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A cardboard sheet is a flat, uncut piece of corrugated board or chipboard used inside packaging rather than as the box itself: a layer pad between tiers on a pallet, a divider between products in a carton, a stiffener that stops a mailer bending, or a protective sheet that takes the scuff instead of the product. We cut them to any size in any grade, plain or printed, with no minimum order. The one number to get right is thickness, because a sheet that is too light does nothing and a sheet that is too heavy costs weight on every shipment.
They are bought by operations rather than designers, usually by the thousand, and usually after something got damaged. The right sheet in the right place is the least expensive protection a shipment can have, which is exactly why it is worth specifying properly instead of grabbing whatever board is nearest.
Corrugated or chipboard: which sheet does the job
Corrugated board has a fluted layer glued between two flat liners. The flutes make it thick, light and strong under compression, so it carries load and absorbs impact. Chipboard is solid paperboard with no flutes: thin, dense and stiff. It does not carry much load but it stays flat, which is what a stiffener or a backing board needs.
| Job | Sheet type | Grade we would start with |
|---|---|---|
| Layer pad between pallet tiers | Corrugated single wall | B or C flute, 32 ECT |
| Top cap or heavy pallet load | Corrugated double wall | BC flute, 48 ECT |
| Divider between products in a carton | Corrugated E flute or chipboard | E flute, or 0.018 in chipboard for light items |
| Stiffener inside a mailer or envelope | Chipboard | 0.024 to 0.030 in |
| Backing board for prints, photos, apparel | Chipboard | 0.022 to 0.030 in, white one side if visible |
| Protective sheet over a finished surface | Corrugated E or B flute | 32 ECT, plain kraft |
| Slip sheet for pallet handling | Solid fiberboard | 0.030 to 0.045 in, depending on load |
Thickness and flute, in numbers
Flute letters describe the height of the corrugated wave, and the height sets both the cushioning and the stacking strength. A flute is about 3/16 inch, C about 5/32, B about 1/8, E about 1/16 and F about 1/32. Larger flutes cushion better and stack stronger; smaller flutes are thinner and print better. Board strength is stated as edge crush test, ECT, the load a board edge carries before it buckles: 32 ECT is the standard single wall grade, 44 ECT the heavy single wall, 48 ECT the common double wall.
Chipboard is specified by caliper in thousandths of an inch: 0.018, 0.022, 0.024, 0.030 and 0.040 are the usual stock calipers. As a rule of thumb, a sheet needs to be about a quarter as thick as the item it is protecting is long before it stops bending under its own weight, so a 12 inch photo backing wants 0.030, and an 8 inch one is fine at 0.022.
Sizes
Layer pads are cut to the pallet footprint. The standard GMA pallet is 40 by 48 inches, and the pad is usually cut to 39.75 by 47.75 so it never overhangs and catches on the wrap. Other common footprints are 42 by 42, 48 by 48 and 36 by 36. Dividers and stiffeners are cut to the inside dimensions of the carton or mailer less an eighth of an inch each way so they drop in without forcing. We cut any size from about 3 by 3 inches up to a full 48 by 96 sheet, square cut or die-cut with hand holes, notches or rounded corners.
Print and finish
Most sheets ship plain kraft, which is the fastest and lightest option. One color flexo adds a logo, a part number or handling marks such as this side up or fragile, useful on layer pads that a warehouse crew sees every day. When the sheet is seen by the end customer, a stiffener in a mailer or a backing board behind a print, a white top liner with full color print turns it into a brand touch instead of a piece of cardboard. Anti slip coating is available for layer pads on loads that shift in transit.
In short
What to send us: the job the sheet does, the size it has to fit, what sits on it or against it, and whether anyone sees it. What you get back: a sheet in the right board and caliper, cut to the size that drops in without forcing, plain or printed, with samples first if you want to check the fit. What it costs you to start: nothing. Free samples, free cutting proof, no minimum order.
Questions operations teams ask
What thickness of cardboard sheet do I need?
Match it to the job. Stiffening a mailer or backing a photo: 0.024 to 0.030 inch chipboard. Dividing products in a carton: E flute at about 1/16 inch, or 0.018 inch chipboard for light items. Layer pads between tiers on a pallet: B or C flute single wall corrugated at 32 ECT. Top caps and heavy pallet loads: double wall. Tell us what sits on the sheet and we will confirm the grade.
What is the difference between corrugated sheets and chipboard sheets?
Corrugated has a fluted middle layer between two liners, so it is thick, light and strong in compression, which suits layer pads, dividers and protective sheets. Chipboard is a solid, dense paperboard with no flutes, so it is thin, flat and stiff, which suits stiffeners, backing boards and anything that has to stay flat inside a mailer.
What size is a standard pallet layer pad?
40 by 48 inches, the footprint of a standard GMA pallet, usually cut a quarter inch short on each side so the pad does not overhang. We also cut 42 by 42, 48 by 48 and any custom footprint, including pads with die-cut hand holes.
Can cardboard sheets be printed?
Yes. One color flexo for a logo or handling marks on layer pads and dividers, or full color on white top board when the sheet is seen by the customer, such as a printed stiffener in a mailer. Plain kraft is the default and the fastest.
Is there a minimum order?
No. A single bundle for a one off job or pallet quantities for a packing line. Free samples, a cutting proof for die-cut shapes, and no minimum order.
No minimum order. One bundle or pallet quantities. Free samples so you can check the grade on your own product. Free cutting proof for die-cut shapes. Price match: send a written quote for the same board, size and quantity and we will beat it.
Related: paper inserts, cardboard boxes, mailer boxes and the corrugated board specification reference.
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