What is Glassine Paper?

1. So, what is glassine?

With the packaging industry still seeking sustainable solutions, numerous new materials have the potential to transform our perception of packaging. Glassine paper is one such solution.

As the name suggests, glassine is not glass, but it has similar characteristics. It is a pulp-based substance with a unique appearance and texture. It is smooth, glossy, transparent, and allows what is behind the paper to shine through.

Due to its unique properties, glassine is often mixed with wax paper, parchment and plastic. While not exactly like regular paper, glassine is highly versatile. It is pH neutral, acid-free, moisture-resistant, air-resistant and grease-resistant, and can be fully recycled or biodegraded.

2. How is glassine paper made?

It is made from hardwoods such as aspen, oak, and birch. The timber is sliced and taken to paper mills where it is refined and pulped.

Once the trees have been turned into pulp, the lignin and other wood materials are removed from the fibres.

Lignin causes paper to become brittle and discolour over time, so eliminating it is important in order to give glassine paper its characteristics and make it resistant to the elements.

The paper is then bleached and subjected to other materials, such as dyes and pigments, in order to achieve the desired grades and colours. It is then dried. Glassine may also be made opaque by adding the following additives:

Clay

titanium dioxide

calcium carbonate.

3. Supercalendering process:

Supercalendering is the final step in the production of glassine paper. It also makes glassine resistant to grease, air and moisture. However, the quality of the machinery used has a drastic effect on the weight, thickness, brightness and grade of the paper, as well as other properties.

During this process, glassine paper is made smooth, transparent, and glossy by constant pressing between hot or cooled pressure cylinders or rollers, known as calendars.

4. The Benefits of Glassine

As mentioned previously, glassine paper is:

Acid-free

pH neutral

It is waterproof, airproof and greaseless.

However, glassine paper is also thick and dense, implying that it has greater tensile strength, folding endurance and stiffness than other thin paper materials on the market.

The protective layer of glassine paper has many applications, particularly in the food industry. It is non-greasy and enhances the presentation of baked goods and other treats thanks to its transparency and environmental friendliness.

Although some paper materials require waxes or plastic laminates for protection, glassine paper does not, which contributes to its sustainability. When you consider that glassine is produced using wood pulp, its recyclability and biodegradability make it the ideal packaging solution for environmentally conscious businesses!

5. The drawbacks of glassine

Although glassine paper has many positive properties, it is important to mention the disadvantages.

The main disadvantage is that the surface of glassine paper cannot be printed on. Although it can resist offset and digital printing, processing glassine successfully is difficult. Glassine is not porous, so ink absorption is reduced and the drying process is prolonged.

Consequently, there is an increased risk of ink smearing or design breakage, and glassine paper may be limited in this respect.

Another disadvantage is that, although glassine can be embossed, the paper may be too crinkly to achieve the same success as with corrugated fibreboard or folding carton paperboard.

Nevertheless, special finishes can be created with glassine using very specific techniques and experience, such as printing and embossing.

6. The alternatives:

Other possible alternatives to glassine paper include vellum, parchment paper and cellophane, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Vellum is clear, weaker than glassine paper and easy to tear or damage.

Parchment paper is resistant to the elements and non-stick, but it cannot be recycled.

Wax paper and cellophane can also be used, but they are difficult to print on or customise. The cellophane production process is also less eco-friendly and sustainable than glassine production.

7. The verdict:

Glassine paper bags are highly versatile and can hold much more than your average paper substitute. Due to their moisture- and grease-resistant and durable properties, glassine paper bags can be used in many different industries, such as:

Food

Cosmetics

pharmaceuticals.

Contact us today to find out how you can use your sustainable paper bags and to receive a quote for your own glassine paper solutions!