EPS to Showcase the Future of Fiber-Based Packaging Printing at PACK EXPO
New high-viscosity water-based single-pass system puts print quality, color density, safety and production speed in the spotlight as EPS showcases its leadership in direct-to-object (DTO) printing for molded fiber, cartonboard and corrugated packaging.
Engineered Printing Solutions (EPS) will stage the world-first live demonstration of its new XD-AQ high-viscosity water-based inkjet system at PACK EXPO, giving packaging manufacturers, converters and distributors their first opportunity to see the quality and vibrant color impact of this breakthrough technology.
Following the XD-AQ’s announcement at the FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS Summit in Valencia this September, the system will take center stage on EPS booth W-31050 at PACK EXPO. Visitors will see how it uses high-viscosity water-based ink technology to deliver analog print densities, quality and production speed for printing directly onto fiber-based, cartonboard and corrugated packaging.
Designed specifically for porous substrates, the single-pass XD-AQ uses eight Xaar Aquinox printheads to jet high-quality, high-impact CMYK graphics directly onto cartons, corrugated board, molded-fiber products, cup blanks, bags and thick board. Crucially, it can decorate packaging after it has been die-cut, folded, glued or formed, helping producers move away from conventional workflows that require sheets to be printed before converting.
The XD-AQ’s high-viscosity water-based ink technology delivers the color density and visual impact that many packaging producers struggle to achieve with conventional aqueous inkjet systems. By keeping more pigment at the surface of porous fiber materials, the XD-AQ produces richer colors, stronger density, sharper graphics and clearer small copy, even on challenging corrugated and molded-fiber substrates.
The XD-AQ prints without UV lamps. On absorbent fiber, UV ink that sinks below the surface never sees the light that cures it — water-based ink has no photoinitiators or monomers in the first place. The XD-AQ’s inks are PFAS-free and meet the Nestlé packaging-ink guidance, the Swiss Ordinance and EuPIA Good Manufacturing Practice.*
The XD-AQ operates at print-station speeds of up to 164 feet per minute. With a 5.4-inch print swath and 10 inches of vertical clearance it is able to accommodate a wide variety of flat-faced packaging formats. Jobs are printed directly from a digital file, without printing plates, primer, labels or lengthy make-ready.
Manufacturers can therefore change artwork quickly for shorter runs, versioned designs, regional variations and customer-specific packaging, while holding undecorated stock and adding the final design only when it is needed.
“PACK EXPO will be the first opportunity anywhere in the world to see the XD-AQ demonstrated live, and we expect it to be one of the most exciting developments on the show floor,” said Kenneth Stack, Executive Chairman of EPS.
“It combines the vivid quality, print density, speed and flexibility packaging producers need with the simplicity of high-viscosity water-based ink — no lamps, no photoinitiators, no monomers. For businesses looking to personalize fiber-based packaging, reduce inventory and respond faster to customer demand, this machine changes what is possible.”
Available for $345,000/€299,000, the XD-AQ provides a production-ready route into high-speed, water-based digital packaging printing. Visitors are invited to submit their own packaging parts to EPS for application testing, enabling them to assess print density, fine text and codes on their intended production substrates.
Alongside the XD-AQ, EPS will demonstrate the breadth of its direct-to-object expertise, including the EPS ClosurePrint system, which can print both caps and larger lids. Combining CMYK plus white UV inkjet, LED-UV curing and automated part handling, visitors to the show will see its high-speed pharmaceutical cap decoration in action including the ability to print serialized data, lot information and expiration details inline.
EPS supplies pad printing, multi-pass inkjet and single-pass systems, together with automation, robotics, surface treatment and intelligent part handling. The team will be on hand to show how rather than promoting a single printing process, EPS engineers develop each solution around the customer’s material, part geometry, print requirements and throughput.
“EPS is the leader in direct-to-object systems because we combine deep print expertise with the automation and application knowledge needed to make the complete production process work,” added Stack. “Whether the requirement is packaging, caps, industrial components or highly customized products, our focus is the same: listening to the application, selecting the right technology and building a system that delivers.”
Visitors can experience the world-first live demonstration of the XD-AQ, alongside the ClosurePrint system at PACK EXPO, 18–21 October 2026, McCormick Place, Chicago, booth W-31050.