Flexo vs rotogravure printing for PP woven bags

Almost every printed PP woven bag is produced one of two ways: flexographic (flexo) printing or rotogravure (roto). Both put ink on fabric, but they suit different jobs. Choosing the wrong one means either paying for detail you cannot see, or printing artwork the press cannot hold.

The short version

Flexo prints directly onto the woven surface and is economical for bold, simple artwork at volume. Rotogravure prints fine, photographic detail — usually reverse-printed underneath a BOPP laminate film, which protects the print and gives a premium finish. Roto costs more per bag and carries a higher minimum order.

Rotogravure: photographic detail, reverse-printed

Rotogravure uses an engraved cylinder per colour, so it reproduces gradients, small type, and photographs cleanly, and holds tight registration across a long run. On a laminated bag the artwork is reverse-printed on the inside of the film, so it never scuffs off in transit. This is the process behind retail-grade atta, rice, and flour packs where the bag is part of the brand.

Flexo: bold, economical, direct

Flexo prints from raised rubber or photopolymer plates straight onto the fabric. It is ideal for colour-block logos, line art, and text — the kind of marking most feed, agri, seed, fertilizer, and cement sacks need. Fewer setup costs and a lower minimum order make it the sensible choice when the bag is functional rather than a shelf product.

How to choose

• Photographs, gradients, or fine detail → rotogravure.
• Bold logos, flat colours, and text → flexo.
• The bag sits on a retail shelf → rotogravure, laminated.
• The bag is industrial and moves in bulk → flexo.
• Lower volume or tighter budget → flexo, if the artwork allows it.

If you are unsure, send us the artwork and tell us the end use and volume. We run both presses in-house and will point you to the one that fits — not the one that bills more.

Have a bag in mind? Spec it and we'll quote it.