Walk up to the paper wall at any El Paso Smoke Shops counter and you will see dozens of booklets in different colors, materials, and sizes. It looks overwhelming, but every one of them comes down to four simple choices: what the paper is made of, how big it is, how thin it is, and whether it adds any flavor. Get those four right and rolling your own legal smoking blend gets a lot easier. This guide walks through each one, then points you at the booklets our Guests reach for most. Browse the full Rolling Papers & Tips selection any time.
What is a rolling paper, and what is it actually made of?
A rolling paper is a thin sheet of plant fiber with a natural gum strip along one edge that you wrap around your own dry herb or legal smoking blend. The sheet itself is pressed from one of a few materials, most commonly hemp fiber, rice, wood pulp, or flax (linen). That gum strip is almost always natural gum arabic, also called acacia or sugar gum, which is the hardened sap of the acacia tree. It is dry and inactive until you lightly moisten it, which is what lets the paper seal.
So a paper is really two things working together: the fiber sheet that holds your blend and burns, and the gum line that bonds the seam. The material of that sheet is the biggest single factor in how the paper behaves, which is where we start.
Hemp vs rice vs wood pulp vs flax: which material is right for you?
The material decides how slow your paper burns, how much flavor it adds, and how easy it is to roll. Here is the short version: rice is the slowest and most neutral but slick to handle, hemp is the grippy easy middle ground, wood pulp is the sturdy beginner choice, and flax is the smooth classic French style.
Hemp papers are pressed from hemp plant fibers. They burn slower than wood pulp and just a touch faster than rice, hold a steady even burn with minimal ash, and carry a mild earthy, slightly sweet note. Because the surface is textured and grippy, hemp is forgiving and easy to roll, which is why so many of our Guests start here. The Roor 1 1/4 Hemp Papers and the Hempire 1 1/4 Papers are clean examples of the style.
Rice papers are pressed from rice fibers and are the thinnest common material. They burn slow and even, leave almost no ash, and have a near-neutral taste that lets your blend’s own character come through. The trade-off is that rice is slicker and less grippy, so it can be trickier for a first-timer. The Elements 1 1/4 Rice Papers are the reference here, finished with a sugar gum line that caramelizes as it burns.
Wood pulp papers are the sturdy, often bright-white classics. They are very easy to roll, which is exactly why they suit beginners, but they burn a bit faster, leave more ash, and can read as slightly more papery. Many premium wood pulp papers now use unbleached, chlorine-free pulp. The colored King Size Pink Rolling Papers and Pink 1 1/4 Rolling Papers from Blazy Susan are wood pulp, chosen specifically so the paper adds no flavor of its own.
Flax (linen) papers are the classic French style. Flax gives a thin, smooth, slow-burning sheet with a clean seal and a neutral taste, often blended with other plant fibers. The heritage Zig Zag Papers and the OCB 1 1/4 Papers are built on flax, and the Zig-Zag French Orange line is a longtime favorite.
| Material | Burn speed | Flavor added | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | Slowest | Almost none | Tasting your blend; experienced rollers |
| Hemp | Slow | Mild earthy sweet | Easy grippy rolling; all-arounders |
| Wood pulp | Fastest | Slight papery / neutral | Beginners; colored and flavored styles |
| Flax (linen) | Slow | Clean, neutral | Smooth classic French-style roll |
What does unbleached (and unrefined) really mean?
Unbleached simply means the paper was not whitened with chlorine or other chemical bleaching agents, so it keeps its natural light-brown color and texture. Bright-white papers are typically chemically bleached to reach that shade, while unbleached sheets are left their natural tan. The word describes how the paper is made, not a health outcome. The Cheech&Chong Unbleached King and the Black Organic Hemp Paper are good examples of that natural-color look.
Black Organic Hemp PaperRolling Papers · El PasoView in El Paso
Unrefined, the term RAW made famous, means the paper is made from natural, minimally processed plant fibers (usually a hemp and flax blend) with no chlorine bleaching and no added dyes, which is where the signature brown color comes from. Across our wall you will find this natural approach in the Organic Papers 1 1/4, Organic 1 1/4 Connoisseur Papers w/ Tips, Organic Kingsize Papers, and Organic Artesano 1 1/4 booklets.
