Almost every quoting mistake in this category starts with the word cardboard, because two suppliers can hear it and picture two completely different materials. This guide separates them, gives you the thickness scale for each, and tells you which one your product needs. To order a standard construction, use the cardboard boxes page.
Paperboard: one solid sheet
Paperboard is a single sheet, smooth on at least one side, and it is what most retail cartons are made from. Thickness is quoted in points of caliper, where one point is a thousandth of an inch. It folds crisply, prints well, and folds flat for storage. It is not a shipping material on its own.
| Caliper | Thickness | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 14pt | 0.014 in, about 0.36 mm | Light cartons, sleeves, bands |
| 16pt | 0.016 in, about 0.41 mm | Small retail cartons, cosmetic and supplement boxes |
| 18pt | 0.018 in, about 0.46 mm | The common all rounder for retail folding cartons |
| 20pt | 0.020 in, about 0.51 mm | Larger cartons and heavier contents |
| 24pt | 0.024 in, about 0.61 mm | Stiff cartons, larger panels that must not bow |
Corrugated: fluted, and much stronger
Corrugated is a wave of paper glued between liners, which is why an empty corrugated box holds its shape and a paperboard carton collapses. The wave is called a flute, and the flute profile sets the wall thickness: E flute is about a sixteenth of an inch, B about an eighth, C about five thirty seconds, and BC double wall around nine thirty seconds. E flute prints closest to paperboard quality, which is why retail products that also ship direct often land there.
Choosing between them
Ask one question: does this box have to survive a journey on its own? If the carton will sit inside a shipper, or be handed over a counter, paperboard is lighter, cheaper and prints better. If a carrier will handle it, if it will be stacked, or if the contents have any weight to them, use corrugated. The expensive mistake runs in one direction: a beautiful paperboard carton sent through a parcel network arrives creased, and no amount of print quality recovers that.
A middle path exists. Many brands use a printed paperboard carton for the retail unit and a plain corrugated shipper around a batch of them, which keeps print costs on the piece the customer sees.
Sizing, whichever material you pick
Give inside dimensions in the order length by width by depth, and measure the product as it will actually be packed, including any wrap, bag or leaflet. Corrugated has more manufacturing tolerance than paperboard because the wall is thicker, so allow a little clearance on a snug fit rather than designing to the exact millimeter.
What either material costs to run
The minimum is 100 boxes in either material. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote, since caliper or flute, size, ink coverage and finishing all move it. The die, the plates, design support and US shipping are included, and you see a digital proof before anything prints. Production on the standard lane starts from about 7 business days, with 2 to 5 more for delivery, and the rush and cost saver lanes are quoted per job.
Get the material decided on a quote
Describe the product and how it will travel in the quote form and we will recommend a caliper or a flute with the price. For a deeper comparison read corrugated versus cardboard, and for the thickness decision on retail cartons see what paperboard thickness to use.
