SBS is solid bleached sulphate, a paperboard made from bleached virgin chemical pulp. It is the bright white, consistent board behind most premium folding cartons: cosmetics, confectionery, pharmaceuticals and anything where the printed surface is doing the selling. If a supplier has quoted you SBS and you want to know what you are buying, this is it.
How SBS is specified
Two numbers describe most of it.
- Caliper, measured in points. One point is one thousandth of an inch, so 16 pt is 0.016 in, roughly 0.41 mm. Lighter calipers suit small, light cartons. Heavier calipers hold a large panel straight and feel substantial in the hand.
- Coating, described as C1S or C2S. C1S is coated on one side, which is the printed face, and is the standard retail carton specification. C2S is coated on both sides, used when the interior is visible on opening or when you want to print inside the carton.
Those two numbers plus your dimensions are usually enough for a supplier to quote.
What makes SBS different from the alternatives
| Board | Appearance | Typically used for |
|---|---|---|
| SBS, solid bleached sulphate | White through the full thickness, so cut edges stay white | Premium retail cartons, cosmetics, confectionery, small pharmaceutical cartons |
| CCNB or recycled boards | White or clay coated printing face over a grey or brown recycled core | Cost sensitive retail cartons where the edge is not a feature |
| Kraft or unbleached board | Brown through, natural fibre look | Brands that want a natural aesthetic, often with one or two colour print |
| E flute corrugated | A fluted layer between liners, about 1/16 inch thick | Retail boxes that also have to survive shipping on their own |
When SBS earns its cost, and when it does not
SBS earns its cost when the box is the first impression: high coverage photography, fine reversed type, a white background that has to stay neutral, or a product where an off white carton would look tired next to competitors on a shelf. It earns it again when the cut edge is visible, since a grey core along a folded edge is the sort of detail people notice without being able to name.
It does not earn its cost on a plain shipper, on a box that lives inside another box, or on a design that is deliberately unbleached and natural. If your brand runs kraft, SBS gains you nothing. If your artwork is one colour on a brown background, the same applies.
Practical notes before you specify it
Ask about grain direction if the carton is tall and narrow, because board folds cleanly along the grain and roughly across it. Ask about coating choice if the carton will be handled with wet hands or sit in a humid aisle. And check the proof rather than your screen for whiteness expectations, since paper white and screen white are different things.
Ordering, minimum and turnaround
Minimum order is 100 boxes. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote, with caliper, coating, colour count and finishing all reflected there. The die, the plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints are included.
Turnaround is quoted per product in three lanes: rush (expedited production plus air freight, a premium of about 7 to 25% depending on the job), standard by air, and cost saver by sea. The floor is from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 days for delivery, and specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks. We produce in West Chicago, US, and Guangzhou, China.
Tell us the box you are making and what it has to look like, and we will recommend a caliper and a coating on the written quote at /quote/. If you are choosing between board families rather than calipers, what is a folding carton sets SBS in context, and folding boxes is where to order the format.
