The thickness of cardboard is a significant factor to consider when customizing cardboard boxes for your products. Cardboard is an extensively used and popular material due to its flexible nature which makes the customization process easier. However, cardboard has different types according to its thickness.
Generally, a normal cardboard sheet is enough to protect your lightweight and small items. The other types of cardboard are made by joining multiple layers of cardboard along with kraft Flutes through a process of corrugation. In this blog, we will highlight how thick cardboard is and why thickness matters.
Why is Cardboard Thickness Important?
The following are a few factors that make cardboard thickness an important consideration when choosing boxes:
- Ensure Secure Shipping
- Withstand Printing Pressure
- Keep Products Safe
- Reduce Shipping Cost
The thickness of cardboard varies from product to product and your preferences according to your budget. An average cardboard sheet has a thickness of about 3-4 mm. The higher thickness of cardboard ensures higher product protection. However, thickness can be increased using a corrugation method for making multiple-wall cardboard.
Let’s dive into the details of why cardboard thickness matters:
Ensure Secure Shipping
You can choose cardboard for retail product packaging and for moving and shipping large items as well, considering the safe shipping. Use normal cardboard sheets for packing smaller and lightweight items. However, you should choose double or triple-wall cardboard boxes for heavier items to offer added product protection during shipping, stacking, and handling.
Withstand Printing Pressure
One of the reasons for a higher cardboard demand is its surface which can withstand the heating and pressing pressure while printing. Recent research shows that paper and cardboard are the most demanding materials worldwide due to their strong material properties and customizability. So, choose the cardboard thickness according to your printing requirements and that aligns with your product needs.
Keep Products Safe
Choose cardboard boxes with higher thickness that can be used for fragile items to ensure the safe delivery of such products. Double and triple-wall cardboard boxes are best for extra product protection, especially on long shipping routes. You can also add foam inserts and dividers inside the cardboard of moderate thickness for maximum product protection even during rough handling while loading and unloading.
Reduce Shipping Cost
You should consider using cardboard boxes with lighter thickness to reduce heavy shipping charges. Now, it all depends on the type and weight of the product you pack in the cardboard boxes. The higher the thickness of cardboard packaging, the higher the shipping charges it results. You can save shipping costs even using larger boxes made from normal cardboard sheets. Small and lightweight retail items should be packed in lightweight cardboard for a cost-effective packaging journey.
How to Measure Cardboard Thickness?
Use the following tools and methods to measure the cardboard thickness:
- Thickness Measuring Gauge
- Stack and Ruler Method
- Micrometer
- Caliper
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Thickness Measuring Gauge
The thickness gauge is specially designed for measuring the thickness of paper-based materials. This tool consists of a spindle and an anvil that hold the cardboard tightly between them. Check the reading on the thickness gauge after tightly holding the cardboard between the spindle and the anvil. Read the measurements on the thickness gauge and decide whether this thickness suits your product packaging or not.
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Stack and Ruler Method
One of the easiest methods of measuring cardboard thickness in that you need a simple ruler to get an accurate thickness reading. It could be considered a manual method of measuring cardboard thickness. Gather different pieces of cardboard to stack them and measure their thickness collectively using a ruler. Now, note down the driven thickness from the ruler and divide it by the number of pieces you have stacked together. You will know the accurate thickness of each piece of cardboard this way.
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Micrometer Screw Gauge
Measuring cardboard thickness through this tool is very simple. All you have to do is to place the cardboard between the anvil and the spindle part of the micrometre. Tighten the jaws (spindle & anvil) until the cardboard fits snugly between them. Now, read the measurements on the meter. This way, you get an accurate measurement of your cardboard’s thickness.
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Caliper
A digital or dial clipper is an instrument used for measuring cardboard thickness. The measuring process is very simple, you just need to put the cardboard between the two jaws of the caliper and read the measurements. You will get precise cardboard thickness measurements from this instrument.
What Units Are Used to Measure Cardboard Thickness?
The following metric units are used for measuring the cardboard thickness:
- Points
- Inches
- Millimetres
- GSM (Grams per Square Meter)
Points
The unit point is presented with its symbol Pt. It is mostly used in the commercial and industrial sectors for measuring the thickness of different objects. Generally, 1 Pt is equal to 0.001 inches. If the cardboard is 15 Pt thick, it will be 0.015 in inch and 0.38 in mm.
Inches
When you observe the measuring units on the ruler, you will see one side of the ruler with numbers in mm units and the other side with inches. If a cardboard has 0.38 mm thickness, it means it is 0.015 inch thicker.
Millimeters
You should consider using the simple stack and ruler methods discussed above to measure the cardboard thickness in mm.
GSM
A gram per square meter unit is used for measuring the cardboard thickness and other paper-based materials. Higher GSM shows a higher thickness. 350-400 GSM is ideal for cardboard box packaging.
Conclusion
How thick cardboard is depends on factors like the product’s nature, product weight the shipping process, your packaging budget, and your branding needs. An average cardboard has a thickness of 3-4 mm which can be used for packing lightweight products. You should choose the type of cardboard sheet that best aligns with your product and branding needs.
If you still have queries, feel free to contact us. We would be happy to assist you!
