hubergroup Print Solutions has introduced its new modular Hydro-X Contact system – a next-generation solution for water-based inks and overprint varnishes. The system is designed to offer greater flexibility and creative possibilities for designers and brand owners, particularly when it comes to recyclable mono-material packaging.
The Hydro-X Contact system is designed to meet a wide range of packaging needs – elegant touches for premium chocolates to playful elements for children’s snacks and branding on takeaway boxes. The system offers design flexibility and brilliant print quality across every surface, while also supporting recyclability, aligning with the growing demand for more sustainable packaging options.
With Hydro-X Contact, hubergroup adds a powerful new dimension to its Hydro-X system. Optimized for flexographic printing on central impression and stack presses, Hydro-X Contact integrates easily into existing press workflows – fast, efficient, and consistent.
Hydro-X Contact also plays a pivotal role in the transition from film-based to paper-based packaging – both in terms of functionality and design. By eliminating the need for additional plastic barriers in certain applications, it simplifies packaging structures and frees up more printable space for bold visuals, branding, and creative storytelling.
Together with hubergroup’s wider range of sustainable technologies – including barriers against grease, water, vapor, and oxygen, as well as heat-sealable overprint varnishes – Hydro-X Contact helps unlock packaging concepts that are both highly functional and recyclable. Water-based printing inks and varnishes such as Hydro-X can reduce VOC emissions, promote recyclability and thus support the transition to a circular economy for packaging.
“Hydro-X Contact combines food safety standards with practical advantages for printers – it is easy to process, with excellent colour appearance and reliable results,” says André Garber, head of business development, water-based systems & UV coatings at hubergroup. “It is also a future-proof solution that aligns perfectly with evolving EU packaging regulations.”
“Hydro-X Contact is a real game-changer for printers, enabling them to offer packaging solutions that surprise and delight. From unique interior prints to bold design accents, it opens up entirely new ways to differentiate products on the shelf and enhance the unboxing moment,” adds Alessandro Sabbatini, product manager Hydro-X at hubergroup.
With Hydro-X Contact, hubergroup reinforces its role as a leading enabler of sustainable packaging – combining regulatory foresight, maximum design freedom, and operational reliability in one powerful system.
To explore the capabilities of the Hydro-X Contact system, visitors can meet the hubergroup team at stand 4D19 during Labelexpo Europe, taking place from 16 to 19 September 2025. Experts will be available on-site to discuss specific requirements, product features, and service offerings.
