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Grocery paper bags, paper straw wrappers, luxury paper gift bags, and tissue wrapping paper for clothing are widely used in everyday life and remain popular paper-based products in the packaging industry. But do you know what this type of paper is called? It is known as MG paper—a specialty grade produced by drying the sheet on a large Yankee dryer, which creates a smooth, glossy finish on one side. This article will explore four key aspects: common types of MG paper, its main properties, the challenges of printing on low grammage paper, and key considerations for flexographic printing.

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Candy Wrapping Paper

Common MG Paper Types

Tissue paper (commonly known as wrapping tissue or “copy paper”) is one of the most widely used MG papers on the market. It features low grammage, high transparency, and excellent toughness, making it a premium-grade paper often used in cultural and specialty packaging applications. The standard basis weight of tissue paper typically ranges from 14–17 gsm. For higher-end or thicker options, it can reach 22 gsm, 26 gsm, 30 gsm, 35 gsm, or even 40 gsm. It can also be customized in both sheet and reel formats according to specific requirements.

Boutique Paper Bags

Tissue paper can be widely used across various industries and applications. It can serve as inner lining and padding for footwear and apparel packaging to help maintain shape and prevent color transfer. It is also ideal for wrapping leather goods, bags, hardware parts, and electronic components to protect against oxidation and scratches. In addition, it can be used in printing plate making, sampling, and design tracing, as well as for separating printed samples. For fresh products, it is suitable for wrapping flowers and individual premium fruits such as pears and apples, providing cushioning and freshness preservation. It can also be used to wrap wine bottles or fill gaps in gift boxes, adding a soft, elegant, and premium visual appeal.

Flexo Printing Machine for Luxury Packaging Liner Paper

Characteristics of MG Paper

The MG side of MG paper is smooth with a slight gloss, offering excellent printability—especially suitable for fine text and barcode reproduction. In contrast, the reverse side is relatively rough, making it ideal for heat-sealing coatings and direct sealing applications. Compared with standard paper, MG paper has better stiffness and runnability, delivering stable performance on converting and printing equipment. It is widely used in food packaging, labeling, and medical packaging, such as sandwich wrapping paper, bottle label paper, cake wrapping paper, and fashion shopping bag paper.

Flexo Press for Wine Label Paper

Printing Challenges with MG Paper

Low-grammage MG paper typically refers to lightweight products ranging from 35 to 60 g/m², such as food packaging paper, burger wrappers, and kraft paper shopping bags. This type of paper presents numerous technical challenges during the printing process. Due to its thin profile and relatively low fiber bonding strength, it is highly susceptible to tensile forces, which can lead to stretching and deformation. Furthermore, its inherent high air permeability directly results in strong hygroscopicity, making it extremely sensitive to fluctuations in ambient humidity. Although the stiffness of low-grammage MG paper is superior to that of ordinary thin papers, precise control of printing pressure remains essential; otherwise, issues such as misregistration, wrinkling, or even tearing may easily occur.

Flexographic Printer for Baking Tray Liner Paper

Key Considerations for Flexo Printing

Although flexographic printing on low-grammage MG paper presents numerous challenges, most common issues can be resolved by effectively mastering three key elements: printing parameters, inks, and quality control.

Food Tray Liner Paper

Printing Parameters

When flexographically printing low-basis-weight MG paper, particular attention must be paid to two key parameters: pressure adjustment and speed control.

Adjusting printing pressure is the paramount priority when working with low-basis-weight MG paper. The inherent characteristics of papers used for eco-friendly packaging, greaseproof food wraps, decorative kraft paper, and cosmetic label paper—specifically their low basis weight and limited tensile strength—necessitate minimizing the impression pressure on the flexographic printing machine. This prevents paper deformation or the formation of pressure marks caused by excessive force. Concurrently, printing blankets and backing materials with superior flatness should be selected to ensure a uniform and stable distribution of pressure.

Toast Wrapping Paper

Printing speed control is a direct determinant of finished product quality. Excessive speed can result in insufficient ink drying, leading to smudging or sticking. When utilizing flexo printing machinery to print sustainable paper packaging, fast-food wrappers, or protective wrapping paper, the machine speed must be set judiciously—based on the specific drying characteristics of the ink and the ambient temperature and humidity—to ensure that adequate drying time is allowed after the application of each color.

Flexographic Press for Custom Printed Packaging Paper

Ink

For low basis weight MG paper, ink selection must be handled with particular care to ensure optimal printability. For large-area, full-color designs—such as bakery wrapping paper, biodegradable kraft paper, and chocolate wrapping paper—it is recommended to use high-gloss inks. These not only enhance color saturation and tonal depth, but also improve abrasion resistance of the ink layer, effectively reducing the risk of smudging during downstream processes. In lower ambient temperatures, ink viscosity tends to increase accordingly, so it should be adjusted promptly to maintain an appropriate working range.

Tea Bag Envelope Paper

Quality Control

In actual production, if register misalignment occurs, check whether the printing pressure is too high or if ambient humidity exceeds acceptable levels. Surface picking is usually caused by excessive ink viscosity or insufficient paper surface strength; this can be resolved by adjusting the ink formulation or selecting paper with better suitability. Wrinkling is often the result of uneven moisture absorption, so tighter environmental control and proper paper sealing are essential. Show-through is relatively common with low basis weight papers; it is recommended to use high-opacity MG paper with an opacity of over 90%, or to optimize the printing sequence and ink film thickness.

Flexo Printer for Eco Friendly Paper Bags

The printing of low-basis-weight MG paper is a systematic undertaking that requires the synergistic coordination of equipment, materials, environmental conditions, and processing techniques. By strictly adhering to the technical principles of "light pressure, controlled humidity, and stable speed," one can fully leverage the advantages of the MG surface—characterized by its smoothness and fine texture—to produce top-tier MG paper products, such as bread packaging paper, flexible packaging paper, and fried chicken wrapping paper.