A corporate gift is judged in the first three seconds, and in those three seconds nobody has seen the gift yet. They have seen the bag, the tissue, and the wrapping paper. That is why the brands people remember treat those three layers as part of the gift itself, not as a last-minute trip to the store. This guide walks through how custom wrapping paper, custom tissue paper and custom gift bags work together, what to specify for each, and how to order them as one coordinated set without turning it into a design project.
Why does branded packaging matter more than the gift inside?
Custom wrapping paper, custom tissue paper and custom gift bags do a job the gift cannot do on its own: they tell the recipient who the gift is from before a card is ever opened. A branded gift bag on a conference table, a box lined with tissue in your brand color, a roll of wrapping paper with your pattern - each one is a small, physical reminder of your company that sits in someone's office or home. For a client thank-you, an employee welcome kit or a holiday gift program, the packaging is the part that gets photographed and posted. The gift is what they keep; the packaging is what they remember first.
What are the three layers of a corporate gift package?
Think of branded corporate gift packaging as three layers, from the outside in:
- 1. Custom gift bags - the outer carrier. Usually a paper bag with handles, printed with a logo on one or both faces. This is what people see across a room.
- 2. Custom wrapping paper - the layer around the box or item. Printed edge to edge with a repeating pattern, logo or photo, on rolls or flat sheets.
- 3. Custom tissue paper - the inner layer. Lightweight, translucent sheets that cushion the item, hide it until the reveal, and add a burst of brand color when the bag or box is opened.
You do not need all three on every gift. A small desk gift might use a printed bag and a sheet of tissue. A premium client gift in a rigid box might use wrapping paper and tissue with no bag. The rule is that whatever layers you use should share one palette and one logo treatment, so the package reads as a single design rather than three purchases.
Custom wrapping paper: what should I specify?
Custom wrapping paper is the most visually dominant layer, so it is the place to put the pattern. GetMerch prints custom wrapping paper full-bleed in CMYK on rolls and flat sheets, with matte, gloss and kraft finishes, and you can mix rolls and sheets on one order.
Specifications that matter:
- Format. Rolls are efficient for a gifting team wrapping dozens of boxes at a station. Flat sheets are easier to ship to remote offices or to include in a kit where each person wraps one gift.
- Repeat pattern. Most corporate wrapping paper uses a tiled repeat - a logo, a monogram or a brand motif spaced across the sheet. Keep the repeat non-directional so it looks right no matter how the paper is rotated around a box.
- Finish. Matte photographs best and feels premium. Gloss gives vivid color and suits holiday or bold patterns. Kraft signals craft and sustainability and looks sharp with one or two ink colors.
- Minimums. GetMerch's custom wrapping paper runs start around 25 rolls or 100 flat sheets, which is small enough for a single event or a quarterly client-gift program.
If you already have brand guidelines, pull the palette straight from them. Two or three colors is plenty; the pattern is a frame for the gift, not a poster.
Custom tissue paper: what sizes and print options exist?
Custom tissue paper is the layer most companies forget and the one that lifts the unboxing the most for the least effort. Tissue is a lightweight, semi-translucent paper that lines the inside of a gift bag or box, cushions the item, and creates the reveal moment when the recipient pulls it apart.
Common specifications in the category:
- Sheet sizes. The most common custom tissue paper sheet sizes are 15 x 20 inches and 20 x 30 inches. Smaller sheets suit small and medium gift bags; the larger size lines a shipping box or wraps apparel.
- Weight. Standard tissue is a lightweight stock, thin enough to drape and layer but opaque enough in two or three sheets to hide what is inside.
- Print coverage. Custom tissue paper is usually printed with a repeating logo or pattern across the full sheet, in one or two spot colors, or in full color for photo or gradient designs. A single-color logo repeat on white or a brand-color tissue is the classic corporate look.
- Color. Tissue can be printed on white stock or on colored stock, so a coral tissue with a white logo repeat is possible as well as a white tissue with a coral logo.
