Folding carton & die-cut blanks
Die it once, decorate it per order
- All four faces of any carton up to 5.4" tall in one pass
- Works on the die-cut blank or the glued flat carton
- Primerless on kraft, SBS and CCNB
Application · XD-AQ
Corrugated, Cardboard & Paper Printing
Direct print on die-cut blanks, folded and erected boxes, sleeves and bags — after converting.
Paper and board are printed before converting — on the press sheet — which ties every graphic to plates, minimums and printed inventory per SKU. The XD-AQ prints the converted part instead: the blank, the glued carton, the folded mailer, the erected case. One blank SKU, decorated per order, same day.
720
dpi resolution
CMYK
process colors
5.4"
print width (137 mm)
164
ft/min (50 m/min)
The ink
High-density color. Water-based ink. Formulated for food packaging.
High-viscosity ink is what makes both possible: it holds pigment at the surface of natural fiber instead of sinking in — with nothing to cure.
Up to 67%
Higher density on coated board†
Versus standard low-viscosity inkjet. On brown kraft and bagasse the gain shows as edge definition — sharp edges, legible small copy, codes that grade.
Nothing to cure
Water-based chemistry*
No photoinitiators, no monomers, no solvent. Nestlé Guidance and Swiss Ordinance compliant, made under EuPIA GMP for non-food-contact surfaces, PFAS-free per the ink manufacturer of record.
†Density: up to 67% higher colour density measured on coated white corrugated liner, versus a standard low-viscosity inkjet ink (Swansea University; Journal of Coatings Technology and Research). Uncoated brown liner measured 6.5–13.6% in the same work. *Ink compliance statements are based on intentionally added substances, per the ink manufacturer of record. PFAS-free per the ink manufacturer of record. Suitability for any specific food-packaging application is determined by the end user. Full Statement of Regulatory Compliance available on request.
Applications
What gets printed
Converted parts, printed as they are — no plates, no minimums, no printed inventory.
Corrugated — finished boxes
Brand-and-code band on the box you already have
- Folded mailers and erected cases up to 10" tall
- CMYK band plus code in one pass — replaces a label
- Kraft, mottled white and coated liner
Paper foodservice & bags
Stock packaging, decorated to order
- Carryout cartons, pizza boxes, bag faces, cup blanks
- One case at a time — no manufacturer minimums
- Water-based ink with documented compliance*
Sleeves, wraps & carriers
Blanks to order — no plates, days not weeks
- Coffee sleeves, belly bands, beverage carrier panels
- Kraft or white, printed on the finished piece
- Versioned artwork per account, per season
The gap
Print is committed before the part exists. The XD-AQ prints after.
Everything digital in paper and board prints the sheet before the die. The converter therefore commits printed inventory per SKU — or turns the short run away.
Run lengths keep collapsing: seasonal artwork, versioned SKUs, private label and e-commerce mean half of carton orders now run below where plates and make-ready pay. The market’s answer has been a sticker, or a sheet-fed digital press that still prints before converting. The XD-AQ decorates the finished part instead — so one generic blank serves every customer and every version, printed the same day the order lands.
Built for brown kraft, not just coated board
Standard aqueous ink wicks into uncoated fibre and washes out. The XD-AQ’s high-viscosity ink holds at the surface: up to 67% higher density on coated liner†, and on brown kraft the visible gain is edge definition — legible small copy, clean code edges, no feathering — with no primer and nothing to cure.
See the machine, the full trade-off comparison and the specifications on the XD-AQ page.
†Density: up to 67% higher colour density measured on coated white corrugated liner, versus a standard low-viscosity inkjet ink. Swansea University; published in the Journal of Coatings Technology and Research. Uncoated brown liner measured 6.5–13.6% in the same work.
*Ink compliance statements are based on intentionally added substances, per the ink manufacturer of record. PFAS-free per the ink manufacturer of record. Suitability for any specific food-packaging application is determined by the end user. Full Statement of Regulatory Compliance available on request.
Who this fits
Is your part a fit?
If your part passes these checks, send it to us — we'll print it on the XD-AQ and send it back.
Right fit when
- The face you print is flat — a blank, a carton face, a mailer top, a sleeve, a bag face
- The graphic fits a 5.4" band running the length of the part — most logos, panels and code blocks do
- The part is 10" tall or shorter
- The surface is porous — kraft, SBS, CCNB, coated liner, pulpboard (not foil, film or varnished litho-lam)
- You're printing the outside, non-food-contact face
- The work is short, versioned or late-stage — runs under ~5,000, artwork that changes per batch or season
Not sure which technology fits your line?
Five questions about your manufacturing environment. We recommend the optimal EPS process and platform — with no sales call required.
Take the Decoration Optimizer →Common questions
Can it print sheets before die-cutting?
It’s not a sheet press — and that’s the point. Sheet presses already exist; what they can’t do is print the part after it’s die-cut, glued, folded or erected. That’s the work the XD-AQ takes: the job that otherwise ships brown, gets a label, or gets turned away.
Will it replace our flexo folder-gluer?
No. On long identical runs, flexo wins on unit cost every time. The XD-AQ wins on make-ready, minimums and lead time — the short, versioned work below where plates pay. The two run side by side.
Send us your part.
We print it on the XD-AQ and send it back, so you can judge density, small copy and codes on your own substrate.