In total there are 6 major types of paper/board in the packaging industry. Not one packaging is suitable for everything and Australia and New Zealand have new guidelines and laws which will affect your business.

White cardboard, also known as SBS paperboard, or Solid Bleached Sulfate paperboard, is a strong, thick paper-based material known for its durability, stiffness, and clean appearance. It is most commonly produced in its natural white form and is therefore often referred to simply as white cardboard. When dyed or manufactured in other colours, it is typically classified as coloured cardboard.

As its name suggests, whiteness is a key quality indicator for white cardboard. Industry standards generally classify it into grades based on brightness:

• Grade A with a whiteness of no less than 92%
• Grade B with a whiteness of no less than 87%
• Grade C with a whiteness of no less than 82%

When the whiteness exceeds 90%, the surface appears noticeably bright and crisp, making it especially suitable for premium printing and high-visibility branding.

In addition to whiteness, white cardboard is required to meet high standards for stiffness, burst resistance, and surface smoothness (excluding embossed or textured variants). The paper surface must be flat and uniform, free from streaks, spots, or other visible defects, and it should not warp or deform during processing or use.

Typically ranging from 210 to 400 gsm, white cardboard is manufactured from bleached wood pulp or a blend of virgin and recycled fibres. It features a smooth white surface on one or both sides, offering excellent printability and structural integrity. Thanks to these characteristics, white cardboard is widely used for premium packaging, high-end cartons, art applications, and business stationery, where both visual quality and material strength are essential.

Advantages

• Excellent printability with sharp colors and fine details
• Strong rigidity and good folding performance
• Clean, premium appearance suitable for branding

Disadvantages

• Higher cost compared to kraft or recycled boards
• Less tolerant of moisture unless coated or treated

Suitable Industries

Cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, premium food packaging, electronics, gift boxes, and luxury retail packaging.

Environmental Impact

Can be environmentally friendly when sourced from FSC-certified pulp. Recyclable and widely accepted in paper recycling systems.

Coated paper, also commonly referred to as coated printing paper or art paper, is a high-grade paper stock produced by applying a special coating layer to base paper. This coating—typically made from mineral clay, calcium carbonate, polymers, or other refined materials—fills the natural pores of the paper surface, resulting in a smoother, brighter, and less absorbent finish.

The coating process significantly enhances print quality. Because ink sits on the surface rather than being absorbed into the fibres, coated paper delivers sharper details, more vibrant colours, and higher contrast, making it ideal for visually demanding applications. Coated paper can be finished on one side or both sides, and is generally available in two surface types: glossy, which offers a high-shine appearance, and matte, which provides a softer, low-glare finish while still maintaining excellent print clarity.

Thanks to its refined surface and superior print performance, coated paper is widely used for high-end book and magazine covers, illustrations, colour images, premium advertising materials, product samples, packaging, labels, and trademarks. Its ability to reproduce rich colours and fine details makes it a preferred choice for brands and publishers seeking a polished, professional presentation.

Advantages

• Superior color vibrancy and image sharpness
• Smooth surface ideal for high-resolution printing
• Resistant to dirt and light wear

Disadvantages

• Less writable than uncoated paper
• Coating may slightly reduce recyclability depending on treatment

Suitable Industries

Retail packaging, marketing boxes, food sleeves, cosmetics, printed inserts, and brand-driven packaging.

Environmental Impact

Recyclable in most regions. Sustainability depends on coating materials and responsible sourcing.

Grey board (also known as grayboard) is a rigid, dense paperboard made from 100% recycled paper materials, valued for its outstanding durability and structural strength. Typically ranging from 1mm to 3mm in thickness, it features a consistent grey colour throughout and offers excellent resistance to bending and deformation.

One of grey board’s key advantages is its high rigidity combined with lightweight properties, making it easy to cut, shape, and form. For this reason, it is widely used as the structural “frame” of rigid boxes, where strength and stability are essential. Grey board is often laminated or wrapped with various decorative materials—such as art paper, coated paper, or specialty papers—allowing it to serve as a hidden yet critical support layer in premium packaging.

Thanks to its strength and versatility, grey board is commonly used in bookbinding, album and hardcover book covers, backing cards, portfolios, mounting artwork, craft and model construction, and secondary food packaging. Its ability to protect products from bending or impact makes it suitable for a wide range of structural and protective applications.

From an environmental perspective, grey board is fully recyclable and eco-friendly, making it a responsible choice for brands seeking sustainable packaging solutions without compromising on strength or performance.

Advantages

• Very strong and rigid
• Low cost
• Excellent structural support

Disadvantages

• Poor print quality on its own
• Must be laminated or wrapped with printed paper

Suitable Industries

Rigid gift boxes, book covers, luxury packaging bases, storage boxes, presentation boxes.

Environmental Impact

Made largely from recycled materials and fully recyclable, making it an environmentally responsible choice.

Corrugated cardboard, commonly used to make corrugated boxes (often referred to as cartons or brown boxes when unprinted), is a highly durable packaging material engineered through a specialised layered structure. It consists of one or more fluted (wave-shaped) medium layers sandwiched between liner boards, providing excellent load-bearing capacity, cushioning, and impact resistance.

Due to its thickness and structural strength, corrugated paper is most commonly used for outer packaging and shipping cartons, where product protection during transportation and storage is critical. Depending on the product weight and protection requirements, corrugated board can be manufactured in various constructions, including single-face, single-wall, double-wall, and triple-wall, allowing businesses to select the most suitable thickness and strength.