Design tip: because tissue is translucent and gets crumpled, fine detail disappears. Use a simple logo mark or wordmark, keep line weights bold, and space the repeat generously. A logo repeat at roughly 2 to 3 inches wide reads clearly even after the tissue has been folded around a mug or a notebook.
Custom gift bags: which size, paper and print method should I choose?
Custom gift bags are the outer carrier and the layer that survives longest - many recipients reuse a well-made paper bag. GetMerch offers custom gift bags alongside the rest of the Accessories & Promo range, so bags, tissue and wrapping paper can be ordered as a set.
Decisions to make:
- Size. Common paper gift bag sizes run from a small bag around 5 x 3 x 8 inches (a mug or candle), through a medium bag around 8 x 4 x 10 inches (a notebook, a tumbler, a small box), up to a large bag around 10 x 5 x 13 inches (a hoodie or a hamper). Measure the biggest item in the gift before choosing.
- Paper stock. Kraft paper bags are sturdy, recyclable and look right with one-color printing. White or colored coated paper bags give a smoother surface for full-color logos and glossy or matte finishes.
- Handles. Twisted paper handles are the standard for corporate gift bags; ribbon or rope handles read as more premium and suit executive or client gifts.
- Print method. A one- or two-color logo on kraft or white stock is the most common and most economical approach. Full-color printing suits bags with photography or gradients. Foil stamping adds a metallic logo for a luxury feel.
- Print placement. One face, both faces, or an all-over pattern. For a conference or event bag, both faces is worth it - the bag is carried in both directions.
How do I make wrapping paper, tissue and gift bags look like one set?
Custom wrapping paper, custom tissue paper and custom gift bags read as one branded set when three things line up:
- 1. One palette. Choose two or three brand colors and use them across all three layers. If the bag is kraft with a one-color logo, use the same ink color for the tissue repeat and lean on that color in the wrapping paper pattern.
- 2. One logo treatment. Use the same logo mark or wordmark at a consistent style across all three items. A pattern on the wrapping paper can be busier, but the bag and tissue should carry the same clean mark.
- 3. One hierarchy. Let one layer be loud and the other two be quiet. A patterned wrapping paper pairs best with a plain-color tissue and a simple logo bag. A bold, all-over printed bag pairs best with a plain tissue and a solid-color wrap.
GetMerch's design team can take a single logo file and prep the wrapping paper repeat, the tissue repeat and the bag artwork so all three share the same colors and proportions, at no design charge.
What artwork do I need to send?
For custom wrapping paper, custom tissue paper and custom gift bags, the ideal file is a vector logo (AI, EPS, SVG or PDF) so it can be scaled to any size with clean edges. If you only have a PNG or JPG, send the largest version you have; a logo at 300 dpi at its printed size will reproduce cleanly. GetMerch's free design help can redraw a low-resolution logo as a vector, build the repeat pattern, and send a digital proof of each item before anything prints. Supply brand color references (Pantone or hex values) so the ink on the bag, the tissue and the wrapping paper all match.
How far ahead should a corporate gifting program order?
Corporate gifting deadlines cluster around the holidays, the end of the fiscal year and major conferences, which is when print capacity is tightest. Custom wrapping paper, custom tissue paper and custom gift bags each need artwork, a proof approval and production, and shipping runs on top of that. The practical approach is to lock the artwork and quantities before the season starts, order all three layers at once so they arrive together, and add a small buffer of extra bags and tissue for the gifts that get added at the last minute. GetMerch will quote the timeline for your specific quantities and formats when you request a quote.
Corporate gifting checklist
- List every gift item and measure the largest one before choosing bag and wrapping paper sizes.
- Decide which layers each gift needs: bag, wrap, tissue, or all three.
- Pick two or three brand colors and one logo treatment for the whole set.
- Send a vector logo and brand color references.
- Approve a digital proof for each item.
- Order a small overage of bags and tissue for last-minute additions.
- Pair packaging with the gift itself - GetMerch's custom tumblers, custom notebooks and personalized Christmas stockings are common corporate-gift pairings.
Custom artwork. Lowest prices. Zero hassle. Send GetMerch the logo and the gift list, and the packaging arrives ready to fill.