Tissue Paper Wholesale vs Custom Printed: Which Should Your Business Buy?

Most businesses start with plain tissue bought in bulk. It's cheap, it's available next day and it does the job. At some point the question comes up: is it time to print our own?

There's no single right answer. This guide compares the two honestly so you can decide on numbers rather than gut feel.

What "wholesale tissue paper" usually means

Wholesale tissue is plain, unprinted stock sold in reams – typically packs of 240, 480 or more sheets in a range of stock colours. You can usually buy it from packaging distributors with no minimum beyond a single pack, and it arrives within a few days.

Its strengths are obvious: low price per sheet, no artwork, no proofs and no waiting.

Its weakness is just as obvious: it looks like everyone else's. A customer opening your parcel sees the same white or pink tissue they saw from the last three brands they bought from.

What custom printed tissue adds

Custom tissue carries your logo or pattern across the sheet. It turns a protective layer into part of the brand. The customer sees it in the moment they're most engaged – opening the box – and it often shows up in photos and unboxing videos.

It also signals care. Many small brands find that printed tissue is one of the cheapest ways to make a parcel feel premium, because it costs a fraction of a printed box.

Comparing cost properly: per order, not per sheet

Comparing price per sheet makes custom tissue look expensive. Comparing cost per packed order gives a fairer picture.

Work it out like this:

Cost per order = (total order price ÷ sheets bought) × sheets used per parcel

If you use one or two sheets per parcel, even a meaningful difference per sheet becomes a small amount per order. Compare that number with your average order value and what you already spend on boxes, postage and inserts.

For example, a brand using one sheet per order that pays £300 for 250 printed sheets is spending £1.20 per parcel on tissue. Whether that's worth it depends on what the brand sells. For a £15 order it's a big slice; for a £90 order it's a small part of the packaging budget. Our cost guide shows how to compare quotes like for like.

Minimums and lead times

Wholesale plain tissue: no artwork, buy one pack at a time, delivered in days.

Custom printed tissue: a minimum run (ours is 250 sheets), a digital proof to approve, then production. Our turnaround is 7 working days after proof approval, with a 5-day urgent option.

The lead time is the part people underestimate. If you switch to printed tissue, plan reorders around it – our stock and reorder guide explains how to set a reorder point so you don't run out.

Storage and obsolescence

Plain tissue never goes out of date. Printed tissue does, the moment you rebrand. Ordering 10,000 sheets to get the lowest price per sheet is a false economy if you redesign your logo next year.

A good rule: buy enough printed tissue for three to six months of normal use, unless your branding is settled and you have dry, flat storage space.

When wholesale plain tissue makes sense

• You're testing products and don't know your volumes yet.
• Your margins are very tight and orders are low value.
• Tissue is purely protective and the customer rarely sees it, for example inside outer packaging that's discarded.
• You're about to rebrand.

When custom printed tissue makes sense

• Your parcel opening is part of the customer experience.
• You sell gifts, fashion, beauty, jewellery or anything people photograph.
• You pack enough orders to use 250 sheets in a reasonable time.
• You want packaging to look consistent across staff, stores or fulfilment partners.

A sensible middle route

Many brands use both. Printed tissue goes on the parcels customers see; plain wholesale tissue is used for void fill, internal protection or wholesale shipments to stockists. That keeps the printed run working where it has most effect.

Another option is to combine printed tissue with a plain inner layer. We cover the trade-offs in tissue vs stickers, shred and wrapping paper.

Before you switch

1. Count how many sheets you actually use per order.
2. Work out your monthly order volume.
3. Calculate cost per order for both options.
4. Decide how long your current branding will stay.
5. Feel the paper – a sample pack of 17gsm and 30gsm from previous print runs costs £20.

When the numbers work, the builder shows a live price for your quantity, or you can request a quote for bigger or unusual runs.