Paper, cardboard and game materials B2B

The 350g/m2 grammage has been established as a standard for professional gaming cards for several technical reasons:

• Optimal hand hold - Sufficiently rigid to avoid accidentally bending, thin enough to stack without too thick a package.
• Perfect gliding with mixture - Finer = glue to the fingers, thicker = laborious mixture. 350g is the sweet spot.
• Film compatibility - Accepts matt, shiny and soft-touch coating without deformation.
• Universal availability - All major European suppliers offer this grammage as standard.
• Reasonable cost - Good quality/price ratio compared to alternative graffiti.

For the majority of B2B projects (business games, training, CSR), 350g is the right choice by default (more about our CSR gameThe 400g is justified for projects with very high lifespan (5+ years of weekly use).

A professional 350g card card for game cards is not a raw card: it is a multilayer cardboard specifically formulated for playing card use.

Typical composition (from the front to the back):

• Double-sided printing layer - Coated paper white 80-100g, smooth surface for offset printing/digital.
• Opaque central layer - Black or dark grey cardboard that prevents transparency (essential for not seeing the back through the map).
• Verso printing layer - Same on the front, for printing back.

This 3-layer structure (sometimes called "playing card" or "playing card stock") is essential. A single-layer 350g carton does not do the job because it lets the light pass and the back becomes visible.

THE kraft wood cardboard is obtained by compression of unbleached paper pulp from softwood. The natural brown color comes from the residual lignin (not eliminated as for white papers).

This lack of bleaching reduces the environmental footprint and allows for the incorporation of a large proportion of recycled fibres (often 60-80%) without degradation of mechanical properties.

Brown kraft wood is never printed directly (except for deliberately raw use). coated paper printed (135-150 g/m2) laminated This double material structure combines the rigidity of the kraft and the printing quality of the coating.

On the bell boxes, the coated paper is wrapped on the edges to hide the brown kraft completely. On the playing trays, the layer is glued back and back for a finished rendering on both sides.

Unlike corrugated cardboard (canneled) which is a sandwich with air pocket, the compact cardboard is a full and dense material, manufactured by compression of cellulose fibres (often recycled) with very little humidity.

Typical density: 700-900 kg/m3. For comparison, corrugated cardboard is 100-200 kg/m3 (air pocket). This high density gives the compact carton its homogeneous rigidity, its resistance to crushing and its ability to carry weight (essentially for in-store box batteries).

Grey card

The standard. Made from recycled fibers (paper paper, corrugated at the end of life). Natural grey color, slightly marbled. Ideal for inner box structures (which will be sheathed afterwards). Moderate cost.

Wood cardboard (kraft)

Natural brown (unbleached) colour, "material" aspect. Used when raw aesthetics is sought (eco-responsible, natural boxes). More expensive than grey.

Black card

Dyed in black mass, gives a premium effect when the inside of the box is visible. Higher cost, used for luxury boxes.

Compact white cardboard

Compact but white cardboard in the mass. Allows direct printing without sheathing. More rare and more expensive.

For most B2B projects, 2.0 mm is the right choice. 2.5 mm is justified for large boxes or extended intensive use.

The micro-channeled is unique (lightness + stiffness + shock absorption capacity) in its sandwich structure:

• External coverage - Flat cardboard 100-150g, printable surface.
• Corrugated central joint - Flat cardboard 80-120g formed in regular waves, creating "bridges" between the two covers.
• Domestic coverage - Flat cardboard 100-150g.

This structure creates air pockets inside the cardboard, which act as a shock absorber. Therefore, corrugated cardboard is universally used for protective packaging.

In the corporate board game manufacturing, the E type is the standard for economical boxes and over-packs of shipping. The F type is used for premium boxes requiring the fineness of the compact carton but with the strength of the undulate.

For a professional B2B playbox, the compact 1.5-2.5 mm carton is preferred. The micro-channelled is used for economical versions or over-packs of shipping.

THE Bristol is a complex of several layers:

• External layer - Coated paper smooth to receive theoffset printing.
• Inside soul - Cellulose cardboard giving stiffness. Can be dyed black to prevent transparency (essential on playing cards).
• Outer layer over - Symmetrical to the front layer for dimensional stability (no gondola).

This three-layer structure gives the breaketol its unique balance between thinness (hand thin card), rigidity (no accidental fold) and opacity (impossible to see through).

On a standard playing card, the player must not be able to guess the card's value by transparency seen from below. The black soul (central layer tinted in black) blocks any light transmission, making the card perfectly opaque.

Black soul breakol (sometimes called "black core") is the professional standard for all hidden information card games: poker, bridge, pick-mechanic board games.

For educational or educational cards without hidden information stakes, the standard white soul is enough (and costs 10-more economical depending on volume).

For professional playing cards, aim:

• 280-300 g/m² - Standard fine playing cards, classic poker look.
• 310-330 g/m² - Standard modern professional playing cards, good handling.
• 350 g/m² - Premium cards, heavy and quality feel.

Below 280 g/m2, the cards become too flexible and wear out quickly. Above 350 g/m2, they become too thick for comfortable shuffle.

Three standard finishes:

• Matt - Soft appearance, no reflections, comfortable reading. Ideal for rules and instructions booklets.
• Glossy - Saturated, bright, reflection colours. Ideal for photographic visuals on covers.
• Satin (semi-mat) - Compromise between the two: bright colors without disturbing reflections. Standard for magazines and premium catalogues.

Choice of grammage according to use:

THE coated paper receives the perfectoffset printing 4 colours (quadrichromy). The colors are faithful, the fine details preserved, the deep blacks.

Always associated with a lamination matt or shiny on the components that are to be handled (cards, box covers). The coating protects the ink and increases durability.