What size should I pick? Single Wide, 1 1/4, 1 1/2, King Size, and King Slim
Pick the smallest size that fits how much blend you plan to roll, because a paper packed right burns more evenly than one that is half empty. Sizes climb in capacity like this: Single Wide holds the least, then 1 1/4, then 1 1/2 and 98 Special, then King Slim, and King Size holds the most.
Single Wide is the smallest standard size, roughly 68 to 70mm long, best for a quick solo roll. The Classic Single Wide Papers, Elements Red Single Wide Papers, and E-z wider Papers all live in this lane.
1 1/4 (one and a quarter) runs about 76 to 78mm long and is the most popular all-around size, ideal for solo use or a small group and the easiest size to learn on. This is the deepest part of our wall, with the Classic 1 1/4 Papers, Classic Masterpiece 1 1/4 Papers, 1 1/4 Papers, Ethereal Papers 1 1/4, Rasta Wraps 1 1/4 Papers, Bugler 1 1/4 Papers, Camo 1 1/4 Papers, Black 1 1/4 Papers, Hempire 1 1/4 Papers, and the playful Toke Token 1 1/4 Orange all in 1 1/4.
Bugler 1 1/4 PapersRolling Papers · El PasoView in El Paso
Black 1 1/4 PapersRolling Papers · El PasoView in El Paso
1 1/2 (one and a half) is about the same length as 1 1/4 but noticeably wider, so it holds more without going full king length. The Top 1 1/2 Rolling Papers sit here as a solid middle option for two or more people.
King Size runs about 100 to 110mm long and holds the most, which makes it the sharing size for three or four Guests. King Slim is the same length but narrow for a long, elegant, slow-burning roll. You will find both in the Futurola Kingsize Papers, Lyrical Lemonade King Size Papers, Ethereal Papers King Size, Classic Kingsize Papers, Classic Masterpiece Kingsize, Organic Kingsize Papers, Organic Kingsize Connoisseur Papers, Organic Kingsize Artesano Papers, Blue King Size, and the eye-catching Glass Kingsize Papers.
Blue King SizeRolling Papers · El PasoView in El Paso
And yes, the common question: which is bigger, king size or 1 1/4? King size is the larger of the two, both longer and built to hold more blend. A 1 1/4 is the everyday size; a king is the group size.
Thin or thick? How GSM changes burn speed, flavor, and ease of rolling
Paper thickness is measured in GSM, or grams per square meter, and it is the quiet variable that decides how a paper feels in your fingers. Ultra-thin papers run about 14 to 15 GSM, thin papers about 16 to 20, and medium or regular papers about 21 to 30. Thinner means less paper flavor and a faster burn, but the sheet tears more easily. Thicker means sturdier and easier to roll, with a slower burn and a slightly more papery taste.
If you are still building your rolling hands, lean toward a thicker, more rigid hemp or wood pulp sheet in a 1 1/4 or king size. Ultra-thin and rice papers, like the translucent Glass 1 1/4 Clear Papers and Classic Supernatural Paper, are slick and delicate, so they reward Guests who already roll well and want as little paper taste as possible.
What’s better, Zig-Zag or RAW? A look at the heritage brands
Neither is universally better; they are built on different materials, so the right pick depends on the taste and feel you want. Zig-Zag is the heritage flax route and RAW is the unbleached hemp-and-flax route, and plenty of Guests keep both on the shelf.
Zig-Zag is a French brand dating to 1894, with papers like the famous French Orange pressed from a natural flax and plant-fiber blend over a thin acacia gum line. The result is a smooth, slow, even burn that stays out of the way of your blend’s flavor. Our Zig Zag Papers are the classic example.
RAW built its name on unbleached, unrefined papers made from a natural hemp and flax blend with a natural gum line and the patented criss-cross watermark, two sets of intersecting lines pressed into the sheet that help the paper burn evenly and resist running down one side. That natural, beginner-forgiving feel runs through the Classic 1 1/4 Papers, the tips-included Classic Masterpiece 1 1/4 Papers and Classic Masterpiece Kingsize, the Classic 3 Meter Roll KingSize for rolling any length you want, and the connoisseur and organic booklets above. If you want the thinnest, lowest-flavor option for an experienced hand, the ultra-thin black-line papers fit the bill.
