How to Roll Different Types Pre-Roll Filter Tips

Roll up with an OG and you’ll often find yourself smoking a blunt or a doobie sans filter, smokeable yes, but also a bit moist and pinched, making your J or L difficult to smoke. Thankfully, we’ve evolved.

That's why almost every pre-roll on dispensary shelves comes with a filter tip or some sort, and why most rolling paper booklets come with an equal number of flat rolling filters papers in them.

Don’t get me wrong, passing around joints with friends or strangers is one of my favorite things to do. But suckin’ down a soggy wrap or papers that needs to be pinched until it’s dang near closed in order to keep weed from being vacuumed up during your pull? Come on now. Especially when all it takes is a little rectangular piece of stiff paper to create an easy, effective filter tip for your joints and blunts that keeps the “Scooby Snacks” out, adds structure to your roll, cools your hits, and even catches resin that would end up on your lips or worse, in those precious lungs of yours.

Who knew a little piece of paper would change the way we roll and manufacture pre-rolls forever? Dramatic, maybe so, but darn it, I’ll take a pre-roll with a crutch in it over a naked roll any day of the week, and you can take that to the bank.

What Types of Pre-Roll Filter Tips Are There?

For those unfamiliar with the term “crutch,” it simply means a paper filter tip, primarily in cannabis joints and blunts – but can of course be incorporated into cigarettes and spliffs as well.

There are many ways to roll paper tips and perfection is not required, the ultimate goal in the end is to have a tube with paper edges folded throughout the inner portion of your tube, or crutch, to filter out, bud, smoke and resin.

The standard rectangular crutch papers are 5.5cm long and 2.5cm wide, ideal for a regular crutch filter but also lacking a little when you get into the more complex filters. Paper filters with added length are available that make the more complex filter designs easy to master, you might even consider using tape to attach two paper filters together so you beef up the length to 11cm.

While similar, paper filter tips come in different starting forms:

• Standard Paper Filter Tips: No perforations, no glue, just a slightly stiff piece of paper that feels a little more pliable than an index card. A little over twice as long than it is wide.
• Perforated Filter Tips: Similar to the standard but with perforation lines on one end, and occasionally down the middle length-wise, for easier, even, consistent folds that also help them keep their form.
• Paper Filter Tips with Glue: Similar to the glue on one side of your rolling paper, paper filter tips can also have glue on an width edge to secure the filter in place and shape, as rolling something that was once flat will result I the filter trying to return to its original shape, which can be frustrating.
• Pre-Rolled Paper Filters: Sometimes in spiral form, sometimes just a tube with one edged line of the paper through the middle portion of the filter tube, pre-rolled filter tips are just that, papers crutches rolled for you. The’ll be glued shut so they won’t expand on your and will fit like a glove every time. Easy, and not the worst stash to have in your Stoner Kit.
• Premium Filter Tips: While the majority of pre-rolls you’ll buy at the store will have a W or spiral paper filter because they are effective, simple and cost-effective, there are more premium options available that won’t get wet or hard to pull from resin buildup. There’s Cooling ceramic, dual-filtered glass, wood, and flavored wood with additional paper spiral filters inside to trap even more schmutz from interfering with your drag. Premium tips add swagger to your rolls and luxurious mouth feel to your pulls. Yes, I said mouth feel. Which would you prefer, a soggy blunt wrap or a smooth glass tip?
• But while premium tips are fancy and functional, we’re here to talk about rolling up your own paper filters, so let’s forge on.

Rolling Paper Filter Tip Crutches for Joints and Blunts

OK, it’s rolling time. You’ve got your bud all ground and fluffy, your rolling tray is ready for action, and your booklet of rolling papers is ready to meet its new sidekick – the crutch. Are they necessary to smoke a joint? No. Does everybody roll with filters? No. But let’s be real, a filter adds width and structure to the end of your joint or blunt allowing you to take bigger hits time after time without the hassle of dealing with rouge buds or slobbery hits.

