Material choice shapes print colour, crease quality, stiffness, feel and recovery route. Start with performance, then choose the surface character.
“Cardboard” is a useful search term, but a production brief needs more detail. Carton dimensions, product weight, print coverage, finish, storage and packing route determine the paperboard family and caliper worth testing.
Responsibly sourced and recycled-content options can be considered, but environmental decisions should account for product protection, material weight, finishing layers and the relevant recycling stream.
A multi-layer board with a smooth coated surface and useful stiffness-to-weight performance. Often considered for beauty, food, supplements and general retail cartons.
Bright print surface · strong all-rounderA premium solid-fibre white board with a consistent surface. Often selected where clean colour, fine print or a white reverse face matters.
Clean white appearance · fine printBoard made with recovered fibre, available in different surface and reverse-side colours. Suitability depends on print expectation, strength and end use.
Recycled content · varied characterA natural brown board character that can support simple, high-contrast graphics. White ink and colour reproduction need to be planned for the base tone.
Natural tone · tactile surfaceA reflective or pearlescent surface that can be selectively overprinted to create high-impact effects without separate foil on every area.
Reflective base · premium colour effectsA fine corrugated construction used when a folding carton needs additional rigidity or transit support. Structure and print route differ from standard paperboard.
Extra rigidity · larger formats