A cigarette specification sheet sets a target value, with upper and lower limits, for every measurable property of a cigarette, so a factory can produce the same stick every time. For most brand owners it covers four groups: dimensions (length, circumference, filter and tipping paper length), weight and firmness, airflow (pressure drop, ventilation and paper permeability) and stability (loss of tobacco from the ends). Each line names a test method, and every test is run after the cigarettes have been conditioned in a standard atmosphere.
This guide goes through each line of the sheet, the standard behind it and the decision the brand owner has to make. It also shows how to write specifications that a manufacturer can build to and a laboratory can check. Target values depend on your brand, market and blend, so we give no numbers for them here. They come from your own product brief.
The Specification Sheet at a Glance
| Parameter | What it controls | Method or standard |
|---|---|---|
| Cigarette length | Format and pack fit | Physical length measurement |
| Circumference | Stick diameter and size category | ISO 2971:2013 |
| Filter length and tipping paper length | Filter section and where it joins the rod | Physical length measurement |
| Tobacco weight and cigarette weight | Filling, density, cost and yield | Weighing after conditioning |
| Firmness | How hard the stick feels, linked to the filling capacity of the cut tobacco | Compression instrument, method named on the sheet |
| Draw resistance and pressure drop | Resistance to airflow through the cigarette or filter rod | ISO 6565:2015 |
| Filter ventilation | Air entering through the tipping paper | ISO 9512:2019 |
| Paper permeability | Air passing through the wrapping paper | ISO 2965:2019 |
| Ends stability | Loss of tobacco from the ends of the stick | ISO 3550 (parts 1 to 3) |
| Conditioning atmosphere | The conditions every test is run in | ISO 3402:2023 |
Dimensions: Length, Circumference and Filter Sections
Cigarette length and circumference define the format. Length is the overall measurement of the stick, and circumference sets its diameter. Format names such as King Size, 100s and Slim are shorthand for a length and circumference pair, and the differences between cigarette sizes come down to those two numbers.
Circumference is measured to ISO 2971:2013. The circumference measurement standards have changed across editions, so the sheet should name the edition it follows.
The filter section is specified by filter length, and tipping paper length sets how much of the filter is covered and where the joint falls. Industry proficiency testing lists both among the physical properties laboratories measure. The paper that makes the joint is covered in cigarette tipping paper.
Weight and Firmness
A specification separates three weights: the whole cigarette, the tobacco, and the filter and paper. Laboratory reference specifications list them as separate lines. Tobacco weight matters most to the factory. It affects filling, packing and sealing as well as cost and yield, and a consistent weight gives the stick a consistent density.
Weight only stays consistent when tobacco moisture control at the making stage is right and cigarette rod formation is running well. Research has reported that adjusting tobacco moisture at the maker and choosing a suitable cut width reduce the loss of filling power as tobacco passes through the machine.
Firmness describes how hard a stick feels when compressed. It is closely linked to the filling capacity of the cut tobacco: for a given size and tobacco weight, a tobacco with higher filling capacity produces a harder cigarette. Firmness is usually measured with compression instruments rather than a single ISO method, and published methods often compress ten cigarettes at a time. A specification should therefore name the instrument, the compression and the conditioning, not just a firmness value.
Airflow: Pressure Drop, Ventilation and Paper Permeability
Draw resistance and pressure drop. Draw resistance is the resistance to airflow through a cigarette, and pressure drop is the equivalent measure for a filter rod on its own. ISO 6565:2015 sets the standard conditions and the method, and it was last confirmed in 2022. Proficiency test protocols list cigarette resistance to draw as both an open and a closed reading, so the sheet should state which one it refers to.
Filter ventilation. Filter ventilation is air that enters the cigarette through the tipping paper. ISO 9512:2019 defines the method. Air is drawn at a constant flow through an unlit cigarette, the components of ventilation are measured separately, and the degrees are calculated. The components are total, filter, paper and butt ventilation, so the word “ventilation” on its own is ambiguous. State which component you mean and give it as a percentage with limits. Ventilation is a design choice for the filter section, and some designs have none.
