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Xeikon to release Eco toners for Cheetah technology

Label Solutions Packaging Solutions


Xeikon is to present the third generation of its Cheetah printing technology (Cheetah 3.0) at Labelexpo Europe this coming September. While Xeikon dry toner technology is already food safe, new legislation and brand owner expectations are further advancing demands for more sustainable solutions. In response, the company has developed new toners without abandoning the strong values of its existing technology, introducing a higher level of sustainability as a direct response to what is undoubtedly the biggest concern for brand owners and end consumers in today’s market. The development of new Eco toners is also a key component of Xeikon’s sustainability goals, which aim to reduce the company’s carbon footprint by 40% in the coming years.



The breakthrough advancements achieved with the introduction of these new Eco toners align themselves along two main axes: sustainability and food safety.


Sustainability – with up to 60% sustainable components chemically derived from high grade transparent recycled PET bottles and other reclaimed carbon materials, converters will see a number of immediate benefits from transitioning to Eco toners:

  • The carbon footprint of Xeikon print technology is reduced by more than 10% which also contributes to converters’ own sustainability goals.

  • Encourages the use of recycled materials by avoiding (higher) taxation on packaging made from oil based virgin plastic.

  • Eco toners, like the company’s other toners, are produced using 100% green electricity, minimising CO2 emissions.

  • Eco toners are deinkable from both paper (Ingede reference) and foil (Cadel reference).

  • No volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted into the environment during the production of toner nor during the actual printing process.


Food safety – by carefully selecting the raw materials and re-engineering the chemical content, Eco toners are completely free from fluorine (both inorganic and PFAS) and 100% vegan, in addition to the established advantages of the previous generation of toners, which are free from BPA, mineral oil, and photo initiators. This means that Eco toners are suitable for application with indirect food contact with only a paper barrier, and for FDA direct food contact with dry food. Additionally, the toners comply with the European Toy Safety Directive, the Nestlé Guidance Note on Packaging Inks, and the Swiss and German Printing Ink Ordinances.


All these characteristics are crucial for complying with existing and future regulations and for protecting the environment. Furthermore, they address consumers’ growing concerns about wellbeing, health, and animal welfare, making them a futureproof solution for today’s investment in environmentally conscious packaging production.


‘Xeikon toners, which already enable exceptional print quality and high reliability, have now been extended with a broader food safety application range. With their eco friendly composition, Eco toners make a meaningful contribution to Xeikon’s unwavering commitment to deliver relevant solutions to the label market addressing today’s and tomorrow’s challenges,’ commented Filip Weymans, vice president of marketing. ‘When making an investment in printing equipment converters seek assurance that their investment is not only suited to their current needs but also fit to address upcoming demands; an aspect that Xeikon will further enable by also making Eco toner available for existing customers operating Xeikon CX300 and CX500 presses in the coming year.’


He further remarked, ‘We are also proud to say that Xeikon Eco toners will not compel converters to increase their prices, unlike comparable sustainable solutions. In fact, converters will have the opportunity to upgrade their production to a much higher level of sustainability without increasing their TCOP (total cost of print). This effectively translates to a cost reduction in real terms and supports them in facing the current severe price pressures.’


To provide further evidence of its green credentials, the company has also launched a Sustainability Scorecard for every digital press in the portfolio. The new scorecard provides a fact based tool for printers to demonstrate the direct environmental impact of their Xeikon machine, expressed as grams of CO2 per square metre, rated in three categories (energy, waste, and ink/toner mass) on a scale from A to G. It goes into a high level of detail to also include substance indicators, legislative compliance, and all outputs for a full sustainability review. The scorecard is not designed uniquely for the company’s equipment but can be used by other vendors as well. More info on the Sustainability Scorecard can be found at https://xeikon.com/en/lps/sustainability-scorecard.


While Eco toner is the cornerstone of Cheetah 3.0, the momentum of the digital press series to mark another significant step towards fully sustainable production of labels and packaging. In addition to new toners and the sustainability scorecard, they include:

  • Metallic toners enabling and supporting creativity for label converters and designers to tap into higher valued applications such as wine and spirits, cosmetics, or gourmet food.

  • A digital frontend with a more intuitive user interface making it easier for operators to run the press, freeing up time for other tasks.

  • An optional Quality Monitoring Module (QMM) that reduces waste related to press performance monitoring and correction significantly (this is achieved with an advanced automatic registration system and a new in line spectrometer that monitor and adjust density, tone curve, and creating, monitoring and adjusting the colour profile when used in combination with Xeikon colour services, making performance more reliable and resulting in a reduced total cost of operation, and allowing the use of lower grade substrates which before could have led to inconsistent performance caused by incorrect data capturing), and

  • Cloud connected, advanced machine to machine interface and man to machine interface allowing for the highest level of automation when requested by the converter.


Xeikon Cheetah 3.0 will be launched at Labelexpo Europe 2023, where visitors will be able to see the new Eco toners in action printing live. Full commercial availability is scheduled for early 2024, when current CX300 and CX500 users will be able to upgrade their presses.


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