How to Roll a Spiral Pre-Roll Filter Tip

• First, grab your flat filter paper and grip one side with your thumb and finger of choice, doing the same with your opposite finger while your thumb is pressed against the far edge of the paper. As you start the roll, you’ll want to make sure your first inner ring of the spiral is curved and tight so it can keep spiraling around the center. Continue to roll the paper until you have rolled the whole filter tip.
• Next, unroll your spiral and give the first half a few rolls back and forth to keep that inner spiral tight or you could end up with a loose tube shape with no spiral filtration in the middle. Since it’s a spiral, it is easy to roll back and forth in between your fingertips for the perfect spiral tip in the diameter you’d like.
• Bonus tip: spiral filters can get small in diameter if rolled too tightly and lack inner filtration if rolled too loose. One thing you can do which will also keep the diameter of the filter robust is to roll another spiral filter; if it’s a loose filter you started with, roll a tight spiral and vice versa for when you’re working with a spiral filter that’s too tight. Stick the tightly rolled spiral in the middle of the looser spiral, or a loose spiral around your tight spiral, this will give full coverage of filtration with ease as the amount of paper used gives an extra-long spiral that easily goes around and around while also adding a little extra diameter. Incorporating an extra rolling paper to add a loose spiral tube around your finished filter tip will add structure to your filter, helping the design to keep its shape in the process.

How to Roll a W Pre-Roll Filter Tip

• Ah, the classic W rolled filter, the stock filter for pre-rolled cones because of its ease and function. These paper filters with an internal “W” shape allow for effective filtration while protecting your precious smoke sesh from bits of bud sucking through your filter. Start by folding over one end of the paper filter about 3 or 4mm, either under or over, no rules baby! Then, fold it back over itself the other way as if you’re about to create a paper fan or accordion. You have completed the first edge of your W, congratulations!
• Continue folding back and forth the same distance each time a total of 4 times. You’ll then look switch sides and give the other end a tight roll toward the W. Unravel that spiral and place the W in between your fingers to keep the edges in place. Proceed to wrap the unraveled end around the W tightly but not so tight that you crush your W. The remaining paper that you spiral around the W creates the tube filter’s structure with a perfectly formed W within the walls

How to Roll a Pre-Roll Filter Tip for Cones

• Do you feel comfortable rolling a spiral or a W filter tip? Well than you’re 95% of the way to a cone filter tip. The only difference between the classic spiral and W for a cone is the shape of the paper tip you start with. For a cone, you need a slight bow or arch, like a rainbow, this allows a conical shape when you roll your pre-roll. Cone filter tips often come perforated for an easy W roll but whether they do or not, you’ll be able to make a W or spiral in the same method as a regular rectangle piece of crutch paper.

How to Roll a Star Joint Filter Tip

• Alright, we’ve graduated from filter rolling 101, and we’re on to the advanced stuff. Our first assignment is adding a star design inside our filter. For this one, we’re going to need two pieces of crutch paper to get the job done. The star filter starts out just like the folds of the W but this time you’ll create 9 folds for the five points of your star. You’ll most likely have a little bit of extra paper after creating your fifth point, go ahead and cut that bit off.
• You’ll then fan out your folds in the way they were folded and bring both ends to each other, creating a folded star – how lovely! Tape can be your best friend if it is hard to keep the shape of your start. Once you’re comfortable, put that aside for a minute, we’ve got more business to attend to.
• For the second crutch paper, go ahead and roll that one up like a loose spiral, no need for folds on this one.
• Finally, unravel the tight spiral you just created and nestle the folded star piece into the curve on one end and continue the spiral around to create the outer walls of your star filter. It is pretty easy to get 3 or 4 points of the star, but that fifth point can be a little difficult when you’re working with the end pieces whose folds aren’t attached to each other (enter, tape). We did it, we now have a smokable star crutch. Gold stars all around!

How to Roll a Heart Filter Tip for Pre-Rolls

• Weed, the key to my heart. Pack bud up into a nice doobie with a heart shaped filter and you’ll have this one smitten. But I’m getting off track, we’re here to roll sick filter tips, dang it. Back to business!
• The heart tip starts off by folding in one end, but this time, we’re going to go about twice the distance on the fold as we’ve gone before, to about half an inch. You’ll make two folds, back and forth, so that you have a V on one side with the rest of the paper bending and extended past the bottom of the V on the other side.
• On both sides of the V, you are going to bend – bend, not fold – the walls of the V away from the center of the V down and past the bottom point of the V a few millimeters. These will become the bowed, top portion of the heart that’ll meet at a point at the bottom. With the previous folds extended, the extra length forms a cute lil heart in the middle of your filter tip. Just roll the remaining filter around to reinforce the walls of the crutch and you’re ready to roll your L or J.

