Rautenberg Druck adds Heidelberg Jetfire 50 to boost industrial digital printing

# What happened German print house Rautenberg Druck has expanded its industrial digital capability with a Heidelberg Jetfire 50 inkjet press installed at its Leer facility in the first quarter of 2026. The press joins the company's existing Speedmaster XL 106 offset press and a toner-based Versafire CV.

# Why they invested Rautenberg — a firm operating for more than 200 years with