Custom Greaseproof Paper

Printed Greaseproof Paper: Inks, Coverage and Layout

Greaseproof paper takes water-based inks well, and we normally print one or two colours across the sheet. A spot colour matched to your brand gives the cleanest result on this thin stock. Heavy flood coverage is possible, but lighter designs with plenty of white space tend to look sharper and keep the paper supple.

Think about how the sheet will be folded. A logo placed dead centre often disappears inside the fold of a wrap, so many shops choose an all-over repeat that shows wherever the paper creases. If you want one large mark, tell us which way the sheet will be used and we will place it on the proof where it stays visible.

White greaseproof shows colour most brightly. Natural brown greaseproof gives a rustic look that suits artisan bakers and burger joints, though light inks print more softly on it. Your free design proof shows the artwork on the stock you choose before anything goes to press. Our one colour and full colour compared guide shows how each looks on brown and white paper.

Sizing Sheets for Real Food

Measure the food, then add enough paper to fold or tuck. A burger bun of around 110 mm across needs a sheet of roughly 300 x 300 mm to wrap fully, while a sheet of 250 x 200 mm is plenty for lining a small basket of chips. For tray lining, measure the inside base of the tray and take a few millimetres off each side so the paper lies flat.

Bakeries often order two sizes: a small sheet for single items handed over the counter, and a larger one for lining the trays in the display. Keeping the range to two or three sizes keeps stock simple and lets you use the same print design on each. Burger bars usually order the squares pre-cut as burger wrapping paper cut to size.

Matching Paper Weight to the Menu

Greaseproof paper comes in a few weights, and the right one depends on what you serve. Light sheets around 30–35 gsm are thin enough to scrunch around a pastry and are the usual choice for bakery counters. Heavier sheets around 40–45 gsm feel firmer, hold a fold well around a loaded burger and resist tearing when a customer pulls at the corner.

Very wet foods, such as pulled pork with sauce or curry-topped chips, can still push moisture through any thin paper eventually. For those, a heavier sheet or a sheet inside a box or tray is the better plan. Many takeaways use printed greaseproof as a liner inside a carton, so the box takes the weight and the paper keeps the branding close to the food.

If you are unsure, ask for a small mixed sample of plain weights before you commit to printing. Wrapping your own best seller in each one is the quickest way to decide. The gsm figures are explained in our paper weights explained guide.

Bakeries, Chippies and Market Stalls

Independent bakeries are the biggest group, followed closely by fish and chip shops, burger bars and street food traders. Cafés use printed sheets under toasted sandwiches and cakes on the plate, which brightens a simple dish and saves on washing up for takeaway orders.

Market traders like greaseproof paper because it packs flat in a van and works for almost anything sold hot. Butchers and delis use it to wrap cooked meats and pies. Event caterers order short runs with an event logo for one-off occasions such as food festivals and corporate barbecues. Cafés wrapping cold sandwiches use the lighter sandwich wrapping paper for cafés.

Wrap One Portion and Watch for the Logo

Greaseproof sheets are sized by the wrap, so before ordering, take a plain sheet of the size you have in mind, wrap your most common item, a burger, a sandwich, a slice of cake, and see where the fold lands. If the centre of the sheet disappears inside the fold, the logo should sit in a corner or as a repeat pattern instead. Settle the sheet size that way, and if you also want bags, measure a filled bag. Choose the paper colour, white for bright print and brown for a natural look, and the weight by the food: heavier sheets for hot, oily items. Artwork is a vector logo or a repeat tile, and the free proof shows the sheet at full size with the repeat spacing. A custom quote comes by email within one working day, low minimums are quoted per job so a small café can test printed sheets, and production takes 4–7 working days after approval with free tracked UK mainland delivery. Faulty print reported within 10 days is reprinted or refunded. Circles for cake tins are cut as our round baking paper for tins.