Kraft Paper For Shopping Bags and Retail Packaging

Kraft paper is normally made from long fibers which add a great deal of strength. Kraft paper has traditionally been the paper of choice for grocery and shopping bags.

Kraft in its natural state is a brown color and is bleached to produce white Kraft.

In the paper making process, typically the paper is produced in a M.G (machine glaze) or M.F (machine finish)

The M.F has a rougher texture and absorbs more ink. The M.G treatment is more polished and tends to let ink sit up better.

In Europe you can also find a wet end process (water marking) that imparts stripes.

Normally natural kraft paper will vary from run to run or from mill to mill and anyone wanting to take advantage of this paper for a designed look must understand that many things effect the final color including the exact wood used, the amount of time the wood sits outside prior to the pulping process and even the time of the year that the actual wood is harvested.

Paper producers in Europe, Scandinavia or Russia have a different look than American Kraft.

Although Natural Kraft is a great look, is inexpensive and performs very well it is also very variable from lot to lot and the paper mill can not be held responsible for a color match or consistency of color.

The same is true of imprinted colors particularly on the M.F where ink is absorbed and could change form run to run.