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Release paper sits at the center of almost every pressure-sensitive adhesive application. Label liners, medical tapes, roofing membranes, composite prepregs, and many industrial lamination processes depend on a release paper or film that performs exactly as specified. This list covers the ten suppliers most worth knowing for release paper in the US market in 2026.
We also include Kangchuang Paper at the end to be transparent about how a direct-import manufacturer compares to the established American brands.
1. Loparex
Loparex is one of the largest release liner manufacturers in the world, with significant US operations. Their portfolio covers direct-coated and poly-coated paper liners, film liners, and tailored solutions for pressure-sensitive adhesives across labels, medical, hygiene, composites, and industrial markets.
Best for: High-volume buyers who need a global partner with deep R&D. Loparex is often the choice for label converters and medical device makers who need consistent release force over long production runs.
2. Mondi Group (with US distribution)
Mondi is a European paper and packaging giant with major release liner operations. Their silicone-coated release liners serve composites, self-adhesive hygiene products, graphic films, and industrial tapes globally.
Best for: Specialty applications including medical adhesive patches, composites for aerospace, and high-performance graphic films. Mondi is known for customization and sustainability certifications.
3. Pixelle Specialty Solutions
Pixelle produces release paper and casting paper from US mills in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Their release liners are built on machine-finished kraft and clay-coated kraft substrates, with silicone coatings tuned for pressure-sensitive adhesive work.
Best for: US buyers who want domestic manufacturing. Pixelle casting papers are also widely used for synthetic leather and textile coating applications.
4. Fox River Associates
Fox River Associates is a specialized release liner supplier based in the US with regional stocking locations. They focus on small-volume customers who cannot meet large minimum order quantities from the major mills, offering paper and film liners across a wide range of substrates.
Best for: Small and mid-sized buyers who need flexibility on order quantity and lead time. Fox River is a go-to for specialty industrial tape, medical, and roofing customers.
5. Plitek
Plitek offers custom-coated release liners in silicone and specialty chemistries, with short lead times and low minimum order quantities. They serve medical, industrial, and consumer packaging markets.
Best for: Customers who need custom release formulations or differential release liners in small to medium quantities. Plitek’s private-label release liner program is a good fit for converters building their own branded product.
6. CCT Tapes
CCT Tapes provides release liners across paper, poly-coated paper, polyester film, and HDPE film substrates. Their stock liners are available in smaller minimum order quantities with slit-to-width options.
Best for: Adhesive tape manufacturers and small converters who need a broad substrate choice without committing to large mill orders.
7. Dow Inc. (Silicone Release Coatings)
Dow is not a paper manufacturer, but their SYL-OFF silicone release coatings are used by many of the mills on this list. For advanced release formulation, Dow’s R&D team partners with converters to develop application-specific coating chemistry.
Best for: Large converters who coat their own release liners in-house and need technical support on silicone chemistry. Also relevant if you care about low-emission, solventless coating options.
8. MasterPak (Hauppauge, New York)
MasterPak supplies silicone-coated release paper and liner stock, along with a range of related surface protection and barrier papers. Good choice for a single-source partner covering multiple specialty paper categories.
Best for: East Coast buyers who want one supplier for release, VCI, and barrier paper needs.
9. Drytac
Drytac specializes in self-adhesive and release paper products, particularly for graphic arts, sign-making, and vehicle wrap markets. They offer single-sided release paper stock as well as pre-coated adhesive products.
Best for: Graphic arts, signage, and vehicle wrap converters. Drytac products are found in most large-format printing shops.
10. Kangchuang Paper (Dongguan, China, serving US buyers by direct export)
Kangchuang Paper manufactures silicone release paper, non-silicone release paper, and release liner stock for US buyers. Our substrates include glassine, SCK, PE-coated kraft, and specialty papers. Release force can be tuned across easy, medium, and tight grades, with one-sided or two-sided coating.
We ship directly from China to US buyers at factory pricing, with ISO 9001 certification and test reports per production lot. Free samples ship worldwide, and our minimum order quantities are lower than most of the American mills on this list.
Best for: US buyers looking for competitive bulk pricing on standard release paper grades. Also useful for converters who want to test a direct-import source against their current domestic supplier for cost comparison.
How to Choose a Release Paper Supplier
The first question is always silicone or non-silicone. If your downstream process is at all silicone-sensitive, that constraint narrows the list fast. Non-silicone release paper is a specialty product and far fewer of the suppliers on this list stock it at volume.
Next, match the substrate to your process. Glassine is light and smooth, good for label work. SCK is heavier and stronger, good for composites. PE-coated paper holds up to moisture and higher temperatures. Film liners like PET give the tightest caliper control but cost more per square meter.
Then look at release force. Easy release for high-speed label dispensing. Tight release for parts that sit in storage for months before use. Differential release when one side needs to peel easier than the other.
Finally, talk about minimum order quantity and lead time. If you need a specific liner in under a ton per year, the large mills are not cost-effective. Look at Fox River, Plitek, CCT, or a direct-import manufacturer like Kangchuang.
What to Test Before Committing
Order samples. Run them through your actual production line with your actual adhesive. Measure release force against your spec. Check for silicone transfer if your application is silicone-sensitive. Check for release stability after a few weeks of storage. Repeat on a second supplier.
This is the kind of testing that prevents expensive problems later. A release liner that works perfectly in a lab sample and then drifts in a full production run is a nightmare. The test cycle takes two to four weeks and saves months of rework.
The Bottom Line
The US release paper market is served by a mix of global specialists (Loparex, Mondi), specialty domestic mills (Pixelle, Drytac, MasterPak), smaller flexible suppliers (Fox River, Plitek, CCT), and direct-import factories (Kangchuang and others). The right partner depends on volume, specification tightness, and how fast you need the material.
For mission-critical medical and aerospace work, stay with the global specialists. For commercial label, graphic, and industrial tape work, the middle-tier suppliers usually offer the best cost-to-flexibility ratio. For bulk commodity release paper, direct-import options are worth a trial.
