SBS C1S paperboard — brands, makers and what actually differs between them

ByDan Gillespie

There’s a surprising amount of product variety under the generic label SBS C1S (Solid Bleached Sulfate, coated one side). Below I’ll pull together the main global mill brands you’ll see, what makes each different (color/brightness, typical weights/thickness, surface/coating and finishing options), plus a short note on where lesser/commodity grades come from. I’ve cited manufacturer product pages and industry spec sheets for the most important claims.

Quick primer (what “SBS C1S” means)

  • SBS = Solid Bleached Sulfate (aka SBB in some regions) — a virgin-fiber, chemically pulped, bright white paperboard.
  • C1S = Coated on one side (the printing face is coated; the back is uncoated or lightly finished). This gives a bright, smooth face for high-quality printing while leaving the inside/back more porous for gluing/finishing. 

Major mill brands you’ll commonly encounter (with what’s distinctive)

I list brand → mill / owner → high-value features (brightness/colour, typical caliper/grammage, finishes/coatings).

Candesce® — Clearwater Paper

  • Notes: Clearwater markets Candesce as a renewable SBS board aimed at premium packaging. Typically positioned for cosmetics/consumer goods with consistent printability and strength. 

Tango® — WestRock / Smurfit/WestRock (depending on region)

  • Notes: Tango C1S is a widely distributed commercial SBS C1S grade (sold through WestRock/Smurfit channels). Known for good runnability and consistent printability; available in typical cover weights for folding cartons and digital runs. Typical offerings shown in mill product sheets and distributor listings (10–18 pt / 250–350+ gsm ranges). 

Crescendo® — Smurfit / WestRock portfolio

  • Notes: Positioned as a premium coated paperboard for brand packaging; emphasizes bright, clean white surface and fade-resistant coatings. Available as C1S and C2S depending on product. 

Invercote® (Invercote G etc.) — Iggesund (Iggesund Paperboard)

  • Notes: High-end triple/coated surfaces (very smooth), used for prestige packaging. Very high brightness/whiteness and excellent lamination/foil performance. Available in thicker calipers for luxury boxes. 

Ensocoat™ / Ensovelvet — Stora Enso

  • Notes: Ensocoat is Stora Enso’s coated SBS family (smooth, “icy-white” surface) for luxury packaging; Ensovelvet (newer uncoated velvet feel) shows how mills differentiate by surface tactile quality. 

Proto / other SBS boards — Sappi

  • Notes: Sappi supplies SBS/SBB C1S grades (Proto C1S and others) for everyday and premium packaging; good availability in North America/EMEA. 

Diva Art / Diva Art Metal — Lecta

  • Notes: SBS one-side coated with silk or metallized surfaces for creative/luxury packaging. Emphasizes cracking resistance and folding performance. 

CrownBoard / Voyager / Productolith etc. — Billerud (BillerudKorsnäs)

  • Notes: Billerud’s cartonboard lines include SBS and premium CrownBoard variants — positioned for strength + high whiteness and targeted at health/beauty and high-end FMCG packaging. 

Everest / other mill/packer names — Graphic Packaging, various converters

  • Notes: Converters and packaging companies also brand SBS C1S products (Everest, Everest Folding Carton Board, etc.), packaging-oriented product names used for converters’ stock. 

Also common: numerous regional mills and converters (Metsä Board, Lecta, Moorim, APP, Verso, Neenah, etc.) make SBS/FBB-type boards or similar folding boxboards with their own trade names and tweaks (lighter caliper variants, high-bulks, metallized versions, digital-optimized grades). 

What actually differs between brands (practical, measurable differences)

1. Colour / whiteness / “shade”

  • Metric: ISO brightness and visual whiteness. Premium SBS mills promote very high brightness (often low 90s ISO brightness or higher) and a blue-white or “icy” shade for strong color contrast and neutral whites. Lower grades or commodity imports may be slightly less bright (mid-80s to high-80s). Brands like Invercote, Candesce and some mill premium lines are intentionally brighter/whiter for luxury packaging. See manufacturer product pages and basis-weight comparison tables. 

2. Coating type & coat weight

  • Coating mineral: kaolin clay or pigment coatings on the print face (single coating for C1S; some products use multiple pigment layers for extra smoothness). Triple coat / double coat surfaces (e.g., triple-coated Invercote G) reproduce finer detail and handle foil/lamination better. Mills advertise single vs. multi-layer coatings. 

3. Surface finish

  • Gloss / silk / matte / velvet / non-glare: Many brands offer gloss, semi-gloss, silk (soft satin) or specialty textured/uncoated faces (e.g., Ensovelvet). Finish determines visual appearance, how inks sit, and suitability for finishing (foil, emboss). 

