Kraft or Coated Board? Which Board Suits Which Product

"Which board should I choose?" is one of the questions we hear most. The answer depends on the weight of your product, your brand positioning and your budget. Here are the four most used options.

Coated board (300–350 gsm)

Board with one glossy white coated side and one grey side. Print quality is very good and colours come out vivid. The vast majority of cosmetic, pharmaceutical, food and retail boxes are made from coated board.

Best for: colour-printed, light to medium weight products. The best price/performance option.

Bristol board (300–350 gsm)

Board that is white on both sides. The inside of the box looks as clean as the outside — when the lid opens you see a white surface instead of grey board.

Best for: boxes where the inner surface is visible and a premium perception is wanted. Slightly more expensive than coated board.

Kraft board

Natural brown, uncoated board. It creates a natural, eco-conscious perception and is often chosen by boutique brands, organic products and handmade soap or cosmetics.

Note: because kraft has its own colour, printed colours become muted and shift in tone. If you want vivid colour a white underprint is needed; usually a single-colour (black or gold) print gives the most elegant result.

E-flute micro corrugated

A material roughly 1.5 mm thick with a fine fluted structure. It absorbs impact and gives the box significant strength.

Best for: glass bottles, ceramics, heavy products and e-commerce boxes that will be shipped by courier.

What does grammage mean?

Grammage (gsm) is the weight of one square metre of board and is directly proportional to thickness. 300 gsm is sufficient for most boxes. If the product is heavy or the box is large, you need to move up to 350 gsm or micro corrugated. Board that is too thin will crush; unnecessary thickness means you pay for nothing.

Request a sample if undecided

It is hard to judge the texture and stiffness of board from a photograph. In our sample kit you can examine different board and finish swatches by hand.