Paper permeability. Paper permeability is how much air passes through the wrapping paper. ISO 2965:2019 specifies the method for cigarette paper, plug wrap and tipping paper, and results are given in CORESTA units, which express cubic centimetres of air per minute per square centimetre at 1 kPa. The standard measuring head is 10×20 mm², and a smaller 2×15 mm² head is allowed when the sample is too small, such as paper taken from a finished cigarette. Because three different papers share one method, the sheet must say which paper the number applies to. The paper’s basis weight is specified alongside it, and paper used to wrap cigarettes is commonly around 20 to 30 g/m².
Our guide to cigarette filter types covers the filter section these airflow figures describe.
Stability: Loss of Tobacco From the Ends
Loss of tobacco from the ends of a cigarette mainly affects short strands, and it matters to the factory and the consumer alike. The greater a cigarette’s resistance to this loss, the higher its quality. ISO 3550 describes three methods: a rotating cylindrical cage, which mainly captures losses during manufacturing and packing, a rotating cubic box, which mainly captures losses in distribution and handling, and a vibro-bench method in ISO/TS 3550-3. Choose one method and name it on the sheet, because results from one method should not be compared directly with another.
How the Specifications Are Measured
Test results only mean something when every party measures the same way. ISO 3402:2023 sets the conditioning atmosphere at 22 ± 1 °C and 60 ± 3 percent relative humidity, with a slightly wider test atmosphere of 22 ± 2 °C and 60 ± 5 percent. ISO 8243 covers how cigarettes are sampled for testing.
Industry practice treats each property as a target with upper and lower limits, not as a single value. Published industry studies of acceptable limits for physical properties cover tobacco weight, hardness, moisture, filter ventilation and diameter, and they weigh the limits against what the process can reliably hold. The tolerance is as important as the target, because it decides what the factory can promise and what a laboratory can pass or reject.
How to Write a Specification a Factory Can Build To
Before you send a brief to a manufacturer, settle these points:
- Format: cigarette length, circumference and the edition of ISO 2971 you follow.
- Filter section: filter length, tipping paper length and the filter design.
- Weight: target and limits for tobacco weight and total cigarette weight.
- Firmness: the instrument, the compression and the conditioning, not only the value.
- Draw resistance: the target, the limits and whether the figure is open or closed.
- Ventilation: which component, as a percentage with limits, or a statement that there is none.
- Paper permeability: the value in CORESTA units, with the paper it applies to.
- Ends stability: the ISO 3550 method and the acceptable loss.
- Conditioning and sampling: ISO 3402 and ISO 8243.
Agree the method before the number. A figure without a named method cannot be checked, and two laboratories using different methods will not agree on it. Approve a sample against the sheet before production starts, so the sheet becomes the reference for every later batch.
How General Tobacco Karachi Works From Your Specification
General Tobacco Karachi produces white cigarettes in formats from King Size to Nano, with customisable specifications for private label, OEM and contract clients. The sheet above is the document we work from. You define the targets and the methods, we confirm what the process can hold, and the agreed specification becomes the standard each production run is checked against. If you are starting from a brief, our private label cigarette manufacturer service is the usual starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cigarette specification sheet?
It is a document that sets target values and upper and lower limits for the measurable properties of a cigarette, together with the test method for each, so every batch can be checked against the same standard.
What is pressure drop in a cigarette?
Pressure drop is the resistance to airflow through a filter rod, and draw resistance is the equivalent for the whole cigarette. Both are measured under ISO 6565:2015.
What does filter ventilation mean?
Filter ventilation is air that enters the cigarette through the tipping paper. It is measured under ISO 9512:2019 and expressed as a percentage.
Which standard measures cigarette circumference?
ISO 2971:2013 covers circumference. The sheet should state which edition it follows.
Why are cigarettes conditioned before testing?
Temperature and humidity change measurements such as weight and firmness. ISO 3402:2023 sets one standard atmosphere so that results are comparable between laboratories.
Who sets the tolerances on a specification?
The brand owner defines the target and the range it wants, and the manufacturer confirms what the process can reliably hold. The agreed limits are then written into the sheet.
