Comparisons
Bleached kraft vs kraft paper
Same long-fibre base, same weights, same MOQ. Plain kraft keeps the full strength. Pay for bleached kraft only when the pack is seen.
01 / Side by side
The two kraft grades, row by row
| Bleached Kraft | Kraft | |
|---|---|---|
| Shade | Bleached white | Natural, unbleached |
| Surface | Clean white, for packs on show | Plain, for packs out of sight |
| Best for | Premium packing, branded outers, converting | Industrial wrap, void fill, bags and sacks |
| GSM | 60–120 GSM | 60–120 GSM |
| Reel widths | 600–1,800 mm | 600–1,800 mm |
| Roll lengths | 1,000–3,000 m | 1,000–3,000 m |
| Sheet sizes | 700×1,000, 900×1,200 mm | 700×1,000, 900×1,200 mm |
| MOQ | 1 tonne per GSM/width | 1 tonne per GSM/width |
| Lead time | 3–6 weeks after spec approval | 3–6 weeks after spec approval |
| Food contact | Ask us before food use | Not for direct contact. Use butter paper or OGR. |
Bleached Kraft
Wins: A clean white ground built for handling, so the pack arrives looking deliberate.
Loses: You pay the difference, worth paying only when the pack is seen.
Kraft
Wins: The more economical choice for structural, unseen jobs.
Loses: No clean white surface for a pack on show.
02 / Strength
Where the strength comes from
The kraft process keeps fibres long where other pulping methods cut them short. Fibre length drives most of the tear and burst strength.
Bleaching is a finishing choice on top of this strength choice. The bleaching stage costs back some of the strength, so plain kraft is the tougher of the two. The long-fibre base still does the structural work in both grades, and both carry the same GSM range of 60 to 120.
03 / Decide
How to decide
Ask one question: does your customer see the pack? If yes, bleached kraft gives a clean white surface without a laminate. If no, plain kraft does the same structural job at a lower cost.
Neither grade is a food-contact liner by default. Kraft is not for direct food contact. For bleached kraft, ask us before food use. For food, use butter paper or OGR.
Both grades come in reels from 600 to 1,800 mm wide, in 700×1,000 and 900×1,200 mm sheets, from 1 tonne per GSM and width.
04 / Converting
Formats and converting
Both grades run 1,000 to 3,000 m per reel and carry a lead time of 3 to 6 weeks after spec approval.
Kraft converts into bags and sacks where tear strength decides. Bleached kraft converts into bags and boxes needing both strength and a clean white surface.
Questions
Before you specify
Does bleaching weaken kraft?
Yes, a little. The bleaching stage costs back some of the strength. Bleached kraft remains a kraft-base packing grade, chosen for strength. Where a job is purely structural and unseen, plain kraft is stronger and costs less.
Is bleached kraft stronger than butter paper?
Yes. Butter paper is a light food-contact sheet. Bleached kraft is a packing grade built around strength.
When should I pay for bleached kraft?
When the pack is seen as well as shipped. For a carton liner or void fill nobody sees, plain kraft does the job.