Paperboard Grades

Paperboard grades that support print, strength, compliance, and cost control

Choose the right board from SBS, SUS, CRB, FBB, URB, or micro-flute to support folding carton performance, product protection, shelf presentation, sustainability goals, and production efficiency.

SBS for premium print and clean graphics

SUS for strength and natural kraft durability

CRB and URB for recycled-content programs

FBB and micro-flute for lightweight strength

Request a paperboard quote Ask materials to review your spec

SBS paperboard for folding carton packaging

Board selection before art lock Netpak evaluates product weight, print requirements, carton structure, coatings, filling method, and delivery needs before production.

Netpak Expertise

Better board selection creates better folding carton performance

Paperboard selection defines print quality, structural integrity, food-contact review, finishing behavior, folding performance, and overall production efficiency.

Core advantages for your packaging program

Netpak aligns paperboard choice with product requirements, carton geometry, coatings, printing, finishing, certification needs, and production constraints.

✓Extensive paperboard options: SBS, SUS, CRB, FBB, URB, and micro-flute to fit distinct folding carton requirements.
✓Surface readiness: premium white board, kraft board, recycled board, and micro-flute structures matched to graphics, coating, and finishing expectations.
✓Strength and durability: board grade, caliper, grain direction, and structure reviewed against product weight, filling line, transit, and shelf life.
✓Sustainability balance: recycled content, fiber reduction, recyclability, and certification goals considered with real package performance.

Ask materials to review your spec

High-strength folding carton material and folding box board example

Board grade should be reviewed with carton style, product weight, print method, scoring, coatings, and finishing before production.

Paperboard Grades

Choose the right board for the carton style

Different paperboard grades behave differently under print, folding, filling, shipping, and retail conditions. Netpak helps compare paperboard options against the actual product and production path.

SBS paperboard sample for folding cartons

SBS

Solid bleached sulfate

Bright white surface for high-impact graphics, fine print, premium finishes, food packaging, health and beauty cartons, and pharmaceutical packaging.

SUS / CUK

Unbleached kraft board

Durable natural-fiber board for carriers, beverage packaging, heavier retail products, and cartons that need more rigidity.

CRB

Coated recycled board

Recycled fiber content with solid print results for dry goods, mainstream CPG, secondary packaging, and cost-sensitive carton programs.

FBB

Folding box board

Balanced stiffness, surface quality, and material efficiency for food, personal care, retail, and lightweight carton applications.

URB

Uncoated recycled board

Practical recycled substrate for internal packaging, secondary packaging, partitions, and non-premium applications.

Micro-Flute

Stronger retail cartons

Added rigidity, stacking strength, and protective structure for club-store packs, electronics, heavier products, and display packaging.

Board Fit Matrix

Paperboard that runs and finishes well

Each grade pairs differently with printing, coatings, embossing, foil, lamination, filling equipment, and distribution. Choose early to avoid waste, rework, cracking, weak folds, and cartons that miss shelf expectations.

Premium Graphics

SBS

Best for teams that need bright white board, sharp graphics, embossing, foil, spot effects, or premium food and beauty presentation.

Heavy Multipacks

SUS

Best for multipacks, carriers, products with higher weight, natural kraft brand direction, and applications requiring stiffness.

High-Volume CPG

CRB

Best for mainstream food and consumer goods programs where recycled content, reliable print, and cost efficiency are priorities.

Lightweight Strength

FBB

Best when the carton needs print quality, stiffness, and material efficiency without defaulting to the heaviest board option.

Secondary Use

URB

Best for partitions, inserts, value applications, and internal or secondary packaging where coated retail graphics are not the priority.

Rigid Retail Formats

Micro-Flute

Best for larger or fragile cartons, displays, club-store formats, heavier retail packaging, and structures needing crush resistance.

Micro-flute adds structure for larger cartons, displays, heavier products, and retail formats that need more rigidity than standard paperboard.

Printing and color control for paperboard folding carton packaging

Board grade affects color holdout, foil behavior, embossing definition, varnish contrast, scuff resistance, and final shelf presentation.

