Key takeaways

A matte surface reflects less light than a glossy one, so typography, labels and colour read more sharply on kraft coffee bags. Peer-reviewed research also links matte packaging to higher perceived naturalness.
Coffee Ideas! treats the kraft paper as part of the palette rather than a surface to cover, using screen printing, strong contrast and restraint.
A natural-looking bag is not automatically a sustainable one. Marc Tormo argues that inner barrier, valve, inks and closure together decide what a bag can honestly claim.

Coffee bags need to attract attention quickly, yet strong visual impact does not require glossy surfaces, saturated colour or elaborate finishes. For more than 15 years, one Indian roastery has argued the opposite case. It built its identity on rough matte kraft coffee bags, the plainest surface in the catalogue.

Coffee Ideas!, formerly Marc’s Coffees, is an Auroville-based roastery selling specialty coffee from underrepresented regions of India. Marc Tormo – won gold at the 2025 Global Coffee Awards – founded the company in 2008 and has used rough matte kraft coffee bags ever since, building the brand around close connections with producers.

Rather than treating the bag as a blank canvas to cover, Coffee Ideas! lets the material itself carry part of the design. Read on for his insights.

Why do roasters choose rough matte for their kraft coffee bags?

Roasters choose rough matte because it softens reflection and lets restrained typography and colour do the work, while signalling the agricultural origin of the product.

Matte kraft coffee bags reflect less light than glossy alternatives, which creates a softer look and makes typography, labels and colours stand out. That effect explains why rough matte has become the most common finish across custom coffee packaging. It also explains why roasters weighing gloss against matte so often land on the matte side.

Surface finish also shapes how consumers read the product inside. Research in Marketing Letters found that matte packaging raises perceptions of food naturalness compared with glossy packaging of the same product. For a roaster, that association reinforces what the product already is. Coffee carries strong connections to agriculture, craft and natural processes, and a matte kraft surface bridges visually to those ideas.

Marc says Coffee Ideas! deliberately chose rough matte kraft coffee bags rather than a glossier or more heavily laminated alternative.

“A glossy or highly laminated bag would communicate a very different personality. It can feel more industrial, polished or mass-produced, whereas the rough matte kraft finish feels handcrafted and closer to the agricultural origin of coffee,” he tells us.

“Coffee begins as a seed and a fruit, grown by farmers and transformed through many stages of skilled work,” he says. “We wanted the packaging to retain some of that earthiness and human touch.”

The tactile qualities of the material reinforce that idea. According to Marc, “The matte texture gives the bag depth and character. It invites people to touch it, which creates a more sensory relationship with the product.”

That tactile interaction earns its keep in retail, where packaging gets a short window to convey brand identity. Designing packaging that works on a shelf depends on exactly that kind of split-second read.

What makes kraft coffee bags with a matte finish practical as well as attractive?

Kraft coffee bags earn their place when the barrier construction behind the paper protects the coffee, and when the surface takes print well enough to carry the brand.

A convincing bag does more than look a certain way. It protects roasted coffee from oxygen, moisture and light, so barrier performance matters as much as the surface a customer sees. Kraft coffee bags rely on an inner liner for that protection, and customising natural kraft means working with both layers rather than one.

Withstanding the environment while still letting a roaster’s identity come across visually is the best-case scenario.

“Kraft paper is particularly suitable for screen printing because the ink becomes integrated with the surface and produces a rich, tactile result,” Marc explains. “The colours fix well after drying, and slight natural variations in the print reinforce the handcrafted identity.”

Print method matters here, and how coffee packaging printing works determines how much texture survives the process.

The same holistic thinking applies to sustainability. Kraft paper conveys a natural look, but the environmental credentials of a bag depend on its material composition and on the disposal options available in a customer’s region. Certification tells only part of that story, and whether kraft coffee bags genuinely compost depends on what lines them.

Marc puts honesty ahead of appearance. “The complete bag – including its inner barrier, valve, inks and closure – determines whether it is recyclable, compostable or biodegradable,” he says. “We try to communicate honestly and avoid presenting the packaging as more sustainable than its technical construction allows.”

Reducing unnecessary material forms only part of the equation. “The priority is to balance coffee protection, shelf life, material reduction and responsible end-of-life options,” he says. “The packaging must first protect the coffee, but it should do so with the least unnecessary material possible.”

How should roasters brief a design for rough matte kraft coffee bags?

Brief kraft coffee bags around contrast and restraint, and treat the brown of the paper as one of the colours rather than a background to cover.

Rough matte gives kraft coffee bags a distinctive foundation, yet its muted surface changes how colours and graphics appear. Coffee Ideas! answers that with contrast rather than volume.

“We use strong graphic contrast and carefully selected colours,” Marc says. “The design does not need to shout. Clear typography, bold shapes and a controlled colour palette give it presence.”

That approach lets the kraft paper join the colour palette instead of disappearing beneath it. Eye-catching design on custom bags rarely depends on covering every surface, and minimalism has held its ground in specialty for the same reason.

“The natural brown of the kraft paper effectively becomes one of the design colours,” Marc says. “Rather than covering the entire surface, we allow the material itself to remain visible and participate in the composition.”

New roasters developing packaging today, and established ones planning a rebrand, can use that philosophy. Social media trends and digital analytics offer useful signals about customer preference. Coffee Ideas! developed its original packaging before social media became a design resource, basing decisions instead on the company, its coffee and its customers.

“I would preserve the essential language: kraft paper, screen printing, tactile texture and a restrained visual identity,” Marc says. “Those elements have aged well and remain true to the company.”

His advice to other roasters starts with the brand rather than the trend. “Begin with the identity of your company, not with the material simply because it is fashionable,” he says. “Ask what the kraft paper genuinely communicates about your coffee and whether that message is consistent with how you source, roast and work.”

Testing goes well beyond appearance. Marc recommends assessing printing and colour reproduction alongside oil resistance, sealing, valve performance, oxygen and moisture barriers, transport durability, and shelf-life performance. Designing printed bags for small roasters covers much of the same ground.

Above all, he recommends letting the material work. “Do not cover a beautiful material unnecessarily,” he says. “Most importantly, be precise with environmental claims. A bag that looks natural is not automatically recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable.”

Roasters chasing the natural, handcrafted look that Coffee Ideas! has held for 15 years can find it at MTPak Coffee. We supply kraft coffee bags alongside low MOQs and full customisation, including spot UV, embossing and hot foil stamping. Our sustainable packaging options help roasters protect the product while meeting eco-conscious goals. Contact our team to talk through your next run of kraft coffee bags.

FAQs

Why do matte kraft coffee bags look more natural than glossy ones?
A matte surface reflects less light, which softens the whole bag and lets print read more sharply. Research in Marketing Letters also found that matte packaging raises perceived naturalness compared with glossy packaging of the same product.

Do kraft coffee bags protect coffee as well as laminated ones?
Yes, when the construction includes the right inner barrier. On kraft coffee bags the paper is the outer surface rather than the protective layer. Oxygen and moisture protection depends on the liner, the valve and the closure behind it.

Does a natural-looking bag mean a sustainable one?
No. As Marc Tormo puts it, the inner barrier, valve, inks and closure together determine whether a bag is recyclable, compostable or biodegradable. Appearance alone proves nothing, and claims should match the construction.