Guide to Kraft Paper: Weights, Thickness, and Choosing the Right Type for Your Packaging Needs
Kraft paper is widely used in flexible packaging for almost every consumer product in our lives. Compared with traditional fossil chemical materials, it is considered to be more sustainable and eco-friendly. It has high strength, multi-functionality, wide applicability, and low environmental impact. These numerous advantages make it irreplaceable not only in the packaging field, but also in the artistic and industrial areas.
As a long-standing packaging favourite, the capabilities of this material continue to grow. Selecting the right kraft paper is a process that involves several factors. There are texture, thickness, weight, usage and environmental friendliness that need to be considered. Studying and choosing the right kraft paper for your needs help to make a durable and cost-effective packaging. This blog will discuss and explore how to select the right kraft paper for packaging.
What is Kraft Paper
Kraft comes from the German word for strong, which is the best feature of kraft paper. It is made from a mixture of virgin and recycled paper pulp and woods pulp. By the kraft pulp process, raw kraft is high elasticity, durable and tear-resistant. This environmental friendly paper is a perfect choice for making durable wrapping paper, sturdy cartons, hard boxes and natural paper style flexible packaging bags. It’s often available in natural brown/pure paper rolls, but actually comes in a variety of colors and shades too! Therefore, in branded packaging solutions, kraft paper has a high versatility.
Types of Kraft Paper
Virgin Natural Kraft Paper
Virgin natural kraft paper has clean and extremely durable fibre content. It is a great choice for heavy-duty applications that requires muscle and high tear strength. With cost-effectiveness and clean fiber content, it is also perfect for printing packaging. Virgin natural kraft is a natural choice for branded packaging, wrapping, safety layering, surface protection and carrier sheets.
Natural Recycled Kraft Paper
Natural recycled kraft paper is an affordable and eco-friendly packaging material that combines practicality with sustainability. While it may have slightly lower strength and consistency compared to virgin kraft paper, it still offers enough durability to handle a wide range of tasks effectively. It’s commonly used for lining pallets and cartons, wrapping the base of newspapers, and other applications where high tear resistance isn’t essential. Its versatility make it an attractive option for businesses aiming to balance functionality with environmental responsibility.
Bleached Kraft Paper
The purity and strength of bleached kraft paper are enhanced after a bleaching process. Compared with unbleached kraft paper, it is considered less environmentally friendly. Because there are some environmental impacts during the bleaching process. But in some cases, bleached kraft paper is more preferred, such as luxury or high-end products packaging. It can provide a glossier and brighter appearance, making the package look premium and beautiful. The choice depends on the packaging considerations between aesthetics and sustainability.
Printed Kraft Paper
In the printing world, kraft paper has a unique use and value. It’s widely applied in high-grade printed production, such as business cards or luxury packaging boxes. It can also be used to make book covers, picture albums, letterheads, etc. As a special paper material, it not only enhances the durability and quality of printed materials, but also makes them more artistic and ornamental.
Coloured Kraft Paper
To meet different design needs, by modern technology, kraft paper can be made into almost every color shade that you want. Soft tailoring can emphasize creativity and variety, encouraging us to experiment with different color combinations. If the brand want a burst of color in the high-end packaging, coloured kraft paper is a good choice.
Common Kraft Paper Weights & Thickness
To evaluate the weight of kraft paper, the common method is to calculate the gram weight per square meter, that is GSM. Due to the density of kraft paper varies greatly based on the fiber plant, its thickness will have a big difference even at the same weight. For helping to know how many inches needed to offset the product, here is a chart explaining clearly about these paper thickness against each weight.
Kraft Paper Weight(GSM) | Thickness(Micron) | Stiffness |
45gsm | 51-65um | soft |
60gsm | 70-85um | a little hard |
70gsm | 80-100um | hard |
80gsm | 90-110um |
very hard |
In kraft paper flexible packaging, Gozen team are processing more and more strategies to help our customers achieve efficient packaging while avoiding waste. Let’s see further details based on the chart
45gsm Kraft Paper
45gsm kraft paper is relatively soft and easy to handle, which is best for gusset pouches, standing pouches and roll foils. Because it’s thinner and more flexible, the form and seal of paper foil laminate is easier. In areas such as lightweight packaging, artwork packaging and office supply production, 45gsm Kraft paper can fully perform its advantages.
60gsm Kraft Paper
Like 45gsm kraft paper, 60gsm kraft paper is also a common thickness. But, 60gsm kraft paper is a little bit thicker and has a more textured touch feeling. It obtains a better balance of hardness, thickness, cost and tactility. As a versatile and durable packaging solution, it’s well suited for wrapping, cushioning, and general packaging needs.
70gsm Kraft Paper
70gsm kraft paper has a certain hardness and thickness, that can allow the paper pouches have enough stiffness to stand upright. In converting industry, 70gsm kraft paper is usually further laminated with metalized PET and PE. It’s often used to make side gusseted bags or the bottoms of rigid boxes.
