How Board Caliper Impacts Folding Carton Performance and Cost
Board caliper—the thickness of paperboard—directly influences carton strength, folding behavior, print quality, and cost. Selecting the right caliper is a balancing act between performance requirements and budget. This guide explains how caliper affects carton engineering and when it makes sense to go thicker—or thinner.
Defining Board Caliper
Board caliper is measured in thousandths of an inch (points) or millimeters.
- Common folding carton calipers range from 0.012″–0.024″ (12–24 pt).
- Thicker boards offer greater rigidity and stacking strength, while thinner boards reduce weight and material cost.
Structural Performance
- Compression Strength: Higher caliper increases edge crush resistance and stacking load capacity.
- Panel Rigidity: Reduces bowing and warping, important for large-panel cartons.
- Impact Resistance: Added thickness absorbs more shock during handling.
Trade-Off: Excess caliper can over-spec the package, adding unnecessary cost and complicating folding on small-radius scores.
Folding and Creasing
Caliper affects how the board behaves at fold lines:
- Tighter Radii: Thicker boards need deeper scores to avoid spring-back.
- Score Cracking Risk: Increases with caliper if scoring isn’t adjusted for bead/channel ratio.
- Grain Direction Sensitivity: More critical in thicker boards—incorrect grain can cause severe cracking.
Print Quality and Surface Smoothness
- Ink Holdout: Heavier calipers often provide better ink laydown, but fiber quality matters more than thickness alone.
- Show-Through Prevention: Thicker boards reduce show-through from dark products or graphics on the reverse side.
Cost Implications
- Material Cost: Increases proportionally with caliper.
- Shipping Weight: Higher caliper increases per-unit mass, affecting freight cost.
- Storage Volume: Larger stacks and more pallet space required.
Optimization Tip: Use the thinnest caliper that meets performance requirements—extra thickness adds cost with no functional benefit.
Application Examples
- High-Strength Needs: 20–24 pt CUK for beverage carriers or frozen food requiring moisture resistance and stacking strength.
- Premium Branding: 18–20 pt SBS for cosmetics or electronics, balancing rigidity with a smooth print surface.
- Cost-Driven Retail: 14–16 pt recycled FBB for dry food or lightweight multipacks.
Testing Before Scaling
- Prototyping: Test multiple calipers for rigidity, folding performance, and visual appeal.
- Distribution Simulation: Run compression, vibration, and humidity testing to confirm performance.
- Machine Compatibility: Thicker boards may require slower speeds or equipment adjustments.
References
Soroka, W. (2014). Fundamentals of packaging technology (5th ed.). Institute of Packaging Professionals. ISBN: 978-1-930268-37-2
Twede, D., & Goddard, R. (2021). Cartons, crates and corrugated board: Handbook of paper and wood packaging technology (2nd ed.). DEStech Publications. ISBN: 978-1-60595-120-5
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Solid Bleached Sulfate (SBS), often used under the umbrella term “paperboard,” is a common packaging material used in North America to package everyday consumer good products such as personal care, pharmaceuticals, snacks, confectionery, electronics, and other items. Typically, SBS material is used to manufacture folding cartons in addition to pads and packaging inserts. What is Solid Bleached Sulfate? SBS material is manufactured from hardwood and chemically pulped fibers that are bleached, refined, and formed into one or multi-ply board on fourdrinier-type paperboard machines. Once processed, the material is produced in to double sided white plain sheets. They are coated 1 side or both sides. Coating helps to create a better surface for printing. It can be manufactured into a variety of densities to help manage material costs and strength required for product support. Solid Bleached Sulfate Properties SBS folding cartons have an ultra-smooth surface since the material is made with short hardwood fibers that are coated and polished, which makes a high level of quality offset lithography, flexography, and digital printing. SBS material is extremely versatile, high in quality and can be used for films, metalized foil laminations, embossing and other finishes, gluing and high-speed filling. In addition, this material can easily be manufactured in to a folding carton as it can be cleanly cut and printed with high speed. Solid bleached sulfate is typically more costly to produce than other folding carton materials such other paperboard substrates. The durability of SBS folding cartons is adequate to hold small and lightweight items for long periods of time. However, overtime the material is susceptible to yellowing if exposed to sunlight or UV rays. Despite have good stiffness and compression capabilities, SBS folding cartons are not the most prominent in being tear resistant. Solid Bleached Sulfate Folding Carton Applications SBS folding cartons are highly versatile and made with quality material which makes it popular in a wide variety of packaging applications. However, due to its durability and strength limitations, SBS folding cartons are primarily used to package non-expensive, nonfragile, lightweight, and small items. SBS folding cartons can come in many styles to help accommodate products. The most popular styles include straight tuck end (STE), reverse tuck end (RTE), auto bottom and full seal. See images below to compare the visual differences between the styles. Straight Tuck End (STE) Folding Carton with hanging tab Reverse Tuck End (RTE) Folding Carton with locking tab Auto Bottom Folding Carton Full Seal Folding Carton Many industries such as food, electronic, medical, cosmetic use these folding cartons to display, ship and protect their products, as SBS material provides an ultra-surface and high-quality print options. Common food packaging applications include: snacks, confectionary, cereal, bakery products and other items. For food applications, there are versions which are laminated with poly film for grease resistance. Electronics packaging applications consist of accessories, toys, devices and more. Medical applications include medicine, devices, and other consumer goods. Beauty and personal care products supply such as eyeshadow, lipstick, lotion, face cream, serums and oils are packaged into SBS folding cartons. Summary: Solid Bleached Sulfate Folding Cartons Ultimately, SBS folding cartons are extremely versatile in customization and are primarily used by different industries to package a wide variety of items in highly competitive retail environment with its high visual graphics and smooth quality surface. If you are interested in folding cartons, bringing your product to retail or improving an existing product’s packaging, then contact Brown Packaging today to get started. (714)300-0650 request@brownpackaging.com Most Recent Posts: Categories: Corrugated Folding Carton Display Packaging Rigid Box Subscribe To Our Newsletter By submitting your information, you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. Custom Folding Cartons Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Relevant Posts
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