Can you print on glassine paper?

Kraft glassine paper offers some really great packaging ideas. You can check out https://www.jbmpackaging.comfor some options.  It is used widely in the crafting and has a sort of wet paper bag look about it. Glassine paper is great for packaging as it has the crafty sort of feel that many people love.  It has a bit of semi-transparency about it and surely has a coating of some kind. It can be embossed and wrinkled up. The more you wrinkle it the more pliable it becomes and stronger too.  And, yes, you can print on it. 

On a small scale, you can get permanent inks and rubber stamps.  These inks are meant for coated paper. This is something that many crafters actually really enjoy.  However, when using ink on glassine paper you should keep in mind that it is ink on a coating paper and will need a little help drying so that it doesn’t smear and smudge.  The best way to do this is to apply heat. The heat will make the coating look as if it is melting. It will get quite shiny as if it was getting wet but it is not getting wet or melting at all.  It is actually rising to the surface to embrace the permanent ink and set it. Once the heat is shut off the paper goes back to its normal finish and the ink is set.  

Glassine Packaging

With this little ink trick, this means that you can use an inkjet printer for larger-scale options.  Yes, the good ole inkjet! Load the kraft glassine paper into the inkjet and let it print the image onto your paper.  Once the paper comes out, remember the ink is still very very wet and will runoff. So, this needs to be done on a printer where the paper remains flat.  Or you will have a mess. Once the print is complete then it is important to do the same trick as we did above and apply heat. This gives the paper a very classic vintage look that is great for packaging!  And, you can combine this with some custom stamps and add layers for an even better look.  

Of course in larger production lines the same techniques are used, just on a much larger scale.  Not all glassine packaging is brown. That is the only kraft look. But, it does come in other colors as well and remains very translucent.  This makes it perfect for packages where you would like the product to show through a bit.

Glassine is a green material.  It is biodegradable, renewable and recyclable.  So you use this material without harming the environment.  The paper comes from renewable managed forests and it is a great alternative to the plastic packaging options.  

When working with the white glassine packaging you get a much cleaner look than with the Kraft glassine.  The kraft offers a much more vintage or crafting feel to it. However, both are great for product packaging.

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