What packaging materials are available?

The material you select for your packaging determines far more than its appearance — it shapes structural integrity, tactile experience, print quality, environmental footprint, and regulatory compliance. At Packshion, we work with a comprehensive range of paper-based materials, each selected for specific performance characteristics and application requirements. We also offer eco-friendly and food-grade material options to meet the standards of regulated industries and environmentally conscious brands. All materials are carefully sourced from reliable suppliers to ensure they are recyclable and biodegradable where possible.

White Cardboard (Solid Bleached Sulphate / SBS)

White cardboard — also referred to as solid bleached board, ivory board, or SBS (Solid Bleached Sulphate) — is among the most widely used materials in premium paper packaging. It is a high-quality paperboard with a smooth, bright white surface on one or both sides, produced from bleached virgin wood pulp. Key characteristics include:

• High stiffness and rigidity: Despite being relatively lightweight, white cardboard offers excellent structural strength, making it ideal for boxes that need to hold their shape.

• Superior print quality: The smooth, coated surface delivers sharp dot transfer, accurate color reproduction, and a refined finish — suitable for CMYK photographic imagery and Pantone spot colors alike.

• Clean, premium appearance: The bright white surface conveys cleanliness and quality, making it the preferred choice for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food packaging, and high-end retail boxes.

White cardboard is commonly used for rigid gift boxes, folding cartons, cosmetic packaging, medicine boxes, bakery boxes, and premium product cartons where both print quality and structural integrity are required. For food-contact applications, we can provide white cardboard that is free of optical brightening agents and compliant with FDA, LFGB, or GB food-grade standards.

Black Cardboard

Black cardboard offers the same structural properties as white cardboard but with a deep, consistent black color throughout the material — not just printed on the surface. Its distinctive aesthetic makes it a popular choice for brands seeking a dramatic, minimalist, or luxury visual identity. Key features include:

• Through-dyed color: The black color runs through the entire board, so edges and cut surfaces remain dark — no white lines visible at folds or die-cuts.

• Luxury aesthetic: The deep black surface provides an ideal backdrop for metallic foil stamping (gold, silver, copper), creating striking contrast with minimal design elements.

• Versatile finishing compatibility: Black cardboard works exceptionally well with embossing, debossing, and spot UV treatments, where the dark background amplifies the visual impact of these decorative techniques.

Black cardboard is frequently specified for premium gift boxes, jewelry packaging, electronics and tech product boxes, and limited-edition retail packaging where understated luxury is the design objective.

Coated Paper (Art Paper)

Coated paper is a paper grade where the surface has been treated with a mineral coating (typically clay, calcium carbonate, or similar compounds) to improve smoothness, brightness, and print receptivity. The coating fills the natural irregularities of the paper fibers, creating an exceptionally even printing surface. This coating is what gives coated paper its characteristic smoothness and allows for highly detailed, vibrant print reproduction. Coated paper is available in various finishes:

• Gloss coated: High-shine surface that maximizes color saturation and contrast — ideal for vivid, photographic designs.

• Matte coated: Non-reflective finish with a softer, more subdued appearance — popular for elegance-focused and easy-to-read designs.

• Silk/satin coated: A middle ground between gloss and matte, offering moderate sheen without strong reflections.

Coated paper is typically used as the outer liner or wrapping layer for rigid boxes and gift boxes, providing the high-quality printed surface that consumers see and touch. It is available in a wide range of grammages (commonly 128–300 gsm), and its smooth, bright surface delivers superior print reproduction — sharp text, smooth gradients, and vibrant colors. Coated paper is widely used for book covers, magazine covers, postcards, product hang tags, and cosmetic or pharmaceutical boxes requiring detailed graphics. When combined with lamination (matte or gloss), coated paper gains additional durability and moisture resistance.

Corrugated Paper / Corrugated Board

Corrugated board is a structural material consisting of one or more fluted (rippled) layers sandwiched between flat linerboards. This engineered construction provides exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and cushioning properties. The fluted medium creates air columns that absorb impact and provide rigidity, much like arches in architecture. Corrugated is categorized by flute size and wall construction:

• Single-wall: One fluted layer between two liners — suitable for everyday shipping boxes.

• Double-wall: Two fluted layers between three liners — for heavier items and longer shipping distances.

• E-flute (micro-flute): A very fine flute profile that offers good strength in a thin, printable format — popular for retail-ready packaging and e-commerce mailers.

Corrugated is the primary choice for shipping boxes, mailer boxes, e-commerce packaging, and protective outer cartons. The outer liner can be printed with brand graphics, and the material is inherently recyclable and biodegradable.

Kraft Paper

Kraft paper is produced from wood pulp through the kraft (sulphate) process, which preserves the natural strength of the wood fibers. The result is a tough, durable paper with a characteristic brown color — though bleached white kraft is also available for applications requiring a lighter appearance. Key properties include:

• High tear and burst strength: Kraft paper resists punctures and tearing, making it suitable for heavy-duty applications.

• Natural, rustic aesthetic: The unbleached brown finish conveys an earthy, organic, eco-friendly brand image.

