What Is Kraft Paper? How It's Made, Types and Uses
By the Avco Boxes team · Updated
Kraft paper is strong paper made from wood pulp produced by the kraft process, which cooks wood chips in a chemical solution and leaves long, sturdy fibers. Unbleached kraft is the familiar natural brown; bleached white kraft also exists. It is used for paper bags, boxes, wrapping paper, corrugated liners and butcher paper, wherever paper needs to be tough.
What kraft paper is
Kraft paper is defined by how its pulp is made, not by its color. "Kraft" comes from the German word for strength, and strength is the point: kraft pulp keeps wood fibers long and intact, so the paper made from it resists tearing and bursting far better than paper made from weaker pulps.
That is why kraft paper turns up wherever paper has to carry weight or take rough handling: grocery bags, shipping sacks, the brown liners of corrugated boxes, and butcher paper for the meat counter. Most people know it as plain brown paper, but white kraft is common too.
How the kraft process works
Wood is mostly cellulose fibers held together by lignin, a natural binder. To make paper, mills have to separate those fibers. There are two broad ways to do it: grind the wood mechanically, which breaks fibers and keeps most of the lignin, or cook it chemically, which dissolves the lignin and frees the fibers.
The kraft process is a chemical method. Wood chips are cooked under heat and pressure in a chemical solution that breaks down much of the lignin while leaving the cellulose fibers long and largely undamaged. The pulp is then washed and formed into paper. Long, intact fibers are what give kraft paper its strength.
Unbleached kraft pulp is naturally brown, because some of the wood's lignin remains. Bleaching removes that color to make white kraft, which keeps much of the strength of kraft pulp but gives a bright, clean surface that is easier to print in full color.
Types of kraft paper
| Type | What it is | Typical uses |
|---|---|---|
| Natural (unbleached) kraft | Brown kraft paper with no bleaching | Grocery and lunch bags, wrapping paper, packing paper, box liners |
| White (bleached) kraft | Kraft pulp bleached to a white surface | Printed bags, food papers, retail packaging where bright print matters |
| Virgin kraft | Made from fresh wood fiber | Uses that need maximum strength, such as heavy-duty sacks |
| Recycled kraft | Made partly or wholly from recovered paper and boxes | Boxes, corrugated liners, bags and wrapping where some strength can be traded for recycled content |
| Coated or treated kraft | Kraft with a coating or treatment for grease or moisture resistance | Food service papers and packaging that meet oily or damp food |
Virgin and recycled kraft differ mainly in fiber length. Each time paper is recycled, its fibers get shorter, so recycled kraft is generally a little weaker and less uniform in color than virgin kraft of the same weight. Many kraft products blend the two. In corrugated boxes, liners made mostly from virgin kraft are often called kraftliner, while liners made mostly from recycled fiber are often called testliner.
Kraft paper is also sold in a wide range of weights, from light wrapping sheets to heavy bag and sack papers. Our guide to paper gsm explains how paper weight is measured and why US pound ratings are hard to compare across grades.
What kraft paper is used for
- Paper bags, from grocery and lunch bags to retail bags with handles.
- Boxes and corrugated board, where kraft liners form the flat outer and inner faces of the board.
- Wrapping and packing paper for shipping, gifts and void fill.
- Food service papers, including butcher paper, sandwich wrap and basket liners.
- Envelopes, tags, labels and stationery with a natural look.
- Crafts, table runners and classroom rolls.
Why brands choose the kraft look
A natural kraft finish reads as simple, honest and handmade, which is why bakeries, cafes, delis and barbecue shops often pick it. It suits rustic or earthy branding and tends to hide small scuffs and marks better than a bright white surface.
Printing on kraft works differently from printing on white. Ink sits on a brown background rather than a white one, so colors look darker and less vivid, and light colors can almost disappear. Bold, dark, one or two color designs tend to work best on kraft. If your brand depends on bright or exact colors, white stock is usually the safer choice.
| Kraft (natural brown) | White | |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Natural, rustic, warm | Clean, bright, modern |
| Color printing | Colors print darker and muted | Colors print bright and true |
| Best designs | Bold, dark, simple artwork | Full color, fine detail, light tones |
| Shows marks | Less | More |
Kraft options for food packaging at Avco
Avco offers kraft across several custom-printed products, all made in the USA. Custom pizza boxes come with a white or kraft exterior and a kraft interior. Printed food papers, such as custom deli paper and custom wax paper, come on white or kraft paper (they are greaseproof sheets; see what greaseproof paper is). Custom lb paper bags and paper handle bags are also available in white or kraft.
New artwork carries a $75 one-time setup, and every order includes a free digital proof, so you can see how your design looks on kraft or white before anything is printed.
Frequently asked questions
- Is kraft paper the same as brown paper?
- Most brown paper is kraft paper, but kraft refers to how the pulp is made, not the color. White kraft paper is bleached kraft, and some brown papers are made from other pulps or dyed.
- Is butcher paper kraft paper?
- Yes. Butcher paper is a grade of kraft paper made for wrapping meat, sold in white, pink and brown. See what is butcher paper for more.
- Is kraft paper waterproof?
- No. Plain kraft paper absorbs water and weakens when soaked. Coated or treated kraft papers resist grease or moisture better, but they are still not waterproof in the way plastic is.
- Is kraft paper recyclable?
- Plain kraft paper is accepted by many curbside paper recycling programs. Coatings, laminates and heavy food soiling can change that, so check your local program's rules.