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Home / Kraft Paper 101: Types, Benefits, Uses, and Grammage

Kraft Paper 101: Types, Benefits, Uses, and Grammage

The Packaging World
September 18, 2025
Kraft 101

Sustainable packaging is way easier now. You can use kraft material that is paper-based. It helps you to reduce your carbon footprint, conserve natural resources, and lower plastic waste. Many reputed brands in the USA, such as Allbirds and Alima Pure, use Sustainable Packaging for their products. They are more preferable for organic and natural products. The durability of Kraft will never be an issue because you can change the thickness according to your needs. Stay with us to have clear information about Kraft to know why they’re one of the best among other packaging solutions.

What is Kraft?

The word Kraft comes from German origin and means “strength” and is made from a chemical pulping method. Kraft paper offers high tensile strength due to the removal of lignin as a natural component of wood. It does not go under the bleaching process and has its signature brown color. You can use them for paper bags, corrugated boxes, and protective wrapping material.  

Types of Kraft Paper Material

Coated Unbleached Kraft Paper

The coated unbleached Kraft paper is ideal for a high-humidity environment. They have moisture-resistant surfaces and are perfect for frozen food packaging and other heavy-duty applications. 

Coated Kraft Paper

Coated Kraft paper has clay coatings or Polyethylene coatings. The shiny surface allows you to get high-quality and vibrant printing. You can use this packaging material where you need protection from liquids.

Virgin Kraft Paper 

As the name suggests, it’s the purest form of Kraft paper. The manufacturing process of virgin kraft is not different from others, as wood chips converted into pulp can pass through heating rollers to give the required sheet. Due to its high strength, virgin Kraft is used for shipping cartons, industrial sacks, and premium packaging. 

Recycled Kraft Paper 

Your Kraft packaging will not be wasted after one use only. Manufacturers easily recycle kraft paper and produce new paper products, such as newspapers or kraft packaging, after de-inking and breaking down the existing Kraft material.

Mixed Kraft Paper

It’s one of the most affordable Kraft papers that is produced after blending different types of fibers from virgin kraft to recycled ones. You will never have the same color of mixed kraft paper again, so the consistency is a main concern in mixed kraft paper-based packaging. 

Benefits of Kraft Packaging 

Strength and Durability 

When you need to ship your product or it spends some time on the shelf, the durability and strength of packaging get the first spot on the Custom boxes checklist. Kraft paper has high tear resistance when many sheets stick together, they convert into durable kraft board boxes.  

Cost Effectiveness

Kraft is best for brands that have some budget constraints. Kraft is an economical choice for custom boxes and can be used for a variety of products, from food to cosmetics, like soap packaging. With Kraft boxes, affordable packaging helps you to get high margins and allows your business to offer competitive prices among others. 

Eco-Friendly Packaging 

Kraft is 100% recyclable packaging and breaks down into simple components when interacting with the environment at the end of the life cycle. The reusability of kraft boxes assists in reducing the waste sent to landfills or oceans.

Versatility

You can have any style of custom boxes from kraft-like Sleeve and tray boxes, tuck top boxes, window boxes, interlock boxes, and more. For durability, kraft can give single, double, and triple walls with rustic and minimalist appearances.  

Uses of Kraft

The rustic look of kraft is not its limitation rather provides a signature appearance and inclination to nature and purity. To prove the versatility of kraft, just peek at the few uses of kraft paper: 

General Packaging and Shipping

The transition process is challenging and exposes packaging from every aspect regarding design, which makes handling easy and durable. Kraft boxes have high tensile and tearing strength, so they prevent your products from scratching and scuffing. If your packaging has some voids, kraft paper offers cushioning material to avoid shifting and breaking.  

Corrugated Boxes and Industrial Applications

Corrugated cardboard is a sophisticated product of kraft paper. The layering and fluting can be created by gluing Kraft paper to get the right structural integrity to safe products from damage. These boxes will never collapse by carrying heavy items or during stacking.

Retail and Food Packaging 

The packaging will be incomplete without including paper grocery bags in the list. It’s the diverse packaging solution when it comes to buying multiple products and holding them in one place without compromising on presentability. Many specialty food packaging and high-end retail bags are made of kraft paper. 

Arts, Crafts, and Decor

Kraft gets the high priority for creative projects. You can use it for gift wrapping, book covers, and as a durable, affordable surface for painting and drawing as well. Also, Kraft has its unique place in home renovations or as floor covering.

What are the available grammages (GSM) of Kraft used in the market?

  • Lighter Weights of Kraft (35-60 GSM): Perfect for wrapping, in-store packaging, or void filling.  
  • Mid Range Weight of Kraft (60-135 GSM): Good for shipping sacks and general-purpose packaging.  
  • Heavier Weight of Kraft (135 GSM and Up): This is used for crafting liner boards, fluting leading to make up corrugated boxes.

Kraft vs. Regular Paper

Regular paper is also made from pulp, but it is not durable enough to make boxes or shopping bags. The cellulose fiber binding is the determining factor for finalizing the strength of the sheet. This binding is way stronger in kraft than in regular paper. However, any printing results on kraft are not so clear due to the porous surface as compared to regular paper.

Takeaways

  • Kraft has high tensile strength due to removing lignin as a natural component of wood, and is used for many purposes, from custom boxes to home renovation.  
  • When you choose Kraft for your custom boxes, make sure it must be consistent with our brand and product needs.  
  • You can print your brand name, logo, and artwork to make Kraft boxes more attractive.  
  • Go for coated kraft if you need better and smoother printing results. 

Share your packaging needs with our experts to get the Best custom boxes at affordable prices within your budget. We care about time, so our turnaround time is quite fast, which goes beyond your expectations.

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