So what’s exactly the difference between Kraft Paper and Craft Paper?
Well, many people confuse Craft paper with Kraft paper, thinking that the “K” is just a misspelling or a branding technique when in actuality these are two different things.
The term “craft” is defined as an activity involving manual crafting skills. It refers to the ability of making something manually. On the other hand, the term kraft paper originated in Germany and means power or strength. It refers to the special type of paper and its strength characteristics.
In fact, kraft paper is much stronger than ordinary paper due to its manufacturing process.
As a first take out. Craft paper can be any kind of paper used in a crafting activity and Kraft paper is a special type of paper that has very good strength properties.
How it’s made?
The manufacturing of kraft paper entails converting wood into wood pulp through a combination of chemical and manual components. Wood is made up of 50 percent cellulose walls, 30 percent lignin, which bonds the cellulose together, and 20 percent carbohydrates, protein, fats, and resins.
It’s the pure cellulose fiber that becomes the main basis of kraft paper. During the kraft process, wood chips are treated with a mix of hot water, sodium hydroxide, and sodium sulfide, which break down the bonds that link the components of the wood fibers. The wood fibers that remain after this chemical process form a sort of pulp slurry, which is what goes into the paper machine to make the kraft paper.
We encourage you to watch this detailed video animation of the entire process: https://youtu.be/qs8Ugfz28L0
Where is used Kraft Paper?
Because of its strength, kraft paper can be used in many industrial and commercial applications. This material is used in packaging operations, for packing, wrapping individual items, binding, and filling voids. Similarly, kraft paper can also be used as a bonding adhesive between layers of palatalized products. Besides these wide-ranging applications, kraft paper can also be used as floor coverings in fiberglass operations and indoor space painting, as well as paint covering, non-slip, and pallet covering operations.
Kraft paper has long been the standard in packaging, for one reason: it just works. Kraft paper provides all possible protection measures during packaging and transportation, so it has withstood the test of time and has endured.
Let’s take a look at the main advantages and uses of kraft paper:
Strength- Kraft paper is durable and can withstand industrial pressures to protect property and materials. Some try to use lesser quality papers, which may have their paper uses, but when it comes to protecting your products and materials, the strength of Kraft Paper stands out among other alternatives.
Wrapping Individual Items- Pottery style stores and craft stores use Kraft Paper to wrap items individually because it provides an affordable layer of protection at the fraction of the cost of alternative products. Manufacturers use Kraft Paper to wrap individual items because they want their products to be delivered in one piece and be ready for use by the consumer or end-user.
Floor Covering- Kraft paper is easy to apply to flooring to protect surfaces during manufacturing as well as construction. Some use Kraft Paper to prevent fiberglass from being ruining flooring. Others use rolls of Kraft Paper to protect their customer’s flooring during contraction and remodeling projects.
Paint Masking- Overspray from paint can ruin a car, boat, or building. Simply using Kraft Paper to mask items being painted will prevent unnecessary overspray and ultimately save time and money.
Void Fill- Have you ever opened a box to have packing peanuts end up all over the room? Sure, peanuts have their place in the packaging world, but sometimes Kraft Paper may be a better option for void-filling applications. It is lightweight, sturdy, and reusable.
For arts and crafts projects — many people also choose recycled kraft paper, which has a bit less strength than its virgin kraft paper counterpart, but is more than sufficient for a majority of crafting purposes. One of the most common types of uses are with studio rollers. The Studio Roller is great for advertising daily specials as a menu board in a business settings, as an at-home wall pad for writing to-do lists, or in your office for brainstorming instead of a white-board, or just as an on-wall drawing platform for kids.
Why we love it so much?
We love Kraft Paper for many reasons. From how it’s made to the different ways you can use it.
Kraft paper does not require extensive bleaching, which reduces the strength of the paper and increases production costs. Unlike other papers, it can also use resinous pine and bamboo which are not suitable for traditional papermaking. Additionally, since almost all of the chemicals used in the process are recovered and reused, it is a self-sufficient production method.
If you liked this article, don't forget to keep an eye on Velfort and KRAFT Magazine for more content about related subjects, just like this one.
