Custom Printed Papers

Wraps, liners and bags do different jobs

This collection is large, so it helps to sort it by what the paper does. Wrapping paper goes around the food: a sandwich, a cut of meat, a wedge of cheese. Liners sit under the food: in a basket, on a tray or under a pizza. Bags carry the food from your counter to somewhere else: a bakery bag, a coffee bag on a shelf, a takeout bag to a car.

Walk through your menu and put each item in one of those three groups. Most food businesses end up needing one wrap, one liner and one or two bags, not twenty different products. Starting with the item you hand over most often keeps the first order simple.

It also helps to think about where the customer meets the paper. A wrap is opened at a desk or a picnic table, a few minutes after purchase. A liner is seen the moment the tray lands in front of a diner. A bag is seen by everyone who passes the customer on the street or in the parking lot. That tells you where to spend on design: a bold, clean bag for carryout brands, a liner with personality for dine-in diners and burger shacks, and a simple repeat pattern for wraps that get folded every which way.

Finally, consider who handles the paper on your side of the counter. Staff wrapping fifty sandwiches at lunch need sheets that are cut to size, stack neatly and fold without fighting back.

Choosing a wrapping paper

Butcher and freezer paper

Butcher paper is a heavier sheet used at meat counters and barbecue joints. Pitmasters wrap brisket in it because it lets some steam escape, which keeps the bark firmer than foil would. Freezer paper has a coated side that faces the food and keeps moisture in while meat or fish sits in the freezer. For a meat shop selling portions to take home, our printed custom freezer paper puts your name on every package in the customer's freezer.

Deli, sandwich and wax paper

Thin, flexible sheets fold tightly around subs, wraps and burgers. Wax paper adds moisture resistance, so a dressed sandwich does not soak through before lunch. It is also handy for cookies and candy. It is not for oven use, though. Delis that wrap all day often order custom printed wax paper alongside their deli sheets.

Parchment and glassine

Parchment handles heat, which makes it the bakery's sheet for lining pans and wrapping warm pastries. Glassine is smooth and grease-resistant, with a slight shine, so it suits croissants, cookies and chocolates where butter would mark ordinary paper. Fine print looks especially sharp on our custom glassine paper.

Liners and specialty sheets

Basket liners, fry paper, fish and chips paper, taco paper and pizza liners all sit between food and a tray or basket. They soak up oil, keep the basket clean and put your brand right under the food. Size matters more than anything here: a liner should cover the base and come up the sides a little. Our printed food basket liners are made to your basket size. Cheese paper and placemats round out the range.

Printed papers at a glance

Picking the right bag

Bags fall into three groups, and the right one depends on how long the product stays inside.

• Bakery bags for bread, cookies, donuts and pastries. They carry fresh items home the same day, so breathable paper is fine. A die-cut or PVC window shows off the bake.
• Retail pantry bags for coffee, tea, flour, spices, jerky and candy. These sit on a shelf, so they need a strong print face, a clear product name and room for a label.
• Carryout bags for takeout, delivery, lunch orders, grocery runs, sandwiches, snacks and popcorn. These need handles or a sturdy base, and the outside is the part of your brand people see in the street.

Bread is a good example of the trade-offs. A paper bread bag lets the crust stay crisp, while a window lets customers see the loaf without opening the bag. Our custom printed bread bags can be made in kraft or white with your logo across the front.

Printing on thin paper and bags

Paper wraps get folded, twisted and torn, so a single logo in the middle of a sheet often ends up hidden in a fold. A repeating pattern or a logo printed several times across the sheet shows up however the paper is wrapped. This is why barbecue shops often choose an all-over pattern on our custom printed butcher paper.

A few other points apply across the range:

• Light ink coverage keeps thin sheets flexible and stops colors showing through to the food side.
• White paper shows bright colors accurately. Kraft gives a natural look but darkens every color printed on it.
• Bags have room for finishes. Gloss, matte, spot UV and gold, silver or rose-gold foil work on retail bags; wraps and liners are best kept plain.
• We print with soy- or vegetable-based inks in CMYK or Pantone (PMS), on FDA-compliant food-contact materials.

Ordering printed paper and bags

1. Sort your items into wraps, liners and bags.
2. Measure. For wraps, note the sheet size you cut today. For liners, measure the basket or tray. For bags, measure the product and allow room to fold the top.
3. Estimate how many sheets or bags you use on an average day, then multiply by the days you want covered.
4. Send your artwork or ask for free design help; say whether you want a single logo or a repeat pattern.
5. Request free samples to test with real food, especially for greasy or wet items.
6. Approve the proof. Production takes 4–6 business days, with rush options available.
7. Store paper flat and dry. Damp storage curls sheets and softens bags.

The minimum order is 100 units, volume discounts apply on larger runs, and shipping is free to the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia. The step-by-step order form on this page lets you choose the paper, print and finish and attach your logo with your quote request.

Seasonal and event runs

Printed paper is one of the cheapest ways to change your look for a season without new boxes or cups. Bakeries print holiday cookie bags in November, candy shops add a Valentine's design, and butchers print a grilling-season wrap for summer. Fall festivals and trunk-or-treat nights call for printed Halloween treat bags handed out with your logo on them. Farmers market vendors often keep one everyday design and one seasonal design, and switch between them as the months change.