Molded Pulp Colored Egg Cartons

Yes, and we recommend it. Screen renderings of pulp color are unreliable because fiber texture affects perceived shade. We send physical color chips of the six stock shades, and for custom work we produce a formed sample in the actual carton geometry, since a flat chip and a molded surface read differently.

No. The pigment is bound within the fiber structure, not sitting loose on the surface, and dry pulp does not transfer color under normal handling. A carton that marks the eggs would indicate a surface coated product with poor adhesion, which is one of the practical arguments for wet end coloring.

Three reasons. The pigment itself is an added material cost. Wet end color changes require the system to be flushed between shades, which is downtime. And colored runs cannot absorb variable incoming fiber the way natural production can, so more batches get rejected on shade. Stock colors cost less than custom because we run them continuously and avoid most of the changeover.

We can get close, and we produce a physical match sample before any full run so you can approve or adjust. Exact matching to a printed Pantone reference is not achievable in pigmented fiber, because pulp scatters light differently than coated paper does. Brands with a strict color standard usually approve a designated pulp equivalent rather than insisting on the ink reference.

Slowly, and mostly at a farm stand rather than in a cold case. Pulp pigments are less lightfast than printing inks because the palette is limited to compostable chemistries. Cartons held in direct sun for weeks will lighten, particularly in the blue and purple range. Retail cold cases and covered market stalls are not a problem.