How to Roll a Peace Sign Filter for Joints

• It’s all love here bruv; we come in peace! Rolling the peace sign filter resembles the W filter with a few modifications. Start by making 4 folds over and under on one end of the crutch paper so that you have one long piece of paper on one end with a neatly folded M sitting on the top of the other end.
• On the flat end opposite of your M fold, roll a tight spiral toward the M so that the spiral and the M end are working toward each other. When you reach the first fold of the M, unroll the outer wall of the M toward its outer edge while the other side opens up toward the spiral, creating an inverted Y. This part doesn’t feel particularly natural and it may take you a few tries to get it down.
• You’ll then wrap your inverted Y and when finished, have a filter with what looks like a Mercades Benz logo inside it – cool. This will be a first, you’ll then cut a piece of crutch paper off a new sheet from side to side, about 4mm wide, this will be the bottom vertical lane that points to the center.
• You’ll then slide that piece into the outer center point of the bend in the inverted Y through the filter, leaving you with a completed peace sign within your filter.
• When it comes to paper filter tips, you’ll have simple paper, perforated paper, and gummed paper that has glue on one end. For this one, the glue really helps the design within the filter keep its shape once you’ve finessed the bends of the filter into their final form.

How to Roll a Weed Leaf Filter for Pre-Rolls

• Ah the chronic leaf, what a beautiful sight to see. The symbol of a world-wide movement and an inspiration to many – we salute you dear pot leaf, and we love you oh sacred pot plant. But back to rolling. Make your first small fold underneath the paper filter followed by bending that portion outward down the paper forming an upside-down V. You’ll continue this accordion style fold but with one key difference than in tips-past, the upper folds are going to be a little longer to create the prongs of the pot leaf while your bottom folds stay flush with each other.
• We’ll make three prongs on the first side that get longer each fold with the third and tallest prong being the center leaf. From here, you’ll continue this folding pattern down the other side of the tall prong, but instead of continuing with longer prongs on your top fold, start making these folds a bit shorter than the previous one to create the descending prongs of the leaf down the other side, 3 prongs up, 2 prongs down.
• Once you have this end complete, fan the prongs of the leaf out in the same direction they were folded in, bringing the ends together. A bit of tap is helpful for keeping your leaf shape intact.
• Once the folds have been fanned out, a 5-point pot leaf will appear – oooohhh, ahhhh. From here, we’ll roll a loose spiral with a second crutch paper, then just wrap the spiral around the prongs of the leaf to complete your filter. There are “special” paper filter tips that are a bit longer and wider than usual with perforated down the middle for more control of your filter paper’s dimensions, they can make these unique filters easier to roll with their extra width and length. As we mentioned before, there is nothing wrong with taping two crutch papers together to add extra length to have more freedom with your folds and more paper to spiral around your designs, for any of these designs! Either way you approach your roll, designer paper filter crutches are dope.

All that’s left is to roll up that fancy crutch inside a big ol’ joint and you’re ready to make your statement.

And check out our blogs on how to roll the perfect joint or blunt if you need a little extra guidance toward the perfect pre-roll!

We’ve Smoked This Bleezy Down to the Filter

Well my friends, we have reached the end of this joint, and where do joints end? Why, the crutch of course.

Equipping J’s and L’s with filter tips is a decision based on personal preference, but when it comes to functionality, the value add is clear. Without a filter, you could essentially pinch the end of the doobie you’re smoking closed, cutting off airflow and seriously harshing the mellow. You’re also always going to waste that last bit of weed in the bit you have to hold on to.

Don’t have a booklet of paper crutches? No sweat! Snag a business or index card and either cut or rip off a piece in the size and shape of a standard paper tip, a rectangle, and you’ll be fine. And hey, since you’re creating your own custom paper crutch to work with, why not add a little extra length to make those complex filters a bit easier to manage.

At DaySavers, our Artisan Tubes feature a sturdy spiral filter tip while our cones have the classic W filter. And remember when we mentioned premium filter tips? We also have those in 1- and 2-gram blunts and king size paper tubes in glass, ceramic, wood and flavored wood. Shoot, we even have the tips on their own for you to roll up your own pre-roll with that premium tip swagger.

But the classic paper filter is still, and will most likely always be, far and away the most popular crutch tip out there in both consumer and personally rolled joints and blunts. And now that you have the know-how to add a little extra swagger to the filter in your next pre-roll, it’s time to get rollin’ fam!