Materials
Materials3 min readUpdated
Recycled and kraft-back board
A lot of cartons are printed on the outside only. For those you can save on board: these grades have one white coated face for your print and a plainer back. The back decides what the box can take.
Start with the inside
Open the box in your head. If nobody sees the inside, or it only needs to be clean, a one-sided board is enough. If the inside carries print too, skip this page and read about C2SC2S (coated two sides) Board coated on both faces, so print stays sharp outside and inside. Pick it when the inside of the box carries print too. in SBS board: C1S and C2S.
Every board here prints on its coated face only. Our dielines show the print side, so the side you design on is the white one. The back faces the product.
Grey back or brown back
| Board | The back | Good at | Weak at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coated recycled CCNB, CRB | Grey, from recycled paper | Low cost, a bright print face | Damp, heavy loads |
| Coated kraft back CCK | Brown kraft | Tearing, damp, cold storage | Print on the inside |
| Coated unbleached kraft CUK | Brown, fresh kraft fibre | The toughest of the three | Price |
Mills and countries use their own names. A grade code tells you the family; the data sheet tells you the board.
Dry goods on a budget
Coated recycled board is the cereal box. Its back is grey because it is made from old newspapers and other recycled paper. On top sits a coat of white clayClay coating A thin layer of clay and pigment on board, smooth and white, so ink sits on top and prints sharp., smooth enough for bright colour and sharp type.
It is the cheapest way to a good shelf face, and it cuts and creases well. But recycled fibre is weaker than fresh fibre, so a box may need thicker board for the same stiffness. Wet, it soaks water up and goes soft. Keep it for dry, light products: cereal and other dry food, shoes. It is a close relative of the white-lined chipboardWLC (white-lined chipboard) Paperboard of mostly recycled fibre with a white top and a grey back. The cheapest grade, for cereal, shoes and dry goods. in Paperboard basics.
Cold, damp or heavy
Swap the grey back for brown kraft and the board gets tougher. Kraft fibre is long, so it resists tearing, and it copes better with condensation from a freezer or a chilled drink. That is why takeaway, frozen food and drink packs so often show a brown inside.
Coated kraft back (CCK) usually still contains recycled fibre. Coated unbleached kraft (CUK) is made from fresh fibre and is the strongest choice, at a higher price. Both print well on the white face and stay brown inside.
Chipboard is for rigid boxes
ChipboardChipboard Grey, stiff board with no white face, not made for print. Rigid gift boxes are glued up from it and covered in printed paper., or greyboard, is grey and stiff, with no white face at all. You don't print on it. A rigid gift boxRigid box A gift box glued up from grey chipboard and covered in printed paper. It is made another way, and we don't draw it. for jewellery, cosmetics or drinks is glued up from chipboard, usually about 1.5 to 3 mm thick, and then covered with printed paper.
That is a different job from the folding boxes drawn here. When a folding box should feel solid, look at corrugated board instead.
What to ask your printer
- Which grade they would use for your product, and its caliper. Type that thickness into your dieline.
- Whether the board is approved for direct food contact, if the food touches it.
- A printed sample on that board. Colour looks different on every coat.
Your artwork goes on the coated face
The dieline shows the print side, so you design on the white face. Choose the board's thickness under Board, or type the caliper your printer gives you.
- Cut
- Crease