Welcome back to our Monday "Let's Talk Paper" series, where we walk through different stocks — how they look and feel, what they're best for, and what to watch out for at the print stage. This week we're wrapping ourselves in something rough, warm and unmistakably rustic: kraft paper, the season's most popular stock.
What does kraft paper look and feel like?
Kraft paper's defining feature is its plain, earthy brown colour, full of vintage character. It comes in two surfaces — smooth and rough. Much like recycled stock, it has a naturally textured, uncoated surface that gives it a soft, tactile quality and good ink absorption.
Kraft looks like paper that's been sitting around for decades, so kraft designs generally lean on bold dark-toned artwork and vintage themes. At the same time it can read as delicate, light and soft — there's a gentle, feminine side to it too.
Design points to watch when printing on kraft
Because kraft's base colour is on the dark side, anything printed in pale colours tends to come out looking muddy and dim. As a rule, darker artwork sits far better on kraft.
If your design includes white text, you'll need white-ink printing — standard process inks don't include white — and white ink costs more than a normal run. The same goes for spot-colour printing, sometimes used to make a design pop: spot colours cost more than standard four-colour (CMYK) printing.
Our tip: lean on foil stamping to keep the kraft base colour from muddying your text or logo. You can choose from gold, silver, white and black foil, among others.
What can you print on kraft paper?
- Business cards
- Wedding invitations
- Greeting cards
- Postcards
- Invitations
- Thank-you cards
- Clothing hang tags
- Save-the-date cards
- Menus
- Promotional cards
- Envelopes
- Envelope and box sleeves
Looking for some printing inspiration?
Ready to give your cards, tags or invitations that warm, rustic finish? We print on kraft across a full range of products, with delivery throughout Hong Kong and Macau. Got a question about white ink, foil or spot colour on kraft? WhatsApp us at +852 3001 5678 — English is fine.