How One Packaging Problem Led to ClearBags
Last Updated on September 3, 2026 by Megan Curtis
ClearBags CEO and Visionary, NataLee Allen, recently joined The Franklin Podcast with host Craig A. Stevens to share the story behind ClearBags, its roots in the art and photography industry, and how the company has grown from a small family business into a packaging supplier serving businesses across a wide range of industries.
During the interview, Allen takes listeners back to 1992, when her father, Benny Wilkins, started the company as a print business selling lithographic prints. At the time, finding the right packaging for those prints was a challenge.
That challenge ultimately led to an opportunity. The company worked with a supplier in Japan to create a custom-sized bag that better fit their prints. The difference was immediate.
“The prints looked so much better. They just popped because the bags fit, and they were crystal clear,” Allen shares.
Before long, ClearBags was ordering bags by the container from suppliers in Japan and later Korea. As other photographers and artists saw the packaging, they began asking where they could get it. But many didn’t need an entire container of bags.
They just needed 100.
That simple request helped shape the future of the company. ClearBags began selling smaller quantities of clear bags to photographers and artists, and the packaging side of the business quickly took off. Eventually, the company stopped selling lithographic prints and focused entirely on packaging.
Over the years, ClearBags expanded its product selection to include backing boards, mats, boxes, pouches, and thousands of other packaging products. Today, ClearBags offers nearly 6,000 products for a variety of industries, while the art and photography community remains an important part of the company’s history and customer base.
Allen explains that ClearBags continues to serve primarily small- to medium-sized businesses, helping them find packaging that fits their needs without requiring them to commit to large custom orders.
“There are a lot of companies that do custom printing,” Allen explains, “but ClearBags is unique because we have so many stock products available.”
This gives businesses the opportunity to experiment, find the packaging that works best for their products, and grow at their own pace. As their needs evolve, ClearBags can also help with custom packaging solutions.
A Packaging Walkthrough for Artists
The conversation also included a walkthrough of the ClearBags website, where Stevens and Allen explored packaging options that may be especially helpful for artists and photographers.
Allen explained the importance of first determining what type of protection and presentation a product needs. She also discussed the difference between flap seal bags and protective closure bags.
Protective closure bags feature the adhesive strip on the bag rather than the flap, helping prevent a print or artwork from coming into contact with the adhesive. Flap seal bags, on the other hand, can offer more flexibility when packaging different-sized prints, allowing the user to adjust where the bag is sealed.
For artists and small businesses who aren’t sure where to begin, Allen encourages them to ask for help.
ClearBags’ customer service team is made up of real people based in Tennessee who are available to help customers navigate the many packaging options and find products that fit their specific needs.
Creating Opportunities to Thrive
Beyond packaging, the interview also touches on something at the heart of ClearBags: its core purpose – to provide opportunities for people to thrive.
For Allen, that philosophy extends beyond the workplace. She encourages others to pursue the things they love and take the next step toward building the life or business they want.
From a custom-sized bag designed to protect a lithographic print to thousands of packaging products serving businesses today, the ClearBags story is one of identifying a problem, finding a solution, and being open to where that opportunity might lead.
To hear the full conversation and follow along as NataLee and Craig explore the ClearBags website, watch the complete episode of The Franklin Podcast on YouTube.
