Deep Embossing and Relief in Molded Pulp: Controlling Depth, Draft and Detail to 8mm

Deep embossing turns molded pulp into a branding surface, but relief depth is limited by sheet thickness, draft angle, and dewatering. With optimized forming screens, 2–5° draft, and controlled fiber refining, emboss depth of up to 8mm is achievable with crisp, reproducible detail — turning logos and textures into a molded, label-free brand mark.

The Scenario: Relief detail without tearing

Deep embossing faces three challenges:

Pain Points

• Relief that is too deep for the sheet thickness tears the wet preform during forming or demolding;
• Insufficient draft or venting causes the part to stick to the screen and lose detail;
• Logo edges blur when fiber is over-refined or when dewatering is uneven across the relief.

The Solution: Three deep-embossing solutions

Molded pulp offers three solutions for deep relief:

1. Depth-matched sheet thickness Relief depth is matched to preform thickness so the sheet forms fully without tearing.

2. Optimized draft and venting 2–5° draft angles and screen venting let the part release cleanly, preserving crisp edges.

3. Controlled fiber refining Balanced refining keeps fiber long enough to hold detail while still dewatering evenly.

The Result: Crisp, label-free branding

With these solutions, logos and textures mold in at up to 8mm depth with crisp, repeatable detail. Brands get durable on-pack branding with zero labels or ink.