Beyond those two, our wall carries other respected makers: Smoking Papers and Skunk Papers from Europe, Shine Rolling Papers for a true novelty roll, and fun printed booklets like the 100$ Bill Papers and Tips and Curved Papers.
Flavored and colored papers: Juicy Jay’s, Blazy Susan, and when to reach for them
Reach for flavored or colored papers when you want a little personality in the roll rather than a pure, paper-free taste. Flavored papers add a sweet note; colored papers are about the look.
The Juicy Jay Papers are the leading flavored line, made from a natural hemp and rice blend and triple-dipped so the entire sheet carries the flavor, not just the gum strip, with the artwork printed in natural soy ink. They come in dozens of flavors, so they are a fun pick for a relaxed session where you want a hint of sweetness.
For color, Blazy Susan’s wood pulp papers, including the King Size Pink Rolling Papers and Pink 1 1/4 Rolling Papers, are vegan, non-GMO, and chlorine-free, with the pink coming from food-safe, non-toxic pigments and no aftertaste. The Black Organic Hemp Paper offers the same idea in a darker shade. These are about aesthetics and a clean burn, not added flavor.
Which side of the paper goes up, and how do you seal the gum line?
Hold the paper so the gum strip runs along the top edge and faces you, with the glue on the inside of the fold; that gummed edge is the one you will lick and press down last. The non-gummed edge tucks first, then you roll up and over so the gum line lands on the outside of the seam to close it.
To seal, lightly run the tip of your tongue along the gum line to add just enough moisture, then press the gummed edge down over the roll. The gum is dry and tacky-on-demand, so use a light touch. Over-wetting weakens the paper, while too little will not bond. A quick, even moisten is all it takes.
How do I choose? A quick picker by skill level and session size
Choose by being honest about your rolling skill and how many Guests are sharing, then match the material and size to that. Here is the fast version:
- New to rolling, solo: a regular-weight unbleached hemp or wood pulp 1 1/4, like the Classic 1 1/4 Papers or Hempire 1 1/4 Papers. Forgiving and grippy.
- Experienced, want the purest taste: ultra-thin rice, like the Elements 1 1/4 Rice Papers, or a thin clear sheet like the Glass 1 1/4 Clear Papers.
- Sharing with a few Guests: a king size, like the Futurola Kingsize Papers or Classic Kingsize Papers.
- Want a tip included so you do not buy two things: a combo pack like the Classic Masterpiece 1 1/4 Papers or Organic 1 1/4 Connoisseur Papers w/ Tips.
- Want flavor or color: the Juicy Jay Papers or the Pink 1 1/4 Rolling Papers.
Still not sure? Pick up two small booklets and compare them side by side. Papers are inexpensive, so trying a couple is the cheapest way to find your everyday roll. Our Roor Authentic Pleasure Papers and the rest of the wall are all priced to experiment with.
How old do you have to be to buy rolling papers in Texas?
You must be 21 or older to buy rolling papers and tips at El Paso Smoke Shops, and we check a valid photo ID at the counter for every Guest, every time. Rolling papers, cones, and filter tips are smoking accessories, sold for use with your own legal smoking blend or favorite dry herbs. They contain no nicotine and no tobacco themselves, and they are not for use with any product that is not legal for you to possess.
A filter tip, sometimes called a crutch, is a small mouthpiece that gives the roll structure, keeps an open channel for airflow, and stops loose bits from reaching your mouth. It is a structural mouthpiece, not a health device, and unbleached or natural-material papers describe how a paper is made rather than any health outcome.
Find your papers at El Paso Smoke Shops
The fastest way to find your everyday paper is to come see us. Our Hosts at all 10 El Paso Smoke Shops locations can walk you through the wall, hand you a couple of booklets to compare, and match a paper and tip to how you roll. Bring a valid photo ID, swing by your nearest store, and browse the full Rolling Papers & Tips lineup in person. In-store pickup only, 21+.
