Paperboard Boxes and Folding Cartons
What is Paperboard?
Paperboard is the industry name for the thicker sheets of paper used primarily for product packaging. Also known as cardstock, or board stock, the paper is designed specifically for manufacturing custom product boxes and is available in various thicknesses (calipers) ranging from 0.008” to 0.048” (8 point to 48 point). Paperboard is used extensively in custom product packaging because it is environmentally friendly, has excellent print qualities, is strong, yet lightweight, and can easily be cut, scored and glued into boxes and other product packaging.
Paperboard Finishes
Paperboard comes in several varieties, with some coated for print and others left uncoated. Coated paperboards have a smooth, bright white clay coat applied to one side (C1S) or both sides (C2S) to enhance print quality, brightness, and moisture resistance. While a clay coat isn't necessary for printing, it provides vibrant colors and sharp contrasts that are often needed for custom paperboard boxes. This makes it ideal for food, cosmetics, and consumer goods packaging. Clay-coated paperboards are available in a range of finishes, from matte to gloss, depending on the packaging requirements.
Paperboard Types
Solid Bleached Sulfate (SBS)
SBS paper is a virgin (non-recycled) coated paper stock with a smooth, white surface, making it perfect for premium, high-quality printed packaging. It's commonly used for food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals because it looks clean, gives good color contrast, and can be coated for moisture protection.
C1S (coated one side) SBS paperboard is by far the most popular paper choice for custom printed product boxes.
Coated Recycled Board (CRB):
CRB is made from recycled fibers, making it more eco-friendly. While the print surface isn’t as smooth as SBS, it remains an excellent paperboard carton for many packaging needs, especially when sustainability and cost are priorities.
Uncoated Recycled Board (URB):
Sometimes referred to as chipboard, this paper is fully recycled and uncoated, giving it a natural, rustic look. It’s often used for organic or eco-conscious products.
Kraft Paperboard:
A Brown, earthy colored paper, it is made from unbleached wood pulp and is known for its strength, making it a good choice for heavier products. Each type of paperboard offers a mix of looks, durability, and environmental benefits, meeting different packaging requirements.
Difference Between Paperboard and Cardboard
While cardboard can refer to paperboard, and often that’s the intent, it’s more of a generic term to describe thicker paper products, including corrugated materials. Technically, paperboard is a single-layered paper that is less than 0.048 inches thick. While "cardboard" is a more general term that can include paperboard box packaging, it’s commonly associated with corrugated packaging, like shipping boxes. Corrugated fiberboard, which is what corrugated boxes are made of, consists of a fluted (wavy) paper layer sandwiched between two flat paperboard liners.
Paperboard Thickness
Paperboard in the United States is calibrated in thousandths of an inch (0.001”, or in printer speak, 1 point). The most commonly used paperboard thicknesses for printed box packaging range from 0.014” to 0.024” (14 point to 24 point), with thicknesses increasing in steps of 0.002” (2 pt.). For example, a 14 pt. thickness moves to 16 pt., then to 18 pt., and so on.
Paperboard Calibrated in GSM
European countries use grams per square meter (GSM) for their paper thickness calibration. GSM measures the weight of the paper in grams for a square meter (1m²). For example, if a sheet of paper measures 80 GSM, it means that one square meter of that paper weighs 80 grams.
To put thickness in perspective, 24pt. thick paperboard is credit card thickness. Most consumer product boxes are made from paper thicknesses between 16 pt. and 24 pt. Custom printed packaging using paper thinner than this tends to be flimsy, unless the product is very small.
How to determine paperboard thickness needed for your product packaging.
Folding Carton Boxes
Printed folding carton boxes are specifically designed for product packaging, and even if you're not familiar with the name, you've definitely seen and used them.
Folding cartons are used by product manufacturers everywhere as they are compact, efficient, and highly versatile. Their key feature is that they fold flat when empty, saving space during storage and shipping. Custom folding cartons are widely used in retail to package everything from food to cosmetics. A classic example is the tuck end box, like the one used for a deck of playing cards—it opens at the top and bottom, and folds flat when the cards are removed.
Paperboard Folding Cartons
Most folding cartons are made from paperboard, a material known not only for its strength and lightweight properties but also for its excellent print quality. Paperboard’s smooth surface allows for vibrant, high-resolution graphics and sharp details, which is ideal for retail packaging where visual appeal is key.
Corrugated Folding Cartons
For larger or heavier products, corrugated board makes for a strong, durable box. If the box is litho-laminated, the print quality will rival that of paperboard resulting in a high-strength box with sharp, vibrant graphics.
Litho-lamination involves applying a high-quality printed label onto the corrugated board. A litho-laminated carton gives you the best of both worlds – the sharp, crisp printing typical of paperboard packaging with the rugged durability of a corrugated box.
Every box on this site is a made-to-order, custom-printed folding carton.
Packaging Considerations
When designing custom packaging, it's important to think about the lifespan of your packaging. Your packaging needs to handle being filled, stacked, packed, and shipped across the country. It also has to stand up to vendors restocking shelves and inquisitive customers.
If the packaging is for something used repeatedly, like a band-aid, tea or cookie box, it needs to handle frequent opening and closing without looking tired. Damaged packaging, even with a perfect product inside, will lead to returns. That’s why the folding carton style and paperboard thickness you select are critical choices.
Paperboard Box History
The first paperboard box was created in 1817 in England, and the first paperboard folding carton was introduced around 1860. Then in 1915 the gable top milk carton was patented, and first used for dairy products in 1935. A folding carton box is simply a box that folds flat when not in use. Today, paperboard folding carton boxes are used by industries everywhere. Most retail stores couldn’t get by without them!
Packaging Considerations
When designing custom packaging, one consideration is the lifespan of your packaging. You are going to need a product package that can withstand being filled, stacked, packed, and survive being shipped across the country. In addition, it needs to be able to stand up to repeated handling by vendors filling shelves and inquisitive customers. And if it’s going to be used repeatedly such as a band-aid, tea or cookie box, it needs to withstand frequent opening and closing.
In the end, your printed packaging needs to look as good on the shelf as when it was first filled at your facility. Your sales depend on it – a scratched or crushed box with good product in it will be returned to you for a credit. So, the folding carton style and paperboard thickness you choose for your product packaging is an important consideration.
Setup Boxes
(also known as rigid boxes)
In contrast to folding cartons, setup boxes are a rigid box; they don’t fold flat. Most board games such as a Monopoly box, or a traditional, two-piece shoe box, are setup boxes – the boxes are already erected, or “set up”, and they usually consist of the box with a separate top. These boxes use much thicker paperboard, and the paperboard is laminated, or wrapped, with a high quality printed, or metallic foiled sheet. The result is a very sturdy box. The downside to a setup box is they are difficult to store in large volumes because they don’t fold down, and they can get very expensive in smaller quantities because of the extra printing/laminating operations that go into making the box. This style of paperboard box we do not manufacture.
One Last Note...
The Box Co-op is a leader in manufacturing paperboard folding cartons (well, not really, but it sounded good. In fact, there are many excellent folding carton manufacturers out there). However, we are a different sort of box company. We specialize in custom finishes and coatings that add polish and pop to your product packaging. Print quality is pretty standard between box manufacturers, but it is the finishing coatings that provide the texture and highlights that result in printed boxes that stand out from the competition.
Furthermore, many box companies make folding cartons on the side; we are true specialists—we do not make anything but folding cartons—so when you want that dedicated experience on your side, the Box Co-op is your best choice.