What Are the Raw Materials Needed for Making Paper Bags?

Understanding the raw materials needed for making paper bags seems straightforward — until you realize that choosing the wrong paper grade, adhesive, or handle material can stall your production line or produce bags that fail under load. The gap between “buying paper” and “producing sellable bags” is where most new manufacturers stumble.

The raw materials for paper bag manufacturing include three categories: the paper substrate (such as kraft paper, white cardboard, or art paper), bonding materials (adhesives and sometimes lamination film), and finishing inputs (printing inks, handle materials, and reinforcement patches). The exact bill of materials depends on your finished bag’s size, intended use, load capacity, handle style, and printing design — not on a single “standard” paper grade.

Knowing these categories is only the starting point. Each material must be compatible with your bag design and your production equipment. Below, I walk through every major input, explain how bag format changes your material list, and share observations from years of configuring machines and troubleshooting material-related production issues.

What Paper Types Are Used as the Main Substrate?

Choosing the wrong paper type is the most expensive mistake a new paper bag manufacturer can make. It affects every downstream step — feeding, folding, gluing, forming, and the bag’s final appearance. Yet many buyers default to “brown kraft” without considering alternatives that might better suit their product.

The main paper substrates include brown kraft paper, white kraft paper, ribbed kraft paper, machine-glazed (MG) kraft, sack kraft, white cardboard, coated art paper, and food-grade greaseproof paper. Each serves different bag types, markets, and performance requirements.

Brown and White Kraft Paper

Brown kraft paper is the workhorse of the paper bag industry. Its long fibers provide tensile strength and tear resistance¹, making it suitable for grocery bags, shopping bags, and food packaging. White kraft offers similar mechanical properties with a cleaner print surface.

Specialty and Coated Papers

• Ribbed kraft paper — textured surface, often used for bakery or boutique bags
• MG kraft — one side glazed, common for flat bags and food wraps
• Sack kraft — engineered for heavy-duty multi-wall bags (cement, flour, animal feed)
• Coated art paper / white cardboard — used for premium retail shopping bags where print quality and shelf appeal matter most
• Greaseproof or wax-coated paper — for food-contact bags (burger wraps, bakery bags)

Why GSM Alone Doesn’t Determine Quality

I’ve seen customers request 150 gsm kraft for a small takeaway bag that only needs 70–80 gsm. Heavier paper isn’t automatically better. Over-specified GSM can cause:

The right GSM depends on bag dimensions, load, handle type, and your machine’s paper-weight range. In our customer consultations, we always ask for the finished bag’s width × depth × height, intended contents and weight, and target market before recommending a paper specification.

Practical note: A common range for flat or satchel paper bags is 40–90 gsm. Square-bottom shopping bags with handles often use 80–150 gsm kraft or 200–300 gsm cardboard. But these are starting points, not rules — always validate with trial runs on your specific equipment.

What Adhesives and Bonding Materials Does Paper Bag Production Require?

Adhesive failures are among the most common complaints we receive in after-sales support. A bag that looks perfect can fall apart at the bottom seam under load — and the root cause is almost always the wrong adhesive type, incorrect viscosity, or improper application temperature.

Paper bag production typically uses water-based adhesive (white glue / PVA-based), hot-melt adhesive, or starch-based adhesive², selected according to the paper type, machine gluing system, bag structure, and end-use requirements.

Common Adhesive Types

What We Observe in Production

From configuring gluing systems and reviewing customer feedback, several material-related patterns emerge:

• Coated or laminated papers resist water-based adhesive penetration. Customers switching from kraft to art paper often need to adjust adhesive type or add a hot-melt station.
• Viscosity matters as much as adhesive type. Too thick and the applicator clogs; too thin and the bond fails before drying.
• Ambient humidity and temperature affect drying time, especially for water-based adhesives in tropical climates. Several customers in Southeast Asia have reported bottom-seal failures during monsoon season that were resolved by switching to hot-melt or adjusting drying parameters.

Recommendation: Request adhesive compatibility data from your adhesive supplier and confirm the application method with your machine manufacturer. These two specs must align.

What Printing Inks and Consumables Are Needed?