4. Thickness / caliper & basis weight

  • Typical ranges: SBS C1S is made across a wide range. Common packaging calipers/weights (approx):
    • Light folding board / digital substrates: ~170–250 gsm (≈7–10 pt)
    • Standard folding carton: ~250–350 gsm (≈10–14 pt)
    • Heavy/luxury cartons, rigid sleeves: 350–450 gsm (≈16–24 pt) or thicker.
      Mills and distributors publish pt and gsm equivalents; a comparative basis-weight table shows how the same nominal pt can vary slightly between mills because of formulation. 

5. Bulk (caliper per gsm) & stiffness

  • High-bulk boards give more perceived thickness at lower gsm — good for rigid look without weight. Some mills formulate for higher bulk or higher stiffness depending on pulp mix. This affects box rigidity and feel. (See mill product brochures for bulk/caliper specs.) 

6. Crack resistance & convertibility

  • Some grades are specially formulated to resist cracking on folds (important for deep boxes and heavy graphic finishes) — Lecta’s Diva Art and similar “folding” focused boards emphasize this property. 

7. Food/food-contact variants and barrier options

  • SBS can be poly-lined or coated with a thin PE layer for moisture/food safety. Some mill lines specify food-grade supply or barrier variants suitable for chocolates, frozen foods, etc. If you need this, confirm the exact food-contact certification with the supplier. 

Typical numeric ranges you’ll see on spec sheets (summary)

  • Brightness / whiteness: ~87 → 95 (mid-80s = lower commodity; 90+ = premium “blue-white” mills). 
  • GSM: ~170 g/m² up to 450+ g/m² (common packaging 250–350 g/m²). 
  • Caliper / pt: ~7 pt up to 24+ pt depending on grade; note pt ↔ gsm conversions vary by mill. 

Where Candesce, Holmen and Tango fit in (and similar peers)

  • Candesce (Clearwater) — premium SBS positioning for North America. 
  • Tango (WestRock / Smurfit networks) — widely available commercial C1S for print/pack markets (digital & litho). 
  • Holmen — Holmen Paper / Holmen Board (Nordic producer) produces premium white boards (Holmen is known for very bright, white boards and specialty coated surfaces) — often sold into luxury packaging lines; Holmen is mentioned alongside other Nordics. 

If you’re already familiar with those three, their nearest peers are Invercote (Iggesund), Ensocoat / Stora Enso, CrownBoard / Billerud, Sappi Proto, Lecta Diva Art, and converters’ branded lines (Everest, Productolith, etc.). Each differentiates mainly via surface treatment, whiteness and bulk/stiffness profile. 

Where commodity/C1S “off brands” come from

  • A large volume of C1S comes from regional mills and Asian manufacturers (custom FBB/SBS in China/Korea) and from converters who rebrand as stock sheets. These are typically lower cost and may have lower brightness, different bulk, and fewer finishing guarantees. If you need high consistency (color match, foil stamping, low crack), prefer mill-branded premium SBS. 

Practical advice — how to pick the right SBS C1S for packaging

  1. Decide by end use not just brand. If you need luxury look + foil + lamination → choose a triple-coated, high whiteness board (Invercote, Billerud CrownBoard, Candesce, Ensocoat). If economy + good print = Tango or standard mill SBS. 
  2. Specify the exact metrics you need: brightness (ISO), coating type (single/double/triple pigment), finish (gloss/silk/matte), gsm or pt, caliper/bulk, and crack resistance. Don’t accept “C1S” alone. 
  3. Ask for technical datasheets / converting guidelines. They list cracking resistance, recommended crease scores, and caliper vs gsm conversions (these vary by mill). 
  4. If food contact is required, ask explicitly about PE liners, food-grade certifications and migration test data. 

Quick reference of useful mill/product pages (start here)

  • WestRock / Tango product guide (Tango C1S). 
  • Clearwater Paper — Candesce product info. 
  • Iggesund — Invercote product family (high-end C1S options). 
  • Stora Enso — Ensocoat / Ensovelvet specs. 
  • Sappi — Proto C1S and paperboard portfolio. 
  • Lecta — Diva Art (silk + metallized C1S variants). 
  • Billerud (CrownBoard / Voyager / Productolith). 

Final takeaways

  • “SBS C1S” is a useful umbrella but hides big differences. The practical differences between brands are surface/coating (single vs multi-coat), finish (gloss/silk/matte/velvet), brightness/shade, bulk/stiffness, and convertibility / crack resistance. Premium mill brands invest in whiter “blue-white” pulps and heavier/multi-layer coatings (Invercote, Candesce, Billerud, Ensocoat), while larger commercial lines (Tango, Crescendo, Sappi Proto) balance cost and runnability. 

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