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We do not doubt that you have heard the term “corrugated cardboard” in the past. Most people assume that all cardboard is corrugated and that the two terms are synonymous or at least similar. This assumption isn’t a problem for the average person, but anyone who regularly uses shipping services will need to know the difference. Business owners who need to consider packaging needs will also need to know the difference.

Explaining The Difference

The difference is very simple. Standard cardboard is nothing more than card stock. Yes, we are talking about the same material that is used to make playing cards. It’s a material very similar to posterboard in some ways. Corrugated cardboard, on the other hand, is the multi-layered cardboard of which most larger boxes are made.

Corrugated cardboard has two layers, with a third piece sandwiched in the middle. This middle piece is twisted to form channels and air pockets, which help to reduce the weight of the box while giving it a little bit of air cushioning to deal with any impact that may occur in the shipping process. The main purpose of this stuff is to provide something thicker and more durable than card stock.

These two substances are related to one another in the fact that corrugated cardboard is made from three layers of cardstock. If you want a simple way to think about it, corrugated cardboard is just the more durable version of card stock.

When To Use Cardboard

Plain cardboard might not be as tough as the corrugated stuff, but it’s still adequate for many things. You don’t always need to go with the most durable option, particularly when you are trying to keep the production costs low. Cardstock is made of Kraft paper, the same material that is used to make paper grocery bags and those little brown lunch bags that we all took to school.

Kraft paper is a very cheap material, so a simple sheet of this stuff is no big deal. Another good thing about cardboard is the fact that it can be used in a printer. You can use it in most home printers, and an industrial printer should have no problem handling this stuff. This gives you the chance to print all kinds of decorative and promotional material on the outside of a box.

When To Use Corrugated Boxes

Corrugated cardboard is the heavy-duty option. When shipping something through the mail, it is pretty much always better to go with one of these. Postal workers sometimes get a bad rap for damaging packages, and this is not entirely deserved. However, accidents do sometimes happen in shipping, and that is just an undeniable fact of life.

Even though your package is likely to be delivered without any incident, it is always better to be on the safe side. Besides, corrugated cardboard is only a little more expensive than regular cardboard. You definitely won’t break the bank buying boxes unless you’re already in the hole.

Corrugated cardboard cannot easily be run through a printer like regular cardboard, but you can certainly print decals and slap them on the sides of a corrugated cardboard box if you want to add some flair to the package. Still, this is often not a cost-effective thing to do. You can also buy printers that are set up to print on corrugated cardboard, but the drab color will prevent your graphics from showing up as brightly as they could.

About Kraft Paper

Since both of these materials are made of the same basic substance, we should go over the basic properties of that substance. We’re talking about Kraft paper, a special type of brown paper that we mentioned earlier. First, we should mention that it isn’t always brown. It’s just that kraft paper takes more bleach than normal paper before it will whiten. As such, white kraft paper is a little more expensive and isn’t used as much. Still, it is probably the highest-quality paper on the market.

This stuff is produced using a method called the Kraft process. This process was not named after its creator, unlike many other scientific processes. The word “Kraft” means “strong” in German, and that is why this paper was named: For its strength. The inventor, Karl Ferdinand Dahl, patented this type of paper in 1884.

The process is actually kind of simple. They put a whole bunch of wood chips into a hot water bath, and add a whole bunch of lye and sodium sulfide. The process has since been improved to include methods of recycling its waste products. From an environmental standpoint, this is a very good thing, and it makes kraft paper one of the more eco-friendly materials out there.

Conclusion

We hope that we have cleared up this little misunderstanding and given you a better idea about the differences between these two materials. There is actually a lot more science behind the simple cardboard box than we would have thought. If you want a simple statement to guide your decisions about these materials, just remember that corrugated cardboard is the strong one, and card stock is the pretty one. In the end, that’s all you really need to know. If you have enjoyed this article, we invite you to fill out the contact form below.