Mainstream applications nowadays offer high-speed performance that until recently was only present in high-end applications. Special high-frequency materials and processing steps are, due to their inherent cost, not suited for high-volume applications. In this paper, a wideband material characterization technique to compare the behaviour of different base materials is presented. The methodology can also be used for a quantitative analysis of the high-frequency limitations of traditional printed circuit board processing steps as thick copper plating and surface finish. It is based on the propagation constant extraction as part of the multiline TRL calibration. This powerful calibration technique makes it possible to directly compare different materials or processing steps, without the need for advanced modelling. From the extracted propagation constant, a more detailed analysis of the dielectric constant and the loss factor of the substrate material can be performed, based on known and tested formulae for microstrip transmission lines. Adaptations for a high track thickness to substrate height ratio and for the presence of a solder mask can be derived from the results. The practical material parameter extraction method proposed in this paper makes it possible for designers to overcome some of the high-frequency limitations associated with high-volume applications.