What are the main papers and boards, their properties, and what are they used for?
Papers and boards: the common types (cartridge, layout, tracing, grid, bleed-proof papers; corrugated card, mounting board, foam board, duplex and solid white board), their physical and working properties, weight measured in gsm, and typical uses.
A focused answer to OCR GCSE Design and Technology J310 on papers and boards: the common types, their physical and working properties, how weight is measured in gsm, and typical uses in design.
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What this dot point is asking
OCR J310 puts papers and boards among the six material categories you must know. You need the common types, their physical and working properties, how weight is measured in gsm, and typical uses. In the written exam this is tested by matching a paper or board to a task with a reason, and by explaining gsm. Papers and boards are also the bread and butter of modelling, so the knowledge feeds the NEA too.
How paper and board are measured
Roughly, anything above 200 gsm is called board; below that it is paper. Knowing gsm lets you pick the right stiffness: printer paper is about 80 gsm, a greetings card around 230 to 300 gsm, and packaging board higher still. Board is also sometimes measured by thickness in microns.
Common papers
Common boards
Physical and working properties
When choosing, weigh the properties: stiffness (does it need to stand up?), strength (will it be loaded or knocked?), printability (does it carry graphics?), foldability (does it crease cleanly?), and cost. Corrugated card wins on protection and cost; solid white board wins on print quality; foam board wins on rigid lightweight models.
Try this
Q1. State what gsm stands for and what it measures. [2 marks]
- Cue. Grams per square metre; the weight of the paper or board.
Q2. Name a suitable board for protecting a product in the post and give one reason. [2 marks]
- Cue. Corrugated card, because its fluted middle absorbs impact and resists crushing.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR J310/01 20192 marksState a suitable paper or board for each of the following: tracing an outline, and protecting a fragile product in a posted box. Give a reason for each.Show worked answer →
A 2-mark question, one mark per correct material with reason.
Tracing an outline: tracing paper, because it is thin and translucent so you can see and copy the lines beneath it.
Protecting a fragile product when posted: corrugated card, because its fluted middle layer absorbs impact and resists crushing, cushioning the product.
Markers reward a sensible material matched to each task with a property-based reason. A material with no reason, or a wrong match, loses the mark.
OCR J310/01 20214 marksExplain why the weight of paper and board, measured in gsm, is important when choosing a material for a product such as a greetings card or a model.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark Explain wants gsm understood and applied.
Gsm (grams per square metre) measures the weight, and therefore roughly the thickness and stiffness, of paper and board: a higher gsm is heavier, thicker and stiffer. For a greetings card you need a board heavy enough to stand up on its own (around 230 to 300 gsm), so it feels quality and does not flop; ordinary printer paper (about 80 gsm) would be too floppy. For a model you might choose a thick board or foam board for rigidity, or a lighter card where it must fold.
Markers reward: gsm is grams per square metre (weight), higher gsm means thicker and stiffer, and matching a sensible gsm to the product's need for stiffness. Defining gsm with no application caps the mark.
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Sources & how we know this
- OCR GCSE (9-1) Design and Technology (J310) specification — OCR (2017)