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Custom Paper Tube: Material Options

Selecting the right material is crucial for ensuring both the functionality and aesthetics of your packaging. Each type of material and paper stock has its own characteristics and applications.

The paper weight, often referred to as cardboard thickness, impacts the durability and rigidity of tube packaging. Different types of paper can lead to notably different packaging results, even if the graphic design remains the same. Therefore, choosing the appropriate material directly influences your brand image and product positioning.

Cardboard - The most commonly used material of tube cores

White Cardboard

White Cardboard Tube

Black Cardboard

Black Cardboard Tube

Cardboard paper is a thick, sturdy material made from high-quality, bleached wood pulp. It is recognized for its smooth surface and outstanding printability. Commonly used for packaging, business cards, and crafts, it offers durability along with a clean, professional look.

Divided by color, cardboard falls into 2 types: white cardboard and black cardboard. White cardboard is mostly C1S stock, which is not pure white. It is sort of yellowish. Black cardboard is a solid black specialty stock. If you want your tube packaging to be solid black, black cardboard is the way to go for both the main tube construction and the printing base.

Applications:

• White cardboard: Mainly serves as tube cores (inner tube, outer tube)

• Black cardboard: Serves as tube cores and the printing base covering the black tube core to create a solid black paper tube packaging

Kraft paper - Give your tube packaging a natural look

white kraft paper for paper tube packaging

White Kraft Paper

Full color printing on the white kraft paper

Brown Kraft Paper

Brown Kraft Paper Tube

In our view, kraft paper is typically brown. However, in the packaging industry, there are two types of kraft paper: brown kraft paper and white kraft paper, categorized by their color.

Both brown kraft and white kraft papers are uncoated (and unbleached), so there are textures on the paper surface, giving your packaging tube a natural, organic, and rustic appearance, especially when using brown kraft paper.

Applications:

• White kraft: This type is primarily used as the printing base for the outer tube. In some instances, thicker white kraft paper may also be utilized for the tube cores. While it is slightly more expensive than white cardboard (C1S stock), it is pure white. If you want your tube cores to be truly white, using white kraft paper for the cores is recommended.
• Brown kraft: Thicker brown kraft paper serves as both the inner and outer tube cores, while thinner brown kraft paper is used as the printing base. 

Drawbacks of Kraft Paper: Off-color

One downside of kraft paper is its off-color nature. Since kraft paper is uncoated, it tends to absorb ink during printing. As a result, the color outcome may be less accurate, particularly on brown kraft paper.

C2S Art Paper (Coated Paper) - The Most Popular Stock as Printing Base

Coated paper is a type of paper that has been treated with a layer of clay or other materials, resulting in a smooth surface with either a matte or glossy finish. This coating prevents ink from soaking into the paper during printing, which enhances and guarantees the quality of the printed graphics (images, texts, etc.)

Applications:
C2S (Coated Two Sides) paper stock is pure white, maximizing both printing quality and color results. This makes it one of the most popular choices for printing. The typical paper weight for C2S stock is 157 gsm.

art paper for custom paper tube packaging

Coated paper serves as printing base

art paper for printed paper tube packaging

Custom printing on art paper

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