One hoodie or heavy layer
12 × 15 in is the size we tested and it fits one folded hoodie or sweatshirt with room to seal properly. Go a size up rather than force the seam.
Soft-goods packaging
Custom clothing shipping bags, and what printing does not change
A custom poly mailer is a branding decision, not a shipping decision. The bag costs more to buy than a plain one; it does not cost more to send. We packed a folded hoodie in a 12 × 15 in mailer and quoted it live on 2026-08-19 — the price sits exactly where a plain bag of the same size lands, because carriers weigh and measure the parcel, not the artwork on it.
Live parcel ratesOne hoodie, quotedPrinting sources named
The film is what carries the design
Printing sits on top of the same polyethylene bag a plain mailer uses, so the postage math never sees it.
A folded hoodie in a 12 × 15 in mailer, quoted 2026-08-19
We described a folded hoodie in a custom printed 12 × 15 in poly mailer to the SMKlog calculator, weighed at 1.2 lb, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922 to Chicago, IL 60601. Every figure below is exactly what came back.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Estimated transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Ground Advantage | $11.17 | 4-5 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $11.22 | 4 business days |
| UPS | Ground | $11.57 | 4-5 business days |
| USPS | Priority Mail | $15.05 | 4-5 business days |
| UPS | 3 Day Select | $16.37 | 4-5 business days |
Nothing about the word “custom printed” in the product description changed a single rate. The calculator sizes and weighs the parcel exactly as it would a plain mailer; our poly mailer test against a box ran the same kind of bag with a different garment and a different lane, and it is worth reading side by side to see how weight and lane move the number rather than the printing.
Sizing a custom mailer to what you sell
A few folded t-shirts
10 × 13 in covers two to three folded tees. Stacking more than that turns a flat mailer into a lumpy one, and lumps are what tear a poly seam in transit.
Multi-item or bundled orders
Past a few garments, a 14 × 19 in or larger mailer or a small box holds the load without the bag ballooning past its own dimensional headroom.
Where the printing actually comes from
SMKlog buys shipping labels; it does not print or sell packaging. Sellers who want their own logo on a mailer are choosing between two kinds of supplier, and the choice mostly comes down to order size.
Print-on-demand packaging sites
Several online printers take custom poly mailer orders starting in the dozens rather than the thousands, with a design proof before anything ships. The per-bag price is highest at this end and falls as the order grows.
Bulk packaging suppliers
Wholesale packaging companies print larger custom runs for a lower per-bag cost, but the minimum order is correspondingly bigger, closer to a case than a handful.
Plain bags, if branding can wait
A plain mailer with a printed thank-you card or a sticker gets most of the unboxing effect without committing to a print run before you know your volume. Our guide to sourcing plain poly mailers covers where those come from.
Custom clothing shipping bags, answered
What is the difference between a custom poly mailer and a plain one?
Printing. A custom mailer is the same 2-mil to 2.5-mil polyethylene film as a plain one, run through a printer first so it carries a logo, a color, or a design instead of a blank white or gray surface. Neither the film nor the seal changes.
Does a custom-printed bag cost more to ship?
No. Carriers price by weight and package dimensions, not by what is printed on the outside. Our own hoodie test quoted the same $11.17 to $16.37 range a plain bag of the same size and weight would have returned on 2026-08-19.
What size bag fits a folded hoodie or a few t-shirts?
A 12 x 15 in mailer holds one folded hoodie or two to three folded t-shirts. Two or three shirts alone fit a smaller 10 x 13 bag. Go up a size before you go up a shipping tier: an overstuffed mailer risks a seam split more than it risks dimensional weight.
Where do small clothing sellers get custom mailer bags printed?
Print-on-demand packaging companies sell single-color and full-color custom poly mailers with order minimums as low as a few dozen bags, priced per unit and dropping as the order grows. Bulk packaging suppliers print larger custom runs more cheaply per bag but ask for a bigger minimum order. Neither route is something SMKlog sells or fulfills.
Is a poly mailer secure enough for clothing sales?
For folded, non-fragile garments, yes, provided it is fully sealed along the adhesive strip and the corners. It will not stop a determined thief at a porch, and it offers no cushioning, so anything with buttons, embellishments, or a rigid hanger clip is safer boxed.