Bioplastics (PLA, PHA, PBS)

Plastics made from corn starch, sugar cane or potato. Appearance and touch close to petroleum plastic. Used for pawns, chips, accessories. Composable industrially (often not in domestic compost).

Sugarcane bagasse

Fibre resin from sugar cane after extracting juice. Transformed into pulp, is used to make cartons and packaging. Aspect "raw paper", CSR aesthetic marked.

Bamboo fibres

Bamboo crushed and pressed into panels or used as a card pulp. Fast growth (3-5 years vs. 30 years for a tree). Aesthetic distinctive.

Plastic with recycled plastic stopper

Our signature material: pawns and accessories made from plastic caps from collected and revalued bottles. Excellent circular balance.

Mycelium (champignons)

Emergent: rigid packages based on mycelium grown on agricultural waste. 100% compostable. Still little available on an industrial scale.

• Pawns and tokens - Bioplastics (PLA) or recycled plastic for complex or colour forms.
• Cards - Cartoon made of bagasse or bamboo for explicit CSR approaches.
• Boxes and packagings - Pulp bagasse for natural matter boxes.
• Overpacks - Mycelium or other bio-sourced foams for ecological setting.
• Films and film-coated films - Bio-based coatings (cellulose) to replace plastic BOPP.

Bio-based materials are not a magic solution. Several limitations to anticipate:

• Higher cost - 30 to 100% more expensive than petrochemical equivalents depending on the material.
• Less sustainability - The PLA melts at 60 °C (incompatible with hot storage), the bagasse is more fragile than the classic cardboard.
• Conditional Compostability - Most bioplastics require industrial composting (60 °C, controlled conditions). Unusable in domestic compost.
• Bio-based/biodegradable confusion - A substance can be bio-based but not biodegradable (and vice versa).
• Limited availability - Restricted volumes on certain materials (mycelium in particular).

A classic printing ink consists of four main elements: pigment (color), binder (fixing the pigment), solvent (which makes the ink fluid) and additives (drying, shine, etc.). In a standard mineral ink, the solvent is a mineral oil from oil.

In vegetable ink, these petroleum solvents are replaced by:

• Soybean oil - The most common, up to 30% of the ink.
• Flax oil - Excellent siccativity (fast drying), often combined with soy.
• Rape oil - European alternative, better local balance sheet.
• Sunflower oil - For very low-smell inks.

The pigments remain identical (metal oxides, organic dyes), only the solvent system changes.

• Carbon balance reduced - Vegetable oils capture CO2 during plant growth, while mineral oils release fossil carbon.
• VOCs (volatile organic compounds) reduced - Atmospheric emissions 50-90% lower than mineral inks during drying.
• Better paper recycling - Plant inks are more easily de-inked in recycling (less aggressive de-oiling).
• Compliance EN71-3 - Formulations without lead, cadmium, chromium VI or other prohibited elements.
• No petroleum solvent in workshop - Improved working conditions for printing operators.

Frequently asked: Are plant inks as effective as minerals? Answer: Yes, for 20 years.

The only real disadvantage of plant inks is slightly slower drying (10-20 %), easily compensated by a suitable machine schedule.

PVC is not the default material in the board game (the 350g board remains the standard), but it becomes essential in certain specific uses:

• Maps used outdoors - Games for orientation, field training, hiking. Rain and humidity do not alter PVC.
• Maps handled in a wet environment - Kitchen, bathroom, swimming pool, hospital, soap washable.
• Long term intensive use cards - Training kits used hundreds of times over 10+ years.
• Secured cards (anti-fraud) - PVC is harder to counterfeit than cardboard. Casino usage, screening games.

Recycled PVC is a compromise: better than virgin PVC, less good than cardboard on the environmental balance, but unbeatable on sustainability.

Printing on recycled PVC requires appropriate techniques:

• UV screen printing - Standard for printing on plastic. UV hardened opaque inks. 10+ years without deformation.
• Digital UV LED printing - For small custom series. Photo quality possible.
• Pad printing - For localized decors (logo, serial number).

The traditional offset does not work on PVC (no ink absorption). UV techniques are essential.

Beech (Fagus sylvatica)

The most used petrol for play accessories. Light wood (white-rosed), fine grain and homogenous, medium hardness (density 700 kg/m3). Excellent usability (turning, milling, drilling), takes very well dyeing and laser engraving. Important French availability (forests managed sustainably in Vosges, Burgundy, Champagne).

Maple (Acer pseudoplatanus for sycamore maple)

More rare and expensive than beech. Very light wood (white-yellow), almost without veins, premium aesthetic. A little lower density (640 kg/m3) but superior usability for fine details. Ideal for pawns with high definition engraved motifs. Less available across Europe, sometimes imported from Germany or Switzerland.

Three strategic reasons make us prefer French beech and maple vs imported species (Chinese bamboo, Canadian maple):

• Carbon footprint - No intercontinental transport. Local supply = 95% less transport emissions vs Chinese bamboo.
• Traceability - French forests certified to 75% of the territory. Controllable supply chain.
• Commercial arguments Built in the EU - Explicit value to B2B customers who are sensitive to the origin of the materials.
• Supporting the French industry - The French wood industry employs 400,000 people. Political choice is consistent with our Craft Your Games positioning.

The wooden accessories for board play are manufactured using proven industrial processes:

• Turning - For cylindrical pawns, pallets, type men meeple. The automatic wood tower produces up to 3000 pieces/hour.
• Milling / cutting CNC - For complex shapes (animals, cars, profiled men). 3D programming, precision 0.1 mm.
• Sawing and sizing - For cubes, dice, parallelepiped. Precision sawing and then calibration by abrasive sanding to reach dimensions ±0.2 mm.
• Final sanding and polishing - Polishing drum with progressive abrasives to obtain a smooth surface to the touch.