When you're ready to invest in custom printed coffee bags, one of the first questions you'll face is: digital or rotogravure (plate printing)? Both produce high-quality results, but they suit very different situations. Get this choice right and you'll save money, reduce waste, and get better results from your packaging investment.

Here's how to decide.

What Is Digital Printing?

Digital printing for coffee bags uses advanced inkjet technology purpose-built for flexible packaging films. Your artwork is sent directly to the printer as a digital file and printed onto the bag material without any physical plates or setup tooling.

The advantages of digital printing:

• No plate fees — you pay only for the bags you order
• Low minimum order quantities — Coffee Bags Direct starts at 500 units
• Fast turnaround — most digital orders ship within 5–10 business days
• Ideal for multiple SKUs — each design runs independently, no extra cost per design
• Perfect for sampling, seasonal runs, and new product launches

The trade-off:

Per-unit cost is higher than rotogravure at large volumes. If you're ordering 10,000+ units of the same design regularly, digital becomes more expensive than it needs to be.

What Is Rotogravure Printing?

Rotogravure (or 'roto') printing uses engraved cylinders (plates) — one per colour — to transfer ink directly onto the packaging film at very high speed. The plates require an upfront investment to produce, but once made, they print millions of units at a fraction of the digital per-unit cost.

The advantages of rotogravure:

• Superior per-unit economics at high volumes
• Outstanding colour consistency across long production runs
• Ideal for established brands with a single core product at scale
• Best-in-class colour vibrancy for complex designs with large solid colour areas

The trade-off:

Plate setup is a one-time investment. At approximately $120 per plate, a typical full-colour job runs around $480 for the initial setup. That cost is fixed and carries across every reorder — once your plates are made, you don't pay for them again. This makes rotogravure most cost-effective for brands with stable artwork who reorder regularly.

How to Choose: A Simple Decision Framework

What Coffee Bags Direct Offers

We operate both printing methods, which means we can recommend the right solution for your situation — not push you toward whatever we have available.

Our Brisbane-based team handles digital printing from 500 units. Rotogravure printing is available from 5,000 units. Lead time for both methods: 30 days for manufacturing, plus 30–35 days for shipping after manufacturing. Total lead time is approximately 65 days from formal artwork sign-off and payment of invoice.

Many of our customers start on digital when they launch and transition to rotogravure once their volume stabilises. We make that transition straightforward — same artwork, different method. This is covered in more detail in our post on how digital printing is transforming flexible food packaging.

Ready to find out which printing method suits your brand? Request a free quote and we'll give you a straight recommendation based on your volume, design, and timeline.

Next, choose the right bag format and bag finish to complete your packaging brief.