The performance of corrugated packaging largely depends on the flute type, which determines cushioning ability, compression strength, stack-ability, and print quality. Different flute profiles offer different balances between protection and surface smoothness:

• A-Flute (≈ 0.64 cm thick)
  The largest flute size, offering the highest cushioning and protection. A-Flute excels in compression resistance and stacking strength, making it ideal for fragile and heavy items that require maximum shock absorption.
• B-Flute (≈ 0.32 cm thick)
  Thinner but still strong, B-Flute provides excellent puncture and crush resistance. It delivers reliable all-around performance and has a flatter surface, making it suitable for die-cut packaging, inserts, dividers, and higher-quality printing.
• C-Flute (≈ 0.48 cm thick）
  One of the most versatile flute grades, C-Flute offers a balanced combination of stacking strength, crush resistance, and printability. It is widely used for shipping boxes, as well as packaging for glassware, dairy products, and furniture.
• E-Flute (≈ 0.16 cm thick)
  A thinner flute grade often used as an alternative to paperboard folding cartons rather than heavy shipping boxes. E-Flute provides excellent compression strength and a smooth printing surface, making it suitable for cosmetics, ceramics, fragile glass items, and small premium products.
• F-Flute (≈ 0.08 cm thick)
  Similar in protective performance to E-Flute but with an even smoother surface for high-quality printing. F-Flute is commonly used for retail and specialty packaging, including clamshell packaging and premium consumer goods, especially in European markets.

Overall, corrugated paper is a highly customisable, cost-effective, and protective packaging solution, offering flexibility in structure, strength, and print finish to meet a wide range of logistics and branding needs.

Advantages

• Excellent shock absorption and protection
• Lightweight yet strong
• Highly customizable in size and structure

Disadvantages

• Bulkier than solid boards
• Limited surface smoothness unless laminated

Suitable Industries

Shipping cartons, eCommerce packaging, food delivery, industrial packaging, logistics and warehousing.

Environmental Impact

One of the most sustainable packaging materials. Highly recyclable, biodegradable, and often made from recycled fibers.

Kraft paper is a strong and durable paper material produced through the kraft pulping process, in which wood is chemically converted into pulp using sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide. This process preserves the long cellulose fibers, resulting in paper with superior tensile strength, tear resistance, and load-bearing capability compared to conventional paper.

Typically available in natural brown or bleached white, kraft paper is widely valued for its raw, natural appearance and outstanding eco-friendly profile. It is fully biodegradable and recyclable, often without the need for plastic laminates or heavy chemical coatings, making it a preferred choice for brands pursuing sustainable packaging solutions.

Thanks to its breathability, structural integrity, and moderate grease resistance, kraft paper is particularly suitable for food packaging, including takeaway containers, bakery boxes, and food-grade wrapping. In addition, kraft cardboard is frequently used for shipping boxes due to its durability and strong load-bearing performance. The material can be produced in various thicknesses to accommodate different product weights and protection requirements.

Kraft packaging boxes are increasingly popular among eco-conscious brands and start-ups, as they align well with sustainability messaging while remaining cost-effective and functional. Although kraft paper generally offers fewer finishing and surface customization options compared to coated cardboard (due to its thicker and more fibrous surface), it supports a range of printing techniques that allow logos, patterns, and brand elements to be clearly presented.

Overall, kraft paper is an excellent choice for businesses seeking a natural, sustainable, and robust packaging material, particularly for food, e-commerce shipping, and environmentally focused brand positioning.

Advantages

• High tensile strength and durability
• Natural, eco-friendly look
• Cost-effective and versatile

Disadvantages

• Limited color vibrancy due to darker surface
• Rougher texture compared to coated papers

Suitable Industries

Eco-friendly brands, food packaging, takeaway boxes, eCommerce shipping, lifestyle and organic products.

Environmental Impact

Highly sustainable. Biodegradable, recyclable, and often made from recycled fibers or FSC-certified sources.

Offset paper, also commonly referred to as uncoated paper, is a matte-finish paper specifically developed for high-volume commercial offset printing. Unlike coated stocks, offset paper does not have a surface coating, which makes it more absorbent and gives it a natural, slightly textured feel. This characteristic allows ink to penetrate the paper fibers, resulting in consistent print quality and excellent readability.

One of the key advantages of offset paper is its durability and versatility. It performs well for double-sided printing, is easy to write on, and maintains stable image reproduction across large print runs. Due to its relatively thin structure and lightweight nature, offset paper is considered one of the simplest and most cost-effective paper options among common packaging and printing materials.

Offset paper is widely used for envelopes, catalogs, manuals, newspapers, inserts, and labels, where clarity, legibility, and cost control are essential. In certain applications, it can also be used for food-related packaging, provided it meets relevant safety and compliance requirements.

From an environmental perspective, offset paper is fully recyclable and biodegradable, making it a sustainable choice for brands seeking eco-friendly printing solutions. Overall, offset paper offers an excellent balance of affordability, print consistency, and practicality, especially for large-scale printing and everyday packaging needs.

Advantages

• Good ink absorption and readability
• Writable and stamp-friendly
• Cost-effective for text-heavy printing

Disadvantages

• Colors appear less vibrant than on coated paper
• Lower resistance to moisture and wear

Suitable Industries

Instruction manuals, inserts, brochures, stationery, booklets, and internal packaging materials.

Environmental Impact

Recyclable and available in FSC-certified and recycled options.