Print and Finishing Compatibility

The substrate affects how the carton prints, finishes, folds, and ships

Paperboard selection should happen before final artwork, coating, foil, embossing, lamination, or production tooling decisions. A carton that looks correct in a design file can still underperform if the board grade is not matched to the physical use case.

SBS can support high-impact graphics and premium finishing. SUS can support strength-driven packaging. CRB and URB can support recycled-content goals when the product and use case fit. FBB can balance stiffness and weight. Micro-flute can add protection and stacking strength for display-ready structures.

1Confirm product weight, carton dimensions, and distribution path before choosing caliper.
2Match coating, varnish, lamination, foil, and embossing to the board surface.
3Review score depth, fold behavior, cracking risk, and glue performance before tooling.
4Validate food-contact, pharma, retailer, or sustainability claims against the actual material stack.

Industries We Serve

Paperboard packaging for regulated, retail, and consumer product categories

Food. Beverage. Health and beauty. Retail. Pharmaceutical. Electronics. Each program is built around the right board, barrier needs, print surface, certification expectations, and retail presentation.

Food
Packaging Beverage
Packaging Health &
Beauty Pharmaceutical
Packaging Retail &
Consumer Goods Electronics
Packaging

Quote Preparation

Get a paperboard recommendation that fits the carton

Send dimensions, board preferences, run size, finishing requirements, product category, filling method, packaging environment, and delivery timing. Netpak can return board guidance, structural design direction, and production considerations aligned with your supply chain.

Request a Quote Email Sales

Custom carton packaging and multipack structure

Share carton dimensions, product format, board preference, annual volume, artwork status, and delivery requirements before quoting.

Sustainability and Certifications

Fiber-based packaging with production controls buyers can verify

Netpak supports fiber-based packaging and circular practices. We offer certified sourcing options and operate under recognized production standards including BRCGS Packaging, ISO 9001, FSC, PEFC, and related packaging quality programs. These systems help brands meet retailer, regulatory, and buyer expectations while maintaining print performance.

BRCGS Packaging Materials AA+ graded certification graphic

Frequently Asked Questions

Common paperboard grade questions

Answers to common questions about SBS, SUS, CRB, FBB, URB, micro-flute, food packaging, recycled content, print performance, prototypes, and specification review.

Which paperboard provides the highest print quality?

SBS generally provides the brightest white surface and strongest premium print presentation. It is commonly selected when fine detail, clean color, foil, embossing, varnish contrast, or premium shelf impact are important.

What grade is best for heavy multipacks?

SUS and micro-flute are often considered when stiffness, tear resistance, stacking strength, or heavier product support matters. The right grade depends on product weight, carton structure, handle design, distribution path, and retail presentation.

Can recycled boards be used for food cartons?

Recycled boards can be useful for many packaging applications, but food-contact suitability depends on the product, the contact condition, coatings, liners, barriers, and applicable regulatory requirements. Recycled content should never be treated as automatic approval for direct food-contact packaging.

Do lighter boards still provide strength?

Sometimes. FBB and well-engineered carton structures can reduce material weight while maintaining useful stiffness. The specification still needs to be tested against product weight, filling method, transit conditions, score behavior, and retail handling.

Can Netpak print directly on micro-flute?

Micro-flute can support strong retail packaging and display structures. Print method depends on the flute profile, liner, artwork requirements, finish expectations, and whether the project requires direct print or a laminated approach.

Does Netpak provide prototypes for different paperboard grades?

Yes. Prototyping can help validate board choice, structure, folding behavior, product fit, shelf presentation, and production readiness before a full run.

Which boards are most sustainable?

The most sustainable option depends on the package goal. Recycled content can matter, but so can right-weighting, product protection, recyclability, coating choice, material reduction, supply chain efficiency, and certification requirements. Netpak evaluates sustainability as part of the full carton specification.

Request a Quote Ask Materials to Review Your Spec

Folding Cartons

Carton Styles & Types