Curious about what paperboard is, or wondering how to use it?
We’re here to answer your frequently asked questions about paperboard.
What is paperboard?
Paperboard is a thick, paper-based material. While there is no single industrywide definition separating paper from paperboard, paperboard is generally considered to be thicker than standard paper—typically over 0.012 inches (12 points) in thickness.
Paperboard can be manufactured as a single-ply sheet or as a multiply product created by laminating (gluing) multiple sheets together. Laminated paperboard is often used when applications require a material that is both rigid and foldable.
Paperboard can be made using a wide variety of papers, including recycled and newly produced fibers. Regardless of the materials used, paperboard packaging is renewable and recyclable, making it an environmentally responsible choice. 
What are the advantages of paperboard?
Heavy paperboard is cost-effective, strong, and flexible, making it ideal for many packaging and industrial applications.
Key advantages include:
– High strength relative to its weight
– Excellent tear and burst resistance
– Ability to replace wood in many crating applications
– Superior performance to corrugated in demanding use cases
– Made primarily from recycled materials and fully recyclable
– Highly printable, especially when laminated with coated outer plies
Multiply laminated paperboard is commonly used by leading brands because it protects products while offering strong print performance and presentation quality.
What is the difference between cardboard and paperboard?
The term “cardboard” is often used informally to describe several different paper-based products, which can create confusion. Naming conventions are not standardized across the paper industry, and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably.
In general:
– Paperboard refers to thick paper sheets
– Laminated paperboard is made by bonding multiple paper plies together
– Corrugated cardboard consists of flat linerboard sheets with a fluted (wavy) layer in between
Each material has different performance characteristics depending on the application.
Watch to see how it compares to cardboard.
What is paperboard used for?
Paperboard is extremely versatile and used in a wide range of applications, including:
– Rigid packaging and folding cartons
– Industrial crates
– Slip sheets and tier sheets
– Protective sheets and panels
– Heavy-duty totes and bins
– Furniture components
– Specialty and custom industrial applications
Because laminated paperboard can be engineered using different paper types and thicknesses, it can be customized for strength, durability, printability, and performance.
What is laminated paperboard used for in industrial packaging?
Laminated paperboard is commonly used in industrial packaging applications that require strength, rigidity, and durability.
Typical uses include crates, slip sheets, tier sheets, protective panels, heavy-duty cartons, and specialty packaging components.
It is often selected when corrugated cardboard, plastic, or wood does not provide sufficient performance, sustainability, or cost efficiency.
Is laminated paperboard stronger than corrugated cardboard?
Yes. Laminated paperboard is typically stronger than corrugated cardboard in applications where tear resistance, beam strength, and long-term durability are critical.
Corrugated cardboard relies on fluted layers that can fail under point loads, compression, or moisture exposure. Laminated paperboard maintains its strength through solid, bonded plies, making it better suited for demanding industrial environments.
How does laminated paperboard compare to corrugated cardboard?
Laminated paperboard and corrugated cardboard differ in both construction and performance.
Corrugated cardboard uses fluted layers to create rigidity, while laminated paperboard is built by bonding multiple solid paper plies together. As a result, laminated paperboard generally offers:
– Better tear resistance
– Higher beam strength
– Improved durability over time
– More consistent performance under load
Can laminated paperboard replace wood crates or pallets?
In many applications, laminated paperboard can replace wood crates or pallets. It offers comparable strength at a lower weight, helps reduce freight costs, and eliminates concerns related to nails, splinters, and wood debris.
Laminated paperboard also avoids international wood treatment requirements and is easier to recycle at the end of its life.
How does laminated paperboard compare to wood packaging?
Compared to wood packaging, laminated paperboard is lighter, easier to handle, and often more cost effective. It can be customized for strength, thickness, and print performance while offering a more sustainable alternative.
Laminated paperboard can also improve cube efficiency and reduce disposal and handling challenges associated with wood packaging.
What industries commonly use laminated paperboard?
Laminated paperboard is used across a wide range of industries, including:
– Shipping and distribution
– Industrial manufacturing
– Transportation and vehicle components
– Construction products
– Food and beverage
– Consumer goods
Its versatility allows it to perform in applications ranging from heavy-duty shipping protection to presentation-focused packaging.
Is laminated paperboard suitable for international shipping?
Yes. Laminated paperboard is well suited for international shipping because it is lightweight, strong, and does not require special treatment like wood packaging.
Its durability helps protect products during long transit times while improving space efficiency and reducing overall shipping costs.
Is laminated paperboard environmentally friendly?
Laminated paperboard is considered an environmentally responsible packaging material. It is made from renewable fiber sources, often incorporates recycled content, and is fully recyclable.
Many companies choose laminated paperboard as a sustainable alternative to plastic, foam, and wood packaging solutions.
Does laminated paperboard help reduce packaging waste?
Yes. Laminated paperboard can help reduce packaging waste by improving load stability, minimizing product damage, and reducing the need for excessive protective materials.
Its strength and customization capabilities allow packaging to be rightsized for the application, reducing material usage and waste.
What makes DuraFibre different from other paperboard manufacturers?
DuraFibre brings more than 85 years of experience to the design and manufacturing of laminated paperboard products.
With in-house engineering, testing, and production capabilities, DuraFibre creates custom paperboard solutions tailored to specific performance, packaging, and operational requirements, rather than offering one-size-fits-all products.
Can I print on paperboard?
Absolutely. Paperboard is the primary packaging you see in stores, meaning all the designs you see as a customer, ranging from simple printing to amazing multi-color graphics, are possible with paperboard packaging.
This includes products on every aisle, including electronics, cosmetics, beverages, dry goods, and pharmacy items.
Even very thick paperboard is highly printable, such as what you see in club stores, where high-quantity packaging is the preferred choice.
Even paperboard crating can have printing, ranging from a simple part number up to multi-color brand markings. There are few limits when it comes to printing technology.
What is a slip sheet?
The term “slip sheets” can have multiple meanings. Slip sheets are pieces of single-ply thin paper used on the bottom, middle and top of layers of product or layers of packaging. The term can also be used to refer to laminated paperboard made from multiple plies of high-strength linerboard, cut and scored with exact specifications, to replace wood pallets and skids, with the use of sophisticated push-pull attachments replacing the forks on a lift truck. Using slip sheets to replace pallets can save material costs, labor, freight and damage.
Slip sheets are especially helpful in beverage markets, bottles, cans, and containers, consumer goods, e-commerce, industrial goods, processed food, protein, shipping and distribution, fruit and vegetable, and many other markets.
Paperboard is especially adaptable for these applications because the strength requirements of the laminated paperboard can be adjusted to meet the needs of the load weight, and coatings are available to help with slip and moisture resistance.
Still have questions or interested in getting a quote?
If you’re still wondering, “What is paperboard?” after reading our answers to frequently asked questions, or want to get started on your next project, we’re happy to help. Contact us today.