Paperboard Grades Cheat Sheet

THE
P SCHOOL
K IN SOLID BLEACHED
SOLID
UNBLEACHED
UNCOATED
UNBLEACHED
COATED
RECYCLED
UNCOATED
RECYCLED FOLDING
SULFATE (SBS) SULFATE (SUS) KRAFT (UUK) BOARD (CRB) BOARD (URB) BOXBOARD (FBB)
Coated Unbleached Kraft Clay Coated News (CCN),
Solid Bleached (CUK), Coated Natural Uncoated Kraft Clay Coated News Back Tri-Plex,
OTHER COMMON Board (SBB), Kraft (CNK), Boxboard (CCNB), Duplex, Plain Chipboard, Manila Board,
NAMES Food Board
Solid Unbleached Board
(UKB) White LIne Chip (WLC), Bending Chipboard Bleached Manila
(SUB),Clay Coated Kraft Greyback (GB)
Back (CCKB)

FORMING Cylinder & Mostly Cylinder,

METHOD Fourdrinier Fourdrinier Cylinder Fourdrinier
Fourdrinier Some Fourdrinier

>79% virgin fiber 85% virgin pine, 15% 100% recycled fiber, Bleached top,
Virgin Hardwood, May contain recycled hard wood kraft fiber
Clay Coated bleached top, many 100% recycled fiber, groundwood center,
FIBER content (filler) uncoated (5-9) plies, clay uncoated
May contain recycled
coated one side,
coated one side low density
content

Uniform smooth Natural brown Bleached top,

white surface backside, Natural front and Grey backside Earthy grey-light tan groundwood center,
APPEARANCE smooth white backside color front and back coated one side, low
throughout structure density, yellowish
surface on front

CALIPERS (pts) 8-24 pt. 16-28 pt. 12-34 pt. 14-40 pt. 12-40 pt. 14-28 pt.
THICKNESS (microns) 255-610 µ 406-710 µ 305-864 µ 355-1015 µ 305-1015 µ 355-710 µ

BASIS WEIGHT(lbs) 112-254 lbs./msf 50-110 lbs./msf 46-98 lbs./msf 55-140 lbs./msf 48-140 lbs./msf 50-80 lbs./msf
BASIS WEIGHT(gsm) 214-433 gsm 240-535 gsm 225-478 gsm 275-675 gsm 230-675 gsm 250-400 gsm

DENSITY 1X 1X 0.73 X 1.03 X 0.8 X 0.75 X

(approximate)

Very smooth surface Smooth surface Less smooth Varied surface Less smooth Low to high
PRINT QUALITY Best printability by Good printing by Good printing by Good printing by Good printing by printability by offset,
offset, flexo and offset, flexo and offset & flexo offset & flexo offset & flexo flexo and gravure
gravure gravure Limited gravure

Excellent cutting & Very good cutting & Good cutting & Adequate cutting & Adequate cutting & Best folding
CONVERTING gluing gluing gluing gluing gluing capabilities,adequate
cutting & gluing

STRENGTH Moderate Highest High Moderate - Low Moderate - Low Low

COST 1.0 X 0.8 X 0.64 X 0.64 X 0.56 X 0.64 X - 1 X

(approximate)

High image packaging

Heavy duty packaging,
Premium, high end, food,
pharmaceuticals, cigarettes,
APPLICATIONS cosmetics, coated with PE
for frozen food packaging
Industrial “natural” look Multi purpose
Cigarettes, health and
hardware, beverage Heavy duty packaging, Industrial “natural” look, beauty, frozen, chilled,
Folding cartons for cereals, confectionaries, pharma,
carriers, detergents, hardware, beverage carriers, crackers, dry processed set up boxes, partitions
and optional pigmented
coated with PE for detergents, coated with PE
food, shoe boxes coatings
wet strength for wet strength

All food applications FDA, some grades Some grades Some grades Some grades
approved for direct FDA, direct food
CERTIFICATIONS including dairyman contact, ISEGA, approved for food approved for food approved for food
standard, CONEG food contact, contact contact contact
CONEG CONEG

0% recycled content- 17% total recycled reduced weight,

reduced weight, reduced weight,
SUSTAINABILITY PKE - 30% PCF, content, 7% PCF 100% recycle content some recycled cotent
SFI chain of custody SFI & FSC dual certified
SFI chain of custody SFI chain of custody