80gsm Kraft Paper
80gsm kraft paper is much thicker than the previous types, it can’t fit very well with other materials. In fact, it’s rarely used for flexible pouches due to its thickness. The soft pouches are easily wrinkled if we use it. But some customers who have cost-considerations may choose it to achieve foil laminate.
Common Uses of Kraft Paper in Packaging
Protector
With the merits of durability, tear resistance and robustness, kraft paper is the perfect solution for protecting goods during packaging and transportation. It can work as an anti-slip layer between the pallets, bags and boxes, preventing goods from breaking or slipping during transportation. It also plays as an active role in the building and industry to protect floors.
Packaging Products
Kraft paper is an excellent material for a wide range of packaging needs. It’s a very popular for packaging food such as dry goods, pastries, candies and others. Because it can maintain the freshness and quality of the food with its better resistance to grease and moisture. And gifts or artworks packaging prefer to use kraft paper, which enhances the texture and uniqueness of packaged products. Kraft paper also often used in electronics and clothing packaging, because it has good shock resistance and air permeability.
Example Applications of Kraft Paper Flexible Packaging Bags
When kraft paper used in the flexible packaging bags production, kraft paper can be to laminate with aluminum, VMPET, PE, PET films to form different material structures, with different performance features.
Such multi-layered structure brings features of being moisture-proof, light-proof, UV-proof, oxygen-proof, smell-proof and locking freshness.
In the same time, the outlooking of natural kraft paper texture makes the packaging organic, green and eco-friendly.
Kraft paper laminated bags can be used in packing:
Void fill
Kraft paper is also regarded as a kind of awesome filler material. To fill gaps in boxes, so that the goods can be well-protected and also transportation will be smoother. Kraft paper is more lightweight, sturdy and eco-friendly, so it’s more effective than simple blank filler or shopping box filler.
Choosing the Right Kraft Paper for Your Project
How do we choose the right type of kraft paper for your product? It requires a careful consideration on the weight, thickness, color, safety and sustainability. Each of them affects the use of kraft paper based on your specific needs.
Weight and Thickness
When selecting the kraft paper, the first thing should be considered is how heavy and thick it is. The weight is directly proportional to the thickness, the lighter the weight, the thinner the thickness. Wrapping something big or heavy, high GSM kraft paper is the better choice. Because it is thick that will not tear easily. A lighter option is strong but flexible, it’s suitable for packaging small and delicate items.
Color
Kraft paper is available in a variety of colors and textures to suit different needs. Unbleached kraft paper retains its natural appearance and works well for crafts or eco-friendly packaging. Bleached kraft paper, treated to achieve a smooth white surface, is ideal for printing, writing, or branding purposes. For a more creative touch, colored kraft paper offers a vibrant palette that adds uniqueness and visual appeal to your products.
Safety
Kraft paper is known for its durability and ability to provide reliable protection for your products. Its sturdiness makes it ideal for safeguarding goods against breakage or damage, especially during storage and transit. Whether you’re wrapping fragile items or cushioning heavier objects, kraft paper ensures your products are well-secured. Additionally, its tear-resistant properties help maintain product integrity.
Sustainability
Kraft paper is also an eco-friendly choice. It is made from renewable materials that decompose naturally, making it an environmentally friendly and cost-effective material. So it’s a good option if you care about the environment and budget.
Especially when we apply kraft paper in the lamination with PLA films, NK films, such multi layer structure is a great choice when selecting biodegradable paper flexible packaging bags.
Comparison with Other Packaging Materials
Kraft Paper vs Regular Paper | ||
Feature | Kraft Paper | Regular Paper |
Appearance | Natural, nostalgic, rustic | Available in different finishes and colours |
Fiber | Strong, sturdy, excellent tear resistance | Standard strength, tear resistance may be poor |
Materials | Softwood and hardwood pulp, agricultural residuals, recycled paper | Wood pulp, typically from hardwood or softwood |
Eco-Friendliness | Biodegradable, recyclable | Recyclable, but may not be eco-friendly |
Absorbency | More porous, more absorbent, less water-proof | Standard absorbency |
Printing | Less effective for printing techniques except debossing, embossing, foil stamping | Versatile for different printing techniques |
Conclusion
Kraft paper is a reusable, multifunctional packaging material that can be used for a variety of purposes. It is regarded as a sustainable option among the many ways to fill and protect goods, because it’s durable, recyclable, budget-friendly and eco-friendly. Additionally, its printing and finishing performance are also excellent, and can be customized to meet customer needs. But it is less waterproof that needs to be stored properly. In short, different choices make a difference. When choosing kraft paper, be sure to combine the type and size of the product, printing needs, cost and benefits.
If you need high-quality kraft paper to show, package or protect your products, feel free to contact Gozenpackaging team. For any troubles about packaging solutions, we’re here to make your packaging decisions easy! We understand how difficult it is to source high-quality, sustainable, and customized packaging – that’s why we’ve done all the legwork for you! Welcome to contact us by info@gozenpackaging.com or via Whatsapp +86 18571566509!