As you answer these questions, this article will give you a quick tour of the different types of cardboard and their uses.
First of all, “cardboard” is a generic term that refers to any type of heavy-duty paper based board. Although there are a dozens of different types of cardboard, they can be broken down into three rough categories: card stock, paperboard, and corrugated fiberboard. Each has their own specific uses.
Cardboards are measured in “points”, which refer to thousandth of an inch. For example, cardboard that is 0.009 of an inch thick would be “9 point”, and cardboard 0.024 of an inch thick would be “24 point”.
The fist type of cardboard is card stock (also called cover stock or pasteboard). Card stock is generally up to ten points (0.010 inch) thick. It is thicker and more durable than regular printer or photocopier paper, but thinner and more flexible than heavier forms of cardboard. Card stock is used for items that need to be stiffer or more durable than regular thin and fragile paper. Postcards, playing cards, business cards, book covers, and scrapbooks are some of the industry uses for card stock. Although most commercial printing presses can be easily be set to handle printing on card stock, it would be a good idea to double check the technical specifications of your printing press to make sure it can handle up to ten-point paper.
The second type of cardboard is paperboard. Paperboard is over ten points (0.010 inch) in thickness. This type of cardboard is most commonly used in commercial packaging, such as milk cartons, cereal boxes, etc. It is stiffer and stronger than card stock and thus can support the weight of consumer products, but still flexible enough to withstand the bending that occurs during packaging and shipping while retaining its shape. The average printing press is not capable of printing on paperboard without jamming. Printing on paperboard requires a printing press specially designed to be adjusted to print on paperboard as well as regular paper.
The last type of cardboard is corrugated fiberboard. This is not technically a different type of cardboard, but rather a composite material created but combining two pieces of paperboard with a piece of zigzag, or “corrugated”, card stock between them. This design makes the resulting cardboard very rigid and strong, while also providing cushioning, making it excellent for storing fragile item such as glass, pottery, or fresh fruit. Large sheets of corrugated fiberboard are folded and glued into shipping boxes, which is the primary use for this type of cardboard. Corrugated fiberboard come in six standard thicknesses, ranging from 3/16 to 1/32 of an inch thick. Printing on corrugated fiberboard requires a special printing press designed to handle this thick and stiff type of cardboard. Generally, and cardboard printing press can’t be used to print on regular paper as well.
We hope this overview of cardboard types has helped you determine what kind of cardboard you need for your various projects. If you do not have a printing press capable of printing on paperboard or corrugated fiberboard, you may find it more cost-efficient to order the boxes and packaging materials from another printing press than to purchase your own.
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