What is Cardboard?

You see cardboard everywhere, from moving boxes to product packaging. But this common term can be confusing, making it hard to choose the right material for your project.

Cardboard is a general name for heavy-duty paper-based products¹. It includes everything from the thick, rigid paperboard² used in luxury gift boxes³ to the corrugated fiberboard⁴ used for shipping cartons. It's defined by its strength and thickness.

As someone who runs a packaging factory⁵, I can tell you that "cardboard" is a word we use carefully. To us, it represents a wide family of materials, each with a specific purpose. Cardboard is the main structural material for boxes; our boxes are formed by it. So customers naturally choose high-quality, high-end cardboard to customize their luxury boxes . Understanding the right type is the first step to creating packaging that truly shines.

What is cardboard made out of?

You assume cardboard is just recycled brown paper, but its actual composition is more complex. Not knowing this can make it hard to select a material with the right look and feel.

Cardboard is made from wood pulp⁶. This pulp can come from fresh-cut trees or, more commonly, from recycled materials⁷ like old paper and cartons. This pulp is processed, pressed, and dried into thick sheets.

In my factory, we primarily work with a type of cardboard often called greyboard⁸ or paperboard, especially for high-end cosmetic boxes. For these products, the material's composition is key. Cardboard is often a composite made of a surface paper laminated onto a greyboard⁸ core. The inside is typically gray, but white-lined versions are also available. We usually mount a 200gsm coated paper or art paper onto the greyboard⁸, with the final choice depending on the customer's budget and desired finish . This process gives us the best of both worlds.

The Anatomy of a High-End Box

The rigid board we use for luxury boxes is a layered product engineered for both strength and beauty.

The greyboard⁸ gives the box its sturdy, unbendable structure. Then, we wrap it in a beautifully printed paper to create the final, premium look and feel.

What are the three types of cardboard?

You need a strong box, but terms like "corrugated" and "paperboard" are confusing. Choosing the wrong one can lead to damaged products or packaging that feels cheap and flimsy.

The three most common types are: 1) Corrugated Fiberboard (for shipping), 2) Paperboard (for folding cartons⁹ like cereal boxes), and 3) Chipboard or Greyboard (a dense board for rigid boxes and backings).

Choosing the right type is the most important decision for any packaging project¹⁰. My clients love using rigid paperboard² for their boxes because they value its thickness, which gives a feeling of sturdiness. Furthermore, the surface after lamination is very smooth, providing a high-end texture¹¹ when touched. That solid feel is what separates premium packaging from standard retail boxes.

Choosing the Right Board for Your Project

Each type has a distinct job to do.

For us, the most important material is rigid paperboard² . We use it in thicknesses ranging from 2mm to 5mm to build the core structure of luxury boxes. It's an eco-friendly material and can be FSC certified¹². This is what gives a cosmetic or jewelry box its durability and substantial, high-quality feel.

Is cardboard just paper?

Thinking that cardboard and paper are the same can lead to design mistakes¹³. You might expect a paper's flexibility when you're actually working with a rigid board, causing production issues.

No, cardboard is a type of paper, but it's defined by its much greater thickness and weight. Any paper stock above a certain thickness (around 0.25 mm or 250 gsm) is generally considered a paperboard or "cardboard."

8 to show the difference." title="The Difference Between Paper and Cardboard" />

The line between paper and paperboard is one of the most fundamental concepts in my industry. While both start as wood pulp⁶, the manufacturing process makes them completely different materials to work with. You cannot fold and glue a 2mm rigid board with the same machines or techniques you would use for a 150gsm sheet of paper. Everything from the design of the cutting die to the type of glue we use has to be adjusted based on the material's thickness and rigidity.

The Line Between Paper and Board

Weight and thickness are the defining factors.

In luxury packaging, we use both. We take a thick, rigid paperboard² for the structure and laminate a sheet of thinner, high-quality paper onto its surface to achieve a perfect, printable finish.

What is the difference between boxboard¹⁴ and cardboard?

You see the terms "boxboard¹⁴" and "cardboard" and think they're interchangeable. This can lead to miscommunication with a manufacturer when you try to specify the material for your packaging.

"Cardboard" is a vague, everyday term. "Boxboard" is a more precise industry name for a specific type of paperboard used to make folding cartons⁹ (like a toothpaste box) and rigid boxes.

14) next to a large corrugated shipping box (cardboard)." title="Difference between Boxboard and Cardboard" />

When you talk to a manufacturer, being specific is crucial. If a client just asks for "a cardboard box," my first question is always, "What kind?" Do they mean a brown corrugated shipper, or do they mean a high-end rigid gift box? The materials and construction processes are worlds apart. A key insight is that greyboard⁸ is a finished product, whereas a board can be a semi-finished product . This means we purchase greyboard⁸ as a complete raw material to begin our box construction.

Speaking the Language of Packaging

Here are the terms we use in the factory:

• Corrugated Fiberboard: This is what most people mean when they say "cardboard." It has the wavy inner layer and is used for shipping.
• Folding Boxboard (FBB): This is the single-ply material used for retail packaging that folds flat, like a box for a phone case.
• Greyboard / Chipboard: This is a thick, dense board made from recycled materials⁷. It's the finished raw material we use as the strong core for luxury gift boxes³.

Being specific ensures we create exactly what you have in mind.

Conclusion

Cardboard is not one material, but a family of paper-based products. Understanding the difference between corrugated, paperboard, and greyboard⁸ is the key to selecting the perfect, professional packaging for your product.