Greaseproof paper is the piece of packaging every UAE food brand underestimates. It touches the food, it holds the sandwich together on a delivery rider's bike, and it is the surface a customer looks at while they eat. This guide explains how greaseproof and wax-coated papers actually work, which weight to specify for which food, and — because printed wrap sheets are quoted per job rather than sold off the shelf — the two branding routes you can order online today at real prices: printed food boxes from AED 510 per 1,000 and printed seals and labels from AED 230.
Greaseproof, wax, parchment: what the words mean
Suppliers use these terms loosely and it causes expensive mistakes. Here is the practical difference.
Greaseproof paper is paper refined so the fibres pack tightly enough to resist oil migration. There is no coating and nothing plastic; the barrier comes from the paper itself. It is the standard wrap for burgers, shawarma, sandwiches, fried chicken and anything served hot and oily. It is not waterproof, and it is not meant to be.
Wax-coated paper is paper with a wax layer applied. It handles moisture better than plain greaseproof and gives a crisper crinkle, but the wax softens under real heat — so it is right for cold sandwiches, wraps, pastries and deli counters, and wrong for something coming straight off a grill.
Parchment / silicone-treated paper is coated with silicone, releases cleanly and survives oven temperatures. Bakeries use it for baking and for wrapping viennoiserie. It costs more than greaseproof and is over-specified for a burger.
PE-laminated paper has a thin polyethylene film bonded to it. It is fully waterproof and grease-proof, and is used for very wet foods and for burger box liners. It is the least environmentally comfortable option and the one most Dubai brands are moving away from where they can.
The mistake to avoid: buying parchment because it sounds premium, then discovering it does not hold a fold. Wrap paper has to crease and stay creased. That is a mechanical property, not a marketing one.
Weights and sizes to specify
Greaseproof is specified in GSM like any paper. The useful range for food service is narrow:
- 30–35 GSM — light basket liner. Goes under fries or a pastry in a basket. Too flimsy to wrap anything.
- 38–45 GSM — the workhorse burger and sandwich wrap. Enough body to fold and hold, thin enough to be economical at volume. This is what most Dubai kitchens should be buying.
- 50–60 GSM — heavy wrap for large or very oily items: mixed grills, loaded shawarma, half chickens. Also the weight to choose if the wrap must survive a 30-minute delivery ride.
On size, three formats cover almost everything:
- Square sheets, roughly 30 × 30 cm — the standard burger and sandwich wrap.
- Larger sheets, 40 × 30 cm or 45 × 35 cm — shawarma, wraps, subs and anything longer than a bun.
- Basket liners, roughly 28 × 34 cm — flat sheets sized to a serving basket or tray.
A note that saves money: measure the food, not the old wrap. Kitchens routinely inherit an oversized sheet from a previous supplier and pay for paper they fold away. Wrap three of your actual products, measure the sheet you needed, and order that.
Printing on wrap paper: what works
Food-contact wrap is printed with food-safe inks, usually in one or two colours, and the design language is different from a box.
Repeating patterns beat single logos. A wrap gets crumpled, folded and half-covered by food. A logo printed once in the centre disappears the moment the sandwich is wrapped. A repeating tile — logo, wordmark, small icon, on a 5–8 cm rhythm — guarantees that something readable is visible whichever way the wrap lands.
Keep coverage light. Heavy solid ink on thin greaseproof stiffens the sheet and can show through when oil hits it. One or two colours on an uncoated cream or white base is the look that reads as premium in this category, and it is also the cheapest.
Expect the colour to shift. Greaseproof is absorbent and usually not bright white, so your brand colour will print slightly muted compared with a coated box. Ask for a printed sample before a large run if colour matching matters to you.
Print-ready file: CMYK, 300 dpi, 3 mm bleed, fonts outlined. Design is free with every order — send your logo on WhatsApp and our designers build the repeat tile for you.
How printed wrap is quoted
Printed greaseproof sheets are quoted per job rather than listed on the site, because the price moves with the sheet size, the GSM, the number of colours and the run length, and the MOQ on a custom-printed wrap is high — this is a bulk-run product. Send us the sheet size, the weight and the monthly volume on WhatsApp and we will confirm a price. We will not quote a wrap before knowing those four things, and neither should anyone else.
