finish effects

6. Curing (Aging)
   Post-lamination, the rolls are sent to temperature-controlled curing rooms for 24–48 hours. This stage allows adhesives to fully cure, ensuring strong bonding between layers without delamination or odor issues. We adjust the curing method depending on film structure and adhesive system.
7. Slitting & Rewinding
   Once cured, laminated films are slit into customer-specified widths using high-speed slitting machines with automatic tracking systems. These slit rolls are then rewound for:

Direct shipment to customers using automatic form-fill-seal machines

Transfer to our in-house pouch-making department

8. Pouch Making
   Our fully automated pouch-making machines can produce various styles, including:

Stand-Up Pouches

Spout Pouches

Flat Bottom Bags

3-Side Seal Bags

Zipper Bags

The process involves:

Precision heat sealing

Bottom or side gusset forming

Zipper insertion

Optional round corners, hang holes, or one-way degassing valves

Every bag is crafted to meet your storage, convenience, and brand display needs.

9. Fitment Addition
   For value-added functionality, we can add:

Spouts and caps

Zippers and sliders

Degassing valves (for coffee bags)

Tear notches and tin ties

These features improve consumer usability and make your packaging stand out on the shelf.Final Quality Check, Packing & Shipping
Before shipment, we carry out a final quality inspection — reviewing sealing strength, leak tests, and appearance. Then the products are packed in custom cartons or pallets, labeled per customer requirements, and delivered safely to your destination.

Thanks to Meishida’s independent import-export license, we ensure smooth global delivery to over 50 countries.

Why Choose Meishida Packaging?

✅ Over 20 years of manufacturing experience

✅ 30,000㎡ modern factory with 6 automated production lines

✅ Food-grade, eco-friendly, and ISO-certified

✅ Support for small MOQ & fast delivery

✅ Custom printing with water-based ink

✅ Free design support and one-stop OEM/ODM solutions

Whether you’re a food brand, supplement company, or personal care business, Meishida Packaging is your trusted partner in delivering sustainable, cost-effective, and visually striking flexible packaging solutions.

Ready to Start Your Custom Packaging Project?

👉 Contact Meishida Packaging today for a free quote and packaging consultation.

Let’s create flexible packaging that protects your product, enhances your brand, and drives sales.