The rolling paper and pre-rolled cone market is growing fast. New brands are launching every year — from small independent startups to established tobacco and cannabis companies expanding their product lines. And the barrier to entry is lower than most people think.
If you’ve been considering launching your own brand, this guide walks you through the entire process, from initial idea to product on shelf. We’ve helped over 1,000 brands do exactly this across 52 countries, so what follows is drawn from real experience — not theory.
Step 1: Define Your Brand Identity
Before you think about papers, think about your brand. Everything that comes after — product choice, paper type, packaging design, pricing — flows from this.
Ask yourself:
- Who is my customer? Age, lifestyle, values, budget. A brand for premium cannabis dispensaries looks and feels very different from one targeting the value tobacco market in Southeast Asia.
- What does my brand stand for? Natural and sustainable? Bold and irreverent? Premium and minimal? Heritage and craft?
- What market am I entering? Different regions have different preferences, regulations, and distribution channels. Europe, North America, and Asia all have distinct markets.
- What price point am I targeting? This affects everything from paper choice to packaging format to the number of papers per booklet.
Getting clarity here first saves significant time and money later. We’ve seen brands change direction halfway through development because they hadn’t answered these questions early enough.
Step 2: Choose Your Product
Rolling papers and pre-rolled cones are both strong product categories, but they serve different customers and markets.
Rolling papers appeal to the traditional market — customers who roll their own and take pride in the process. They’re typically sold in booklets of 32 or 50 leaves and are a staple in both tobacco and cannabis markets globally.
Pre-rolled cones are the faster-growing segment. They’re convenient, consistent, and increasingly preferred in cannabis markets particularly. They also tend to command a higher retail price.
Many brands launch with both. Others start with one and expand. We’d recommend reading our guide on choosing between rolling papers and pre-rolled cones for a deeper comparison.
For rolling papers, you’ll also decide on:
- Size (single wide, 1¼, king size, slim, party size)
- With or without filter tips
- Paper type (see Step 3)
- Booklet format
For cones:
- Size (70mm, 84mm, 98mm, 109mm, king size, and others)
- Bulk or retail packaging
- Standard, printed, or clear
Step 3: Choose Your Paper
This is where many new brand owners spend the most time — and rightly so. Your paper is your product, and it needs to match your brand identity.
We offer papers ranging from 13 GSM to 35 GSM across multiple materials:
- Bleached wood / pure rice — the industry standard, white, smooth, clean burn. Ideal for broad market appeal.
- Unbleached wood — natural brown, eco-conscious aesthetic, similar to RAW’s positioning.
- Unbleached hemp — thinnest and most natural, strong sustainability credentials.
- Bleached hemp — premium and refined, sustainability without the rustic look.
- Bamboo — distinctive beige tone, strong eco story, smooth texture.
- Cellulose clear — transparent, visually striking, best for cones.
- Tobacco HTL — thick, robust, designed specifically for tobacco smokers.
- Coloured papers — purple, pink, blue, red — for brands built on a strong visual identity.
- Alfalfa — flavoured, genuinely unique, the first of its kind on the market.
We’ve written a full guide to choosing the right paper for your brand here. We strongly recommend ordering samples before making your final decision — feel and burn quality are difficult to evaluate from a description alone.
Step 4: Design Your Packaging
Your packaging is your brand at retail. It’s what a customer sees before they ever touch the product, and in a competitive shelf environment, it can be the difference between a sale and a pass.
Key decisions here include:
- Booklet size and format — standard, flip-top, magnetic closure, with grinder pad, and more
- Number of leaves per booklet
- Printing — full colour digital, foil stamping, embossing, spot UV, matte or gloss lamination
- Watermarking — a subtle brand mark printed into the paper itself, visible when held to light
We have an in-house design team that can help develop your packaging from scratch, or work with your existing brand assets. We also provide templates for all our standard formats so your designer can work within the correct specifications from day one.
Download packaging templates →
One important note: your packaging design needs to comply with regulations in your target market. Tobacco-related products in particular are subject to increasingly strict packaging rules in many countries. Make sure you or your legal advisor have reviewed the requirements before finalising your design.
Step 5: Request Samples
Before placing a production order, always request physical samples. There is no substitute for holding the product in your hands, rolling with it, and evaluating the burn.
We offer free samples across our rolling paper and cone range. We recommend requesting samples of two or three paper types so you can compare them directly. If you’ve already developed packaging, we can also produce a sample in your own design before you commit to a full run.
Request rolling paper samples →
Request pre-rolled cone samples →
Step 6: Place Your Order
Once you’re happy with the samples, you’re ready to go into production.
Here’s what to have ready:
- Final design files in the correct format (we’ll confirm specifications)
- Confirmed product spec — paper type, size, quantity, packaging format
- Delivery address and preferred shipping method
- Any compliance requirements for your target market
Our minimum order is 1,000 units, making us accessible to new brands that are just starting out, while our production capacity scales comfortably for large-volume orders.
Lead times vary depending on the complexity of your order and current production schedules — we’ll give you a confirmed timeline when you place your order. For new clients, we always recommend building extra time into your planning in case of adjustments.
Step 7: Build Your Distribution
Having a great product is only half the story. You also need to get it into the hands of your customers.
Distribution options vary significantly by market and product type:
- Direct to consumer via your own e-commerce store
- Wholesale to retail — independent smoke shops, tobacconists, dispensaries
- Distributor partnerships — regional distributors who carry your brand alongside others
- Online marketplaces — Amazon, specialist platforms depending on your market
We work with brands at every stage of this journey. Some of our clients are launching their first product. Others are established distributors expanding their own-brand range. The distribution strategy is yours to define, but we’re happy to share what we’ve seen work in different markets.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
After working with 1,000+ brands, we’ve seen the same mistakes come up repeatedly. Here are the most common:
Skipping the samples. Always test the physical product before committing to a full production run. Paper quality, burn, and feel vary more than people expect between types.
Designing before deciding on the paper. Your packaging design should account for the physical properties of your paper. Design your product first, then design around it.
Underestimating lead times. Manufacturing, shipping, and customs clearance all take time. Build more buffer than you think you need.
Ignoring local regulations. Rolling papers and tobacco products are regulated differently in different markets. What’s permitted in one country may be restricted in another. Know the rules before you launch.
Choosing a broker instead of a manufacturer. Working directly with a manufacturer gives you better pricing, more control, and a real relationship. Read more about why this matters →
Ready to Start?
Building a rolling paper brand is genuinely achievable, and the market has room for brands with a clear identity and a quality product. The steps above are the same process our most successful clients have followed.
Start with samples. Get clarity on your brand identity. Work with a manufacturer who will treat your brand as seriously as you do.
Get in touch to start your brand →
Browse our full product range →The Rolling Paper Company has been manufacturing custom rolling papers and pre-rolled cones since 2008. We work with brands of all sizes — from first-time launchers to established global distributors. Factory direct, no middlemen, from 1,000 units.