The branding you can order today, with real prices
Most Dubai F&B brands do not start with printed wrap. They start with plain wrap plus a printed seal, and printed boxes for everything that does not get wrapped. Both are on the site at fixed prices, VAT included.
| Item | Quantity | Price (VAT incl.) |
|---|---|---|
| Paper stickers 7 × 7 cm, matt lamination — wrap seals | 100 | AED 230 |
| Vinyl stickers 8 × 8 cm, custom die-cut | 250 | AED 345 |
| Economy stickers, glossy laminated 80 GSM | 1,000 | AED 350 |
| Rounded PVC transparent stickers, 6 cm | 1,000 | AED 690 |
| French fries tray (indoor), printed food board | 1,000 | AED 510 |
| Cone french fries box | 1,000 | AED 590 |
| Simple burger box ⭐ most popular | 1,000 | AED 775 |
| Simple burger box | 5,000 | AED 1,990 |
| Simple fried chicken box (takeaway) | 1,000 | AED 850 |
| Signature paper bag, small 18 × 18 × 7 cm | 500 | AED 1,580 |
Read the burger box line carefully: AED 775 per 1,000 is about AED 0.78 a box, and AED 1,990 per 5,000 is about AED 0.40 — the unit cost halves across that step. If your outlet moves 1,500 burgers a month, ordering the 5,000 run covers a quarter and saves roughly AED 1,885 against buying 1,000 at a time five times over.
The sticker route is the one to start with. A 7 × 7 cm printed seal on a plain kraft wrap costs AED 2.30 a piece at 100 and 35 fils at 1,000 — it closes the wrap, it carries the logo, and it reprints in days when your design changes. Once the artwork is settled and the volume justifies it, move to printed wrap. The full range is in sticker and label printing.
Building the full takeaway kit
A sandwich shop or burger brand in Dubai typically needs four things printed, not one:
- The wrap or box — greaseproof sheet for handheld items, a printed food box for anything with sides or sauce.
- The bag — the outer carrier the rider hands over. Sizes and prices are in the restaurant paper bags guide.
- The seal — a sticker that both brands the parcel and shows it has not been opened in transit. Delivery aggregators increasingly expect this.
- The drink — a printed paper cup from AED 510 per 500, which is the cheapest branded item in the whole kit.
Ordering these together matters more than it sounds. Cream greaseproof, a white box and a bright white bag will not look like one brand, because the paper bases differ. Decide the base tone first, then match everything to it — and if you are specifying a burger box at the same time, our burger box printing guide covers sizes and MOQs in detail.
How to order
- Wrap three of your actual products and measure the sheet you needed. That is your size.
- Choose the weight. 38–45 GSM for burgers and sandwiches, 50–60 GSM for shawarma, mixed grills and long delivery routes.
- Send size, GSM, colours and monthly volume on WhatsApp for a printed-wrap quote, or order boxes, bags and stickers directly online at the listed prices.
- Approve the proof. On a wrap we show the repeat tile at actual size so you can see how it reads folded.
- Production and delivery. Boxes and stickers run 3–5 working days after final artwork approval. Delivery is free on orders over AED 800 across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain, or collect from 32 Sheikh Zayed Road, Office 706, Dubai, open daily 09:00 to 21:00, closed Sunday.
Frequently asked questions
What GSM should sandwich wrap paper be?
38–45 GSM covers most burgers and sandwiches — enough body to fold and hold without wasting paper. Go to 50–60 GSM for shawarma, mixed grills, half chickens and anything travelling 30 minutes by delivery. Below 38 GSM the sheet is a basket liner, not a wrap.
Is greaseproof paper the same as parchment?
No. Greaseproof resists oil through the density of the paper itself, with no coating. Parchment is silicone-treated for baking and oven use, costs more, and is over-specified for wrapping a burger. Wax-coated paper sits between them and suits cold sandwiches and pastries but softens under real heat.
How much does printed greaseproof paper cost in Dubai?
Printed wrap is quoted per job, because the price depends on sheet size, GSM, number of colours and run length, and custom wrap runs at a high MOQ. Send those four details on WhatsApp +971 52 210 0909 for a confirmed price. If you want branding you can order today, printed food boxes start at AED 510 per 1,000 and printed seals at AED 230 per 100.
Can I brand plain wrap without a custom print run?
Yes, and most brands should start this way. A printed sticker seals the wrap and carries the logo: AED 230 for 100 matt-laminated 7 × 7 cm stickers, AED 350 for 1,000 economy stickers, or AED 345 for 250 custom die-cut vinyl stickers.
Why does my logo look faded on greaseproof paper?
Greaseproof is uncoated, absorbent and usually cream rather than bright white, so ink sits into the fibre and colours read slightly muted compared with a coated box. Design for it — bold shapes, one or two colours, a repeating tile — and ask for a printed sample before a large run.
What is the minimum order for printed food boxes?
Food and takeaway boxes start at 1,000 pieces; cartons, packaging boxes and rigid gift boxes start at 100. Stickers start at 100 pieces.
Do you deliver across the UAE?
Yes — Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain, free on orders over AED 800, with production 3–5 working days after final artwork approval.
Get your wrap and packaging quoted
Send your sheet size, GSM and monthly volume on WhatsApp +971 52 210 0909 or call 0522100909 for a printed-wrap price, or order the rest of the kit online now: printed food boxes from AED 510 per 1,000, paper bags and paper cups from AED 510 per 500. Design is free with every order.
