Packaging Materials
The board you choose decides how your print reproduces, how the pack holds its shape and how the finished carton is disposed of. This is what each grade actually does.
- Six board families
- Weights from 14pt to 3 mm greyboard
- Trade-offs stated plainly
How to choose a board
Three questions settle it in almost every case, and they are worth answering in this order.
- Does the print need to be bright? If shoppers have to distinguish six shades at arm's length, you need a coated white surface. If the range is monochrome or naturally toned, uncoated works.
- What weight is the pack carrying? One lip balm stick is almost nothing. A four-tube multipack, a glass gloss tube or a weighted lipstick case all need more board than the size of the carton suggests.
- Does disposal matter to your positioning? If it does, that constrains the finish more than the board, and it is better decided now than after artwork.
The board grades we use
Six families cover every product on this site. The differences that matter in practice are colour accuracy, cut-edge appearance and what a laminate does to recyclability.
| Grade | Surface | Colour reproduction | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBS folding boxboard | Bleached, coated one or two sides | Closest to proof; holds fine halftones and small type | The default for full-colour cosmetic cartons |
| Kraft board | Unbleached, uncoated, visible fibre | Warmer and darker throughout; no true white without an opaque underprint | Natural, unbleached and low-waste ranges |
| Recycled greyback | White coated face, grey reverse | Good on the print face, marginally duller than SBS | Cost-sensitive volume work and recycled-content claims |
| Black-through board | Coloured in the pulp, black throughout | Darker to print onto; needs opaque white for light colours | Dark cartons where white cut edges would show |
| Metallised board | Reflective metallised layer under the print | Translucent inks pick up the reflection; opaque white required for normal colours | Holographic and mirror-finish limited editions |
| E-flute corrugated | Printed liner over a fine flute | Slightly softer than flat board | Counter displays, shippers and direct mailers |
| Greyboard with printed wrap | Rigid core, decorative paper wrap | As good as the wrap stock allows | Rigid gift boxes and presentation cases |
Board weights and what they hold
Weight matters more than grade for strength. These are the starting points we work from, adjusted against your actual packed weight.
| Weight | Suits | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 14pt | Very light single-item cartons inside a shipper | Feels thin if handled at a shelf edge |
| 16–18pt | A single lip balm stick, gloss tube or lipstick bullet | The most common specification on this site |
| 20–22pt | Cartons over three inches tall, or holding two items | Also the baseline for a window carton |
| 24pt | Multipacks, three-packs, glass primaries, hanging packs | Noticeably more substantial in the hand |
| 28pt and above | Heavier sets and premium single cartons | Diminishing returns on strength; mostly a feel decision |
| E-flute | Counter displays, shippers, direct mailers | Different construction rules from flat board |
| 1.5–3 mm greyboard | Rigid boxes | Thickness chosen against box size and contents weight |
Send us the weight of the packed carton rather than the empty one. That single figure decides board weight, base style and, on a hanging pack, whether the tab needs reinforcement.
Cut edges, and why black-through board exists
This is the detail that most often surprises brands after their first dark carton arrives.
A standard board is white in the middle. Print it black on the outside and every die-cut edge and every crease shows a thin white line. On a pale carton nobody notices. On a black soft-touch pack it is the first thing anyone sees, and it is impossible to fix after production.
Black-through board is coloured throughout the pulp, so the edges stay dark. It costs more per sheet and it is darker to print onto, which means light colours need an opaque white layer underneath. On a darkwindow carton for peg display the window rim sits at eye level, which is exactly where that white line is most visible, so the premium is usually worth paying there.
Liners for paper tubes
Rolled paper tubes have a material decision that flat cartons do not: the barrier layer between your product and the board.
- A standard grease-resistant liner handles firm beeswax and butter formulas without oil migrating into the paper.
- Balms high in liquid oils, or poured warm and left soft, need a heavier barrier grade.
- The liner is a coating rather than a separate plastic sleeve, and whether a specific grade is compatible with kerbside paper recycling varies by material and by municipality.
We confirm exactly which liner is quoted on your job so any plastic-free wording you use is accurate. If you are choosing between formats, therolled paperboard tube page sets out how the construction behaves in use.
Recyclability, stated accurately
All the paperboard grades here are compatible with standard US kerbside paper recycling in their plain or varnished state. What complicates that is what goes on top.
| Addition | Effect on paper recycling | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Varnish only | No practical effect | — |
| Plastic lamination (matte, gloss, soft-touch) | Consumer must separate the film; many streams reject it | Matte or satin varnish |
| Clear window patch | A second material to separate | Printed swatch instead of a window |
| Metallised or holographic layer | Not paper-recyclable | Holo foil on a small area, or pearlescent ink |
| Foil stamping | Small foil areas are generally tolerated | Emboss with no ink or foil |
| Magnets in a rigid box | Must be removed first, which few consumers do | Tuck flap or ribbon closure |
| Foam or flocked insert | Separate material | Die-cut card platform or moulded pulp |
Recycled content and recyclability are different things and get conflated often. We will tell you the recycled percentage a specific stock carries rather than making a general claim, and we would rather you understated a claim than made one you cannot substantiate.
Once the board is settled
Material constrains what the rest of the specification can achieve, which is why it comes first.
With a grade and weight chosen, the next decisions are the press and the coating. Which press suits you depends almost entirely on your quantity and colour count, set out on theprinting options page, and the coatings that each board supports are covered under finishes.
Not sure which board suits your product?
Describe how the pack is sold and handled, and we will recommend a grade and weight with the reasoning, plus a proof on the actual stock before you commit.
Price starts from $0.30 per piece for large-volume orders. Final pricing depends on size, material, printing, and quantity.