Unprinted paper bags serve commodity markets, but most customers today need at least a one-color logo — and many need four-to-eight-color flexographic printing. Ink selection directly affects print adhesion, drying behavior, food safety (where applicable), and whether the bag remains recyclable.

Paper bag printing primarily uses water-based flexographic inks, though solvent-based inks and UV-curable inks are also used depending on the substrate and print requirements. Supporting consumables include printing plates (photopolymer), anilox rollers, doctor blades, and cleaning solvents.

Ink Selection Factors

• Water-based inks — dominant for paper bag printing; lower VOC, easier cleanup, generally compatible with recyclability goals
• Solvent-based inks — faster drying, better adhesion on coated stocks, but higher VOC and may require exhaust systems
• UV inks — excellent adhesion and color vibrancy, but require UV curing units and add cost

Food-Contact Considerations

If bags contact food directly, ink migration and set-off become critical concerns. Food-contact compliance depends on the specific ink formulation, the substrate, the application, and the regulations of the target market (e.g., EU Framework Regulation, FDA CFR Title 21, or China’s GB 9685). I strongly recommend buyers verify compliance with their ink supplier and a qualified testing laboratory rather than relying on general claims.

Supporting Print Consumables

• Photopolymer plates — custom-made per design; cost varies by plate area and supplier
• Anilox rollers — determine ink volume transfer; line count must match ink type and design detail
• Doctor blades — wear item; steel or composite, replaced regularly
• Wash-up solution — for cleaning ink from press components between jobs

What Handle Materials and Accessories Complete the Bag?

A flat or satchel bag needs only paper, adhesive, and possibly ink. But the moment you add handles, reinforcement patches, or window film, your bill of materials — and your equipment requirements — change significantly.

Handle materials include twisted paper rope, flat paper tape, cotton cord, ribbon, PP rope, and die-cut hand holes (which require no separate material). Accessories may include reinforcement cardboard patches, eyelet grommets, and clear window film.

Handle Material Comparison

Reinforcement and Accessories

• Cardboard stiffeners at the top opening or inside the bottom prevent collapse and improve load-bearing
• Eyelet grommets reinforce cord handle attachment points on luxury bags
• Window film (PET or PLA) for display bags — requires a window-patching unit

Each accessory adds a process step and often a dedicated machine station. In our project consultations, we map the full bill of materials before recommending a machine configuration — omitting even one accessory can result in an incomplete production line.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best paper for making paper bags?

There is no single “best” paper. Brown kraft is the most widely used for its strength and cost balance, but white kraft, art paper, and specialty stocks each suit different bag types and markets. Select based on your bag’s size, load, print requirements, and target application.

How do I know what GSM to choose for my paper bags?

Start from the bag’s dimensions, intended load, and handle type. Small food bags may need only 40–80 gsm, while large shopping bags with handles often require 90–150 gsm. Run production trials on your equipment to confirm feeding, folding, and forming performance.

Can I use any adhesive for paper bag making?

No. Adhesive type must match your paper substrate, machine gluing system, and production speed. Coated papers typically need hot-melt adhesive, while uncoated kraft works well with water-based PVA. Always confirm compatibility with both your adhesive and machine suppliers.

Are paper bag raw materials food-safe by default?

Not necessarily. Food-contact compliance depends on the specific paper, ink, adhesive, and any coatings used, plus the regulations of your target market. Verify compliance through your material suppliers and accredited testing laboratories.

Conclusion

The raw materials needed for making paper bags extend well beyond a roll of kraft paper. A complete bill of materials includes the paper substrate, adhesives, printing inks and consumables, and handle or accessory materials — each selected to match your finished bag’s specifications, your target market, and your production equipment’s capabilities. Heavier paper is not automatically better; compatibility is everything.

Before purchasing materials or machinery, define your finished bag: dimensions, paper type and GSM, handle style, print design, load requirement, and target output. This single step prevents the most common problems I see in new paper bag factories — material-machine mismatches, incomplete budgets, and bags that don’t perform.

If you’re planning a paper bag production line and need help matching raw materials to the right machine configuration, contact MTED with your bag specifications. We’ll help you build a complete, compatible production solution from material input to finished bag output.