Dry wax or paraffin for a deli sandwich that sits in the case?
Paraffin, if it sits more than an hour. Dry wax keeps a fresh sandwich crisp, but a paraffin film stops the bread drying out over a lunch service in a chilled case.
Custom Wax and Paraffin Paper for Delis, Cheese and Candy
Three waxed papers for food that is handled cold or sweats in a case: dry-wax sheets, paraffin rolls and printed paraffin sheets. Each one is printed under the wax, so the logo never rubs onto the food.
Written quote in one business day, free design proof. Minimum order 1,000 sheets or 1 roll.
3 papers in this range
Custom Wax PaperFrom $0.30 a sheet6 × 10.75 in · 10 × 10.75 in · 12 × 12 inDeli, sandwich and bakery sheetsSheets and sizes
Paraffin Paper RollsFrom $0.30 a sheet12 in × 700 ft · 15 in × 700 ft · 18 in × 1,000 ftButter, cheese and cold cutsSheets and sizes
Printed Paraffin PaperFrom $0.30 a sheet8 × 8 in · 10 × 10.75 in · 12 × 12 inBranded cheese, fudge and candy wrapsSheets and sizesDesign Your Custom Wax and Paraffin Paper
Pick any of the 3 wax and paraffin papers, upload your logo and place it on the sheet. We send a free proof before anything prints.
Upload your logo to place it on the paper
Dry wax or paraffin: what is the difference?
Dry-wax paper has wax driven into the sheet under heat and then wiped back. The face feels like paper, takes a crease, and holds a light moisture seal for a few hours.
Paraffin paper, sometimes called wet wax, carries a continuous film on one or both faces. Hold it to a window and it looks glassy. Water beads on it, fat cannot cross it, and it stays supple in a cold case.
Both start from a white or kraft base of about 25 to 35 lb. The coating decides the job, not the base sheet.
Which wax paper for which job?
Three products cover most counter work. Find the food in the table and read across.
| Paper | Coating | Best at | Keep away from | Typical pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom wax paper | Dry wax, both faces | Sandwich and deli sheets, pickle wraps, basket lining, bakery tissue | Hot fried food, anything sitting in sauce | 12 × 12 in sheets |
| Paraffin paper rolls | Full paraffin film | Butter blocks, cheese wedges, cold-cut interleaving, counter dispensers | Lamps, ovens, four-color art | 15 in × 700 ft |
| Printed paraffin paper | Paraffin film over a printed sheet | Branded cheese wraps, fudge and caramel squares, frozen dough | Hot food, wraps that need a sharp crease | 10 × 10.75 in sheets |
If a product sweats, sits in a cold case for days, or has to peel off clean, go paraffin. If it is handled and eaten within the hour, dry wax costs less and prints better. The greaseproof versus wax paper guide settles the heat question.
How does wax paper behave with food?
Cheese is the test case. A wedge wrapped in paraffin paper from a roll keeps its moisture in and the fridge smell out. The same wedge in dry wax dries at the cut face within a day.
Butter and fudge want paraffin for a different reason: release. Peel the wrap and the surface stays smooth, with no fibers left behind.
Dry wax shines on a sandwich. Fold it tight, the crease holds, and the half-sour next to it never reaches the bread. Keep dry wax below about 180°F and paraffin below about 140°F. Above that the wax moves and the sheet turns clear.
Sheets or rolls?
The same waxed paper comes cut or wound. Decide by how your counter works, not by price per sheet.
- Cut sheets suit a sandwich station: grab, wrap, fold, no blade on the bench.
- Rolls suit a cheese counter or butcher block where every wedge is a different size.
- A 12 in or 15 in roll tears clean across a dispenser bar; 18 in and 24 in rolls belong on a bench cutter.
- Printed rolls carry the logo as a repeat, so the brand shows wherever the tear lands.
Rolls are quoted by width and length in feet, sheets by size and count. One roll or 1,000 sheets is the minimum either way.
How does printing work on waxed stock?
Ink goes on first. The sheet is printed, dried, then waxed, so the coating seals the print and nothing transfers to a block of butter.
Dry wax takes one or two colors well. Paraffin holds up to four, but every color reads a touch lighter through the gloss, so we pull Pantone solid-coated matches a shade deeper than the swatch.
A one-color repeat on white is the classic deli look and the cheapest plate. When the wrap is also the retail label, printed paraffin paper gives you room for a name, a weight line and a flavor.
Which weight and size should I ask for?
Deli sheets run light, about 25 to 30 lb, because they are folded fast and discarded. Cheese and butter paper runs 30 to 35 lb so it holds a crease around a hard edge.
A 6 × 10.75 in sheet interleaves patties and cold cuts. A 10 × 10.75 in sheet wraps a half sandwich or a quarter pound of butter. 12 × 12 in handles a full sandwich, and 15 × 15 in wraps a cheese wheel segment or lines a bakery box.
Roll widths follow the counter: 12 in for a small deli dispenser, 15 in for most cheese counters, 18 in and 24 in for a butcher block or a packing bench.
Mistakes to avoid with waxed paper
Putting dry-wax paper in a hot hold. It goes clear in minutes and the wax ends up on the bun.
Wrapping a wet, young cheese in dry wax for retail. It weeps through by the weekend and the label lifts.
Asking for an edge-to-edge four-color print on paraffin when a one-color repeat would read cleaner through the gloss.
How do I order wax or paraffin paper?
- Tell us the food, the format, the size and your monthly quantity on the quote request page.
- We send a written quote within one business day and say which coating we would use and why.
- Approve it, send your logo, and get a free design proof with the repeat laid out at scale.
- Printing and waxing take 4 to 6 business days after you sign off.
- Free tracked delivery to US addresses in 2 to 3 business days, with tracking sent the day it leaves.
Custom Wax and Paraffin Paper questions
What buyers ask before a first order. Type a word to filter the cards, or open one to read the full answer.
Should cheese be wrapped in dry-wax paper or paraffin paper?
Paraffin for anything cut and stored. Dry wax suits a slice handed over the counter to eat today; a wedge going home for the week needs the full moisture barrier.
When would I choose paraffin rolls over cut paraffin sheets?
When every item is a different size. A roll on a dispenser lets a cheese counter tear to fit; cut sheets suit a line that wraps the same quarter pound all day.
Can dry-wax paper be used under a heat lamp for a short hold?
A few minutes, not a service. Dry wax softens around 180°F and the sheet goes clear, so for a lamp use a greaseproof sheet instead.
Will paraffin paper hold up in a warm bakery display case?
Only if the case stays below about 140°F, which most warming cabinets do not.
Only if the case stays below about 140°F, which most warming cabinets do not. Paraffin is a cold-case paper; use it for the chilled display, not the hot one.
Why does fudge stick to dry wax but peel clean off paraffin?
Dry wax leaves fiber exposed between the wax, and sugar bonds to it.
Dry wax leaves fiber exposed between the wax, and sugar bonds to it. A paraffin film is continuous, so the sugar sets against wax and releases.
Which of these papers works for interleaving burger patties?
75 in. The film keeps patties from freezing together, and dry wax would wick the meat juice within hours.
Printed or plain paraffin sheets at 6 × 10.75 in. The film keeps patties from freezing together, and dry wax would wick the meat juice within hours.
Does printing look different on dry-wax versus paraffin stock?
Yes. Dry wax shows the ink almost as printed. Paraffin adds a gloss that lightens every color slightly, so we deepen the match before coating.
Can butter be wrapped in dry-wax paper for retail sale?
For a day on the counter, yes. For the fridge or a farm stand cooler, paraffin keeps the surface from drying and the wrap from going greasy on the outside.
Which wax paper folds cleanest around a sandwich at a lunch counter?
Custom dry-wax paper at 12 × 12 in. It creases like plain paper and the fold stays put.
Custom dry-wax paper at 12 × 12 in. It creases like plain paper and the fold stays put. Paraffin springs back a little, which slows a fast wrap station.
No match. Ask us on WhatsApp or call (503) 461-4788.
Tell us what you wrap
Send the paper, a size and a quantity, plus a logo if you have one. We reply in writing within one business day with a price and a free design proof. Prefer to talk? Call (503) 461-4788 or message us on WhatsApp.