YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
TYPICAL BOARD GRADES
Solid Bleached Sulphate (SBS, SBB) AZ Premium grade bleached virgin fibre. Offers a very good print surface, often selected for luxury products and products where preservation of aroma, flavour and hygiene is important. Recyclable and safe for direct contact with food.
METALLISED POLYESTER (SILVER BOARD) (METPOL)
A premium grade laminate, generally made from Folding Boxboard and laminated to a metallised polyester film, giving a bright silver sheet. Other finishes including holographic or coloured are available - often used for promotional or premium products.
FOLDING BOXBOARD (FBB) GC2, (WHITE BACK FBB) GC1
Made from virgin fibres that have not been recycled, often used in food packaging applications. It has a cream back, offering a good printing surface. The relative stiffness and consistency of folding boxboard justifies its extensive use in machine packing applications. The material is recyclable.
KRAFT BOARD (KFT) (SUS) (CNK) GN4
Made from unbleached virgin fibres, Kraft board is extremely strong. Retains high wet strength and is often used for freezer products and beverage multi-packs. Sometimes used “inside out” to give a natural or rustic look.
WHITE LINED CHIPBOARD (WLC) GD2 (WHITE BACK WLC) GT1
Made from recycled waste and widely used for packaging many consumer items. WLC is manufactured in a number of layers, each of which uses selected grades of raw materials. It typically has three layers of coating on the top surface and one on the reverse.
MICROFLUTE MATERIALS
These are versatile design materials being light in weight yet impressively strong and offers exceptional protection whilst remaining extremely flexible. This makes them ideal for meal carry cartons. The small pitch and density of flutes creates a superior surface for printing thus enabling maximum brand exposure.
PLASTIC EXTRUSION COATED BOARD (USUALLY FOLDING BOXBOARD)
A“standard” carton board coated or extruded with PE, PET or PP. It is used where a physical barrier is required between the product and the cardboard. The plastic offers a good grease and moisture barrier. This material is recyclable where facilities exist.
GREASE RESISTANT (E.G. GRFBB, GRWLC)
A coating or treatment is applied to the board to prevent grease or oils from the product seeping through the board to the print surface. Grease barrier property is measured using a KIT test.
HARD SIZE
This process increases the board’s resistance to water absorption usually by the addition of “size” agent to the middle plies of the board. Oven Treatments This allows the board to be grease, heat and water-resistant. Dual ovenable qualities can be achieved allowing the board to be useable in a microwave as well as a conventional oven.
WATER VAPOUR BARRIERS
This treatment gives board excellent water vapour resistance. It is used in applications which demand both grease and water resistance, such as frozen food.
FREEZING CARTON BOARD WITH WINDOWS
When planning to freeze production please ensure that this is advised to us at the time of material order. We can then make sure that we select a hard sized material that is preferably also a “freeze” grade.