What is a glassine bag.
A glassine bag is a bag made of glassine, the thin, glossy paper you can almost see through. It is the bag a bakery puts macarons in, and the envelope a stamp collector keeps stamps in. This page explains what the paper is, how it is made and how it compares with greaseproof paper, wax paper and clear plastic. Then it covers what glassine bags are good for, and where they are not.
The short answerA glassine bag is made from glassine: thin paper pressed through steel and fibre rollers until it is dense, glossy and translucent. That density lets it resist grease, air and water without a plastic film. Bakeries, sweet shops and small retail brands use glassine bags when the customer should see the product through the bag.
How glassine paper is made
Glassine starts as ordinary paper made from wood pulp, with the fibres laid in one direction as the sheet is pressed and dried. The finished paper then goes through a supercalender: a tall stack of rollers, alternating steel and fibre, that squeeze the sheet again and again.
The squeeze packs the fibres so tightly that the paper turns glossy and lets light through. It also leaves little open space for grease, air or water to pass. That is the whole trick. The resistance comes from the paper itself, not from a coating or a film.
Glassine bag
Translucent and smooth, with side gussets so it opens wider. You see the shape and the colour of what is inside before it is opened.
Greaseproof bag
The matt counter bag. It holds butter and oil back from the print, but you do not see through it.
Which weight of glassine
Glassine is made from about 30 to 90gsm. The light end, 30 to 50gsm, is the greaseproof grade used for food, treated so oil does not come through. The heavier grades are used for envelopes, interleaving sheets in books and the backing paper on sticky labels.
Our glassine bags are 35 to 50gsm, in food contact compliant stocks, as part of our food grade range.
Glassine, greaseproof, wax paper or clear plastic
| What it is | Grease | Look | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glassine | Paper pressed dense between rollers | Resists it | Glossy and translucent |
| Greaseproof | A dense paper made to stop fat soaking through | Holds it back | Matt, white or brown |
| Wax paper | Paper coated with wax | Resists it, and water | Waxy and translucent |
| Clear plastic | A plastic film | Resists it, and water | Clear |
Glassine sits between paper and plastic. It shows the product almost as well as a clear bag, and it is still paper, with no plastic layer and no wax. That is why it is the usual swap for small clear plastic bags in shops moving away from plastic.
What glassine bags are used for
- Bakery and sweets: cookies, macarons, pastries and loose sweets, where the colour sells the product.
- Small retail goods: jewellery, soap, stickers and stationery, packed without plastic.
- Stamps, prints and photographs: collectors keep them in glassine, and grades with a neutral pH are made for that.
- Dry goods handed over the counter: nuts, dried fruit or tea, for the trip home rather than for months on a shelf.
What glassine cannot do
Glassine resists water, but it is not waterproof. A wet product or a long spell in damp air will soften it. It is not airtight either, so food that has to stay fresh for weeks needs a sealed pouch with a barrier layer.
It is also a light paper. It suits small, light items. Anything heavy or sharp belongs in a stronger bag.
Can glassine bags be recycled?
Plain glassine is paper, with no plastic layer and no wax, so it can go in paper recycling where the local scheme accepts it. Some glassine is coated for extra moisture resistance, and a coating changes that answer. If the bag will carry a recycling claim, ask for the plain grade and check what your local scheme takes.
Ordering glassine bags
- From 10,000 units, three weeks in production, made in China and quality checked before shipping.
- 35 to 50gsm food contact compliant glassine, with side gussets.
- Flexo printed, up to four colours.
- A free digital mockup first, then a printed sample to approve before the full run.
The bag this applies to: the Food Grade Bag. For which bag suits which bakery item, see Kraft or laminated bags for a bakery.
Questions
Is glassine paper or plastic?
Paper. The shine and the see-through look come from pressing the paper dense, not from a plastic layer.
Is glassine waterproof?
No. It resists grease, air and water, but it is still paper. A wet product or long hours in damp air will soften it.
What is the difference between glassine and greaseproof paper?
Glassine is pressed until it is dense, smooth and translucent. Greaseproof paper is made to stop fat soaking through and is matt. Food grade glassine is both: a greaseproof grade, pressed smooth.
Is glassine food safe?
Food grade glassine is made to sit against food. Ours is food contact compliant stock, and certificates for your market are available on request.
What is the minimum order for custom glassine bags?
Ours start at 10,000 units, three weeks in production. You see a free digital mockup first, and a printed sample before the full run.
Written by the Bag Bureau production team. Last updated October 2026.