German print business Rautenberg Druck has expanded its digital printing capacity with the installation of a Heidelberg Jetfire 50 inkjet press at its site in Leer.
The company, which has been operating for more than 200 years, employs around 80 people and produces applications ranging from advertising and business print to complex mailings, folding cartons and advertising technology. It has also operated its Printoo online store since 2007, serving both B2C and B2B customers.
Rautenberg entered digital printing in the 2000s and has developed a hybrid production approach combining digital and offset technologies. The company said the trend towards shorter print runs and growing demand for customised and personalised products prompted it to seek additional industrial digital printing capacity.
Following an assessment of technologies at drupa 2024, Rautenberg selected the Heidelberg Jetfire 50. The press was installed during the first quarter of 2026 and operates alongside the company’s Speedmaster XL 106 offset press and existing toner-based Versafire CV.
“After thoroughly evaluating the Jetfire 50 from every technical angle, we analyzed and costed the project with the experts from HEIDELBERG based on our order structure. The numbers clearly spoke in favor of investing in the new system, both from an economic and an application-specific perspective, and especially in combination with our Speedmaster XL 106 for offset printing,” said Stefan Schulz, a member of the management board at Rautenberg Druck.
The company prepared for the installation through staff training and infrastructure changes, while also reviewing its prepress processes. It has further developed its use of Heidelberg’s Prinect workflow to increase automation as its production becomes more fragmented.
Rautenberg now plans to adopt the Prinect Touch Free workflow in the coming months. The AI-based system is designed to manage hybrid digital and offset production and determine the most cost-effective production method for individual jobs.
“Rautenberg’s investment in a Jetfire 50 once again underscores that we can convince the market of the benefits of hybrid print production with our digital ecosystem,” said Dr. David Schmedding, CSO at Heidelberg. “The combination of industrial digital printing solutions with our modern offset presses is capable of significantly increasing the competitiveness of print shops.”