• Excellent printability: Despite its textured surface, kraft paper accepts printing well and is often used with simple one- or two-color designs.

• Good folding and water resistance: Kraft paper holds creases well and offers reasonable moisture tolerance compared to uncoated papers.

Kraft paper is widely used for shopping bags, envelopes, gift wrapping paper, void fill, and packaging for organic or natural food products. It is also commonly specified as the outer liner for corrugated boxes. For food-contact applications, we provide kraft paper that meets FDA and LFGB requirements for direct and indirect food contact.

Specialty Papers

Beyond standard paperboard grades, Packshion offers a curated selection of specialty papers for brands seeking distinctive textures, unique visual effects, or specific functional properties. These materials allow for creative differentiation in competitive retail environments. Categories include:

• Textured papers: Embossed or felt-marked papers with tactile surface patterns — such as linen, laid, felt, or leather grain — that add a handcrafted or heritage feel.

• Metallic papers: Papers with a metallic foil-laminated or metallic-coated surface in gold, silver, holographic, or pearlescent finishes, offering high visual impact for luxury and celebratory packaging.

• Colored papers: Through-dyed papers in a spectrum of solid colors, providing an alternative to surface printing for brands seeking uniform color throughout the board.

• Translucent and tracing papers: Semi-transparent papers used for overlays, belly bands, tissue wraps, and layered packaging designs.

• Recycled papers: Papers manufactured from post-consumer or post-industrial reclaimed fiber, with a natural, slightly textured appearance that supports circular economy goals.

• Functional barrier papers: Papers with built-in moisture, grease, or oxygen barrier properties for food packaging applications.

Specialty papers are typically used for luxury gift boxes, limited-edition packaging, wedding and event stationery, fashion and apparel packaging, and brand identity-focused projects where standard white or coated surfaces are not distinctive enough.

Eco-Friendly Material Options

Environmental responsibility is integrated into our material sourcing strategy. We offer the following eco-conscious material categories:

• FSC-Certified Materials: Packshion is FSC Chain-of-Custody certified. Paper materials sourced under this certification are traceable to forests managed under strict environmental, social, and economic standards, supporting deforestation-free supply chains and responsible forestry practices.

• Recycled Content Papers: Materials manufactured from post-consumer waste (PCW) or post-industrial reclaimed fiber, reducing demand for virgin pulp and diverting waste from landfill. These are available across multiple grades including kraft, cardboard, and specialty papers.

• Biodegradable and Compostable Materials: Uncoated, unbleached papers — particularly kraft and certain board grades — that are biodegradable under normal environmental conditions. For specific applications, we can provide materials certified to industrial composting standards.

• Plastic-Free Barrier Papers: For food packaging, we offer papers with bio-based barrier coatings that provide moisture and grease resistance without plastic lamination, making them fully recyclable in standard paper waste streams.

We are environmentally conscious throughout our operations. The raw materials used in production are carefully sourced from reliable material suppliers to ensure they are recyclable and biodegradable, so our packaging solutions have a positive impact on the environment.

Food-Grade Material Options

For clients in the food and beverage sector, Packshion provides materials that comply with international food-contact safety regulations. This is not limited to a single "food-grade" designation — rather, we match the material and certification to the specific regulatory framework of your target market:

• FDA-Compliant Materials: Paper and board materials meeting U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards under 21 CFR Part 176 for indirect food additives in paper and paperboard. These materials are tested to confirm that substances expected to migrate into food under intended conditions of use remain within permissible limits.

• LFGB-Compliant Materials: Materials that satisfy the requirements of the German Foodstuffs, Consumer Goods and Animal Feed Code. LFGB testing is generally regarded as more comprehensive than many other national standards, and its certification is broadly recognized across multiple EU member states and other international markets.

• EU Framework Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004 Compliant Materials: Materials that meet the EU's overarching framework for food contact materials, ensuring they do not transfer their constituents into food in quantities that could endanger human health, change food composition, or deteriorate its taste and odor.

• GB 4806 Series Compliant Materials: For clients manufacturing or distributing within China, materials that meet Chinese national food safety standards for food-contact paper and paperboard.

Food-grade certifications are applied systematically: we specify compliant raw materials at the procurement stage, retain accredited third-party testing documentation, and issue the relevant compliance certificates specific to your product and target market. Additionally, we ensure that food-grade packaging materials use inks, adhesives, and coatings that are also food-contact safe — because compliance at the material level is meaningless if the printing and finishing chemistry introduces contamination.

Material Selection Guidance

Choosing the right material involves balancing multiple factors — structural requirements, print quality, finish compatibility, environmental goals, budget, and regulatory obligations. Our design and pre-press team, backed by a technical support team with over 35 years of industry experience, provides material recommendations based on your product category, brand positioning, target market regulations, and cost parameters. We can produce physical material swatch samples so you can evaluate the look, feel, and stiffness of different paper grades before committing to a final specification.

To discuss the best material options for your project, contact your Packshion account manager or submit an inquiry through our website — we will provide a tailored recommendation within 24 hours.