Choosing between kraft and white paper bags comes down to the look you want and how your printed design will appear. Kraft (the natural brown paper) gives a warm, recycled, earthy feel and makes colours look softer and more muted, while white paper bags look crisp and premium and let your colours print brighter and truer. Both are strong, recyclable and printed the same way, so the right choice is mainly about brand style, the artwork you plan to use and your budget.
If you are weighing up which stock to order for your shop, cafe or online store, this guide walks through the practical differences - colour, print appearance, cost, durability and eco-credentials - so you can brief your custom printed paper carrier bags with confidence.
Kraft vs white paper bags: the quick answer
Kraft paper bags are best if you want a natural, sustainable, artisan look and your artwork is bold or single-colour. White paper bags are best if you want a clean, high-end retail finish and your design uses lighter shades, photographic elements or colours that need to stay accurate. Neither is stronger or more eco-friendly than the other in any meaningful way - they are both robust, uncoated paper that can be recycled with normal paper waste.
How your design prints on kraft versus white
This is the single most important difference, because the bag colour is effectively your background. At Fast Printed Bags we print using full-colour CMYK water-based digital inkjet directly onto the paper. There is no white ink, so any white or very pale areas in your artwork are not printed at all - they simply show as the bare colour of the bag.
On white bags, that means white space stays white and your colours print close to how they look on screen. On kraft, the same design will look warmer and darker, because every colour sits over a brown base. Bright colours become more muted and earthy, pale colours can almost disappear into the paper, and anything you intended to be white will appear brown. This is not a fault - it is simply how ink on uncoated kraft behaves - but it is worth designing around.
- Choose kraft if your logo or design is bold, dark or a single strong colour, and you like a natural, hand-finished look.
- Choose white if your artwork includes light tones, subtle gradients, or colours (such as a specific brand blue or red) that need to stay accurate.
- Avoid white detail on kraft, since there is no white ink to reproduce it - build your design so the paper colour works with it, not against it.
For more detail on setting your files up correctly, see our guide on how to supply print-ready artwork, and read the full personalisation information for print areas and file requirements. We print your supplied print-ready artwork onto a defined area on the front panel, and optionally a matching design on the back panel, rather than covering the whole bag.
Brand feel: what each finish says
Kraft has become the default look for anything that wants to feel natural, independent or environmentally minded. It suits bakeries, delis, farm shops, refill stores, health and wellness brands and craft businesses, and it pairs beautifully with simple one-colour or two-colour marks. White, by contrast, reads as clean, modern and premium. It suits boutiques, beauty and cosmetics, gifting, fashion and any brand that wants a bright, retail-shelf finish. If your branding is built around a precise colour palette, white gives you the most faithful result.
Durability and practicality
In day-to-day use there is very little between them. Both are made from the same weight ranges of paper and carry a similar load, and both are available with twist handles or tape handles depending on the style and size you need. Kraft can hide the odd scuff or mark a little better simply because its surface is already textured and busy, whereas marks show more readily on a bright white surface. If your bags will be handled a lot or reused, that small point can be worth considering.
Cost and the carrier bag charge
Kraft and white paper bags are usually priced very similarly, so cost rarely decides it. What does matter for retailers is the law. In England, paper carrier bags are exempt from the single-use carrier bag charge, which applies only to single-use plastic bags at a minimum of 10p. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, most paper bags are included in the charge, so if you trade in those nations you will generally need to charge for them. You can check the current rules on the GOV.UK carrier bag charge guidance. Either way, switching to paper is a popular move, and our comparison of paper vs plastic carrier bags covers the charge in more depth.
Which is more sustainable?
Both kraft and white paper bags are recyclable through normal paper recycling and are made from a renewable material. Kraft is often perceived as greener because it is left in its natural brown state and typically involves less bleaching, which is part of why it has become shorthand for eco-conscious packaging. White paper is bleached to achieve its colour, but it is no less recyclable at the end of its life. If you want to understand the wider terminology around recyclable, biodegradable and compostable options, our guide to UK packaging materials explains the differences clearly.
Frequently asked questions
Is kraft or white paper stronger?
There is no meaningful strength difference. Both are made from similar paper weights and carry comparable loads. The stock colour is about appearance rather than durability, so choose based on the look you want and pick a handle and size suited to what customers will carry.
Can you print white on a kraft bag?
No. We print full-colour CMYK water-based inkjet and do not use white ink, so any white or very pale part of your design shows as the bare brown of the kraft paper. If your artwork relies on white detail, choose a white paper bag instead, or redesign so the paper colour becomes part of the look.
Will my brand colours look the same on kraft and white?
No. On white bags colours print bright and close to how they appear on screen. On kraft the same colours read warmer, darker and more muted because they sit over a brown base. If accurate colour matters to you, white gives the truer result. We print in CMYK and do not guarantee exact Pantone matching on either stock.
Are paper carrier bags subject to the bag charge?
In England, paper carrier bags are exempt from the single-use carrier bag charge, which applies only to single-use plastic bags. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, most paper bags are included in the charge. Always check the current rules for the nation where you trade.
Can I get the same design printed on the front and back?
Yes. We can print a design on the front panel and, if you wish, a matching design on the back panel, within the defined print areas. We print onto pre-manufactured stock bags in set print areas rather than offering all-over or edge-to-edge printing.
Ready to order your custom printed paper bags?
Whether you land on natural kraft or crisp white, Fast Printed Bags can print your design onto quality paper carrier bags quickly and affordably. Browse the full range of custom printed paper carrier bags, order a sample if you would like to see the stocks in person, or visit the Fast Printed Bags homepage to get started. Supply your print-ready artwork and we will handle the rest.