Clamshells & hinged containers
Printed lids — nothing touches the fiber
- Bagasse and molded pulp
- Centered graphics and full-lid art
- Batch and code print in the same pass
Application · XD-AQ
Molded Fiber Printing
Direct print on formed fibre — clamshells, bowls, lids, trays, cup carriers, egg cartons.
Molded fibre has no flat stage, so no conventional press can reach it — parts ship blank or get a label. The XD-AQ prints the formed part directly: high-viscosity water-based ink formulated for food packaging — nothing to cure, nothing added to the pack.
720
dpi resolution
CMYK
process colors
10"
part clearance
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
Formed parts, printed as they come off the press — outside, non-food-contact face.
Egg cartons
Lids fit the print band outright
- 6/12/18-count lid tops
- Full-color brand print on kraft or white pulp
- Lot and date coding alongside color
Bowls, plates & trays
Untapped promotional space — today it ships blank
- Flat lands and rims take logos and small copy
- Parts up to 10" tall pass under the heads
- Sharp edges on rough fiber
Cup carriers & sleeves
Brand the carrier, skip the label
- Carrier lands and sleeve faces
- Kraft or white
- Versioned per account, per season
Why now
Molded fibre is untapped promotional space — and it needs printing.
Every one of these leaves the plant blank. Putting a brand on it is a separate step — or it never happens.
- The market is doubling. Foodservice molded fibre: $2.5 bn (2025) → $5.2 bn (2034), 9.3% CAGR (Verified Market Reports, 2025).
- Foam is out. 12 states plus DC have banned foam foodservice — Virginia’s ban reached every vendor on 1 July 2026. The world’s largest restaurant chains have moved to renewable or recycled primary packaging.
- PFAS is out of food packaging. Illinois from 1 January 2026 — including inks and labels — and Maine from 25 May 2026.
- EU PPWR is in force since 12 August 2026. Every pack is graded A/B/C for recyclability. Labels and adhesives count against the grade — a pressure-sensitive label is a second material plus a non-screenable adhesive. Inks count too: water-based is the tolerated class. A harmonised sorting label becomes mandatory, so a blank tray stops being an option — and direct print keeps the pack mono-material.
Why the XD-AQ is the machine for it
Molded fibre is abrasive (it wears contact tooling), absorbent (standard aqueous ink wicks in and washes out), indirect food contact, and ordered in short, versioned runs. The XD-AQ answers all four: non-contact print, high-viscosity water-based ink that holds at the surface, compliant ink chemistry for the non-food-contact face*, and no plates — run of one. See the full option-by-option comparison on the XD-AQ page.
*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 clamshell lid, a tray land, a carrier panel
- The graphic fits a 5.4" band running the length of the part
- The part is 10" tall or shorter
- The material is bagasse, molded pulp or thermoformed fibre
- You're printing the outside, non-food-contact face
- The work is short, versioned or late-stage
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 you print the food-contact side?
No. The XD-AQ prints the outside, non-food-contact face — the lid top, the underside of a bowl, the carrier panel. That is the face the brand lives on, and it is the face the compliance framework covers.
What ink does it use on food packaging?
The inks are water-based — no photoinitiators, no monomers, no solvents — compliant with the Nestlé Guidance Note on Packaging Inks and the Swiss Ordinance, manufactured under EuPIA GMP for non-food-contact surfaces, and PFAS-free per the ink manufacturer of record.*
*Ink compliance statements are based on intentionally added substances, 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.
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.