08/20/2026
For more than 200 years, Rautenberg Druck GmbH in Leer, Germany, has demonstrated that business success means one thing above all else: consistently viewing market changes as opportunities and successfully navigating them. A major milestone was the company’s entry into digital printing as early as the 2000s. Today, its range of services extends from traditional advertising and business printing materials to complex mailings and folding cartons, all the way to applications in the field of advertising technology. Approximately 80 employees ensure that everything runs smoothly, from consultation and design to production and customized logistics solutions.
Since 2007, Rautenberg Druck has also operated its own online store, “printoo”, through which it serves customers in both the B2C and B2B sectors. Stefan Schulz, a member of the management board at Rautenberg Druck GmbH, emphasizes in this context that it was clear very early on that the company’s broad product portfolio could only be produced profitably through a combination of digital and offset printing.
Job structure requires industrial digital printing solutions
Due to the trend toward ever-smaller print runs and the increased demand for customized or personalized print products, Rautenberg decided to expand its capacity with an industrial digital printing solution. drupa 2024 provided a platform to gain an overview of the latest developments in digital printing, including the Jetfire 50 from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG).
“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,” explains Stefan Schulz, adding: “Furthermore, we were impressed by the machine’s integration capabilities into the Prinect workflow as well as HEIDELBERG’s service offerings.” Nevertheless, Rautenberg Druck did not want to do without the Versafire CV from HEIDELBERG which is already in use with its banner format and brochure finisher. Thanks to its wide range of media and the use of spot colors, the toner-based printing system offers customers interesting design options for specific print products.
Optimal integration of the Jetfire 50 into the hybrid production environment
The installation of the HEIDELBERG Jetfire 50 at the Leer site took place in the first quarter of 2026. “We prepared very well for the installation through training and infrastructure adjustments to optimally integrate the inkjet technology into our production environment alongside offset printing,” says Stefan Schulz, summarizing his experience. In addition, the company re-evaluated established processes, particularly in prepress, in advance to fully leverage the Jetfire 50’s potential from the very beginning.
In this context, the company has also further maximized the possibilities of process automation with the Prinect workflow. Automation is playing an increasingly important role, especially as production becomes more and more fragmented. In this regard, the company also has high expectations for the new Prinect Touch Free workflow, which uses AI to manage hybrid production combining digital and offset printing and determines, based on data, which production method is the most cost-effective for each job. Rautenberg plans to switch to the new workflow in the coming months.
“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,” says 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.”
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) is a leading technology company that has stood for innovation, quality, and reliability in mechanical engineering worldwide for more than 175 years. With a clear focus on growth, HEIDELBERG—as a full-service provider and systems integrator—is driving further development in its core areas of packaging and digital printing, software solutions, and the lifecycle business with service and consumables, enabling customers to achieve maximum productivity and efficiency. Building on decades of industry and systems expertise, the company is also strategically tapping into new markets in the fields of security, energy, charging infrastructure, and industrial system solutions—with clear scaling capabilities and attractive growth prospects. Thanks to a strong international presence in approximately 170 countries, the creativity and expertise of its roughly 9,500 employees, its own production facilities in Europe, China, and the U.S., and one of the largest global sales and service networks, the company is well positioned globally.
Image 1: Rautenberg Druck GmbH is expanding its digital printing capabilities with the Jetfire 50 industrial inkjet system from HEIDELBERG. (From left:) The two managing directors of Rautenberg Druck GmbH, Stefan Schulz and Tobias Hoffmann.
Image 2: HEIDELBERG offers its customers a complete digital ecosystem for end-to-end production in commercial, packaging, and label printing, a unique selling point in the industry.
Image material, and further information about the company are available in the Investor Relations and Press Lounge of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG at www.heidelberg.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and estimates made by the management of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft. Although management believes these assumptions and estimates to be accurate, actual future developments and results may differ significantly from these assumptions and estimates due to a variety of factors. These factors may include, for example, changes in the overall economic situation, exchange rates, and interest rates, as well as changes within the graphic arts industry. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft makes no warranty and assumes no liability that future developments and actual results will correspond to the assumptions and estimates expressed in this press release.
Matthias Hartung
Press Officer – Corporate, Print Systems, and Technology
Tel.: +49 (0)6222 82 67174
Email: matthias.hartung@heidelberg.com
08/20/2026
For more than 200 years, Rautenberg Druck GmbH in Leer, Germany, has demonstrated that business success means one thing above all else: consistently viewing market changes as opportunities and successfully navigating them. A major milestone was the company’s entry into digital printing as early as the 2000s. Today, its range of services extends from traditional advertising and business printing materials to complex mailings and folding cartons, all the way to applications in the field of advertising technology. Approximately 80 employees ensure that everything runs smoothly, from consultation and design to production and customized logistics solutions.
Since 2007, Rautenberg Druck has also operated its own online store, “printoo”, through which it serves customers in both the B2C and B2B sectors. Stefan Schulz, a member of the management board at Rautenberg Druck GmbH, emphasizes in this context that it was clear very early on that the company’s broad product portfolio could only be produced profitably through a combination of digital and offset printing.
Job structure requires industrial digital printing solutions
Due to the trend toward ever-smaller print runs and the increased demand for customized or personalized print products, Rautenberg decided to expand its capacity with an industrial digital printing solution. drupa 2024 provided a platform to gain an overview of the latest developments in digital printing, including the Jetfire 50 from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG).
“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,” explains Stefan Schulz, adding: “Furthermore, we were impressed by the machine’s integration capabilities into the Prinect workflow as well as HEIDELBERG’s service offerings.” Nevertheless, Rautenberg Druck did not want to do without the Versafire CV from HEIDELBERG which is already in use with its banner format and brochure finisher. Thanks to its wide range of media and the use of spot colors, the toner-based printing system offers customers interesting design options for specific print products.
Optimal integration of the Jetfire 50 into the hybrid production environment
The installation of the HEIDELBERG Jetfire 50 at the Leer site took place in the first quarter of 2026. “We prepared very well for the installation through training and infrastructure adjustments to optimally integrate the inkjet technology into our production environment alongside offset printing,” says Stefan Schulz, summarizing his experience. In addition, the company re-evaluated established processes, particularly in prepress, in advance to fully leverage the Jetfire 50’s potential from the very beginning.
In this context, the company has also further maximized the possibilities of process automation with the Prinect workflow. Automation is playing an increasingly important role, especially as production becomes more and more fragmented. In this regard, the company also has high expectations for the new Prinect Touch Free workflow, which uses AI to manage hybrid production combining digital and offset printing and determines, based on data, which production method is the most cost-effective for each job. Rautenberg plans to switch to the new workflow in the coming months.
“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,” says 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.”
Video: Jetfire 50 at Rautenberg
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) is a leading technology company that has stood for innovation, quality, and reliability in mechanical engineering worldwide for more than 175 years. With a clear focus on growth, HEIDELBERG—as a full-service provider and systems integrator—is driving further development in its core areas of packaging and digital printing, software solutions, and the lifecycle business with service and consumables, enabling customers to achieve maximum productivity and efficiency. Building on decades of industry and systems expertise, the company is also strategically tapping into new markets in the fields of security, energy, charging infrastructure, and industrial system solutions—with clear scaling capabilities and attractive growth prospects. Thanks to a strong international presence in approximately 170 countries, the creativity and expertise of its roughly 9,500 employees, its own production facilities in Europe, China, and the U.S., and one of the largest global sales and service networks, the company is well positioned globally.
Image 1: Rautenberg Druck GmbH is expanding its digital printing capabilities with the Jetfire 50 industrial inkjet system from HEIDELBERG. (From left:) The two managing directors of Rautenberg Druck GmbH, Stefan Schulz and Tobias Hoffmann.
Image 2: HEIDELBERG offers its customers a complete digital ecosystem for end-to-end production in commercial, packaging, and label printing, a unique selling point in the industry.
Image material, and further information about the company are available in the Investor Relations and Press Lounge of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG at www.heidelberg.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and estimates made by the management of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft. Although management believes these assumptions and estimates to be accurate, actual future developments and results may differ significantly from these assumptions and estimates due to a variety of factors. These factors may include, for example, changes in the overall economic situation, exchange rates, and interest rates, as well as changes within the graphic arts industry. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft makes no warranty and assumes no liability that future developments and actual results will correspond to the assumptions and estimates expressed in this press release.
Press Officer – Corporate, Print Systems, and Technology
Tel.: +49 (0)6222 82 67174
