Our Solutions for Marking and Coding Styrofoam (EPS)
Printing on Styrofoam
Styrofoam (EPS) is used for POS displays, model-making, and packaging – wherever a lightweight, dimensionally stable material is needed. For printing, however, the surface presents a particular challenge: it is porous, yet not absorbent. This leads to uneven ink uptake and a risk of contours sinking in or fraying. Depending on the stage of the production process at which printing occurs, heat exposure can also cause material damage or even melting of the surface.
Since water-based inks do not work on this non-absorbent surface, solvent-based inks are required here – matched to the specific application.
How High-Quality Printing on Styrofoam Works Without Material Damage
Marking styrofoam relies on Thermal Inkjet technology, implemented via the edding compact printer systems in 12.7 mm and 25.4 mm (0.5″ and 1″). What matters most here is the interplay of ink properties: our solvent-based inks offer a significantly better decap time compared to competitor products, without compromising on adhesion or drying time.
On non-absorbent surfaces like styrofoam, this balance is decisive: a long decap time (so the print head doesn’t dry out), combined with excellent adhesion and, at the same time, fast drying. These three factors are inherently at odds with one another – our inks achieve a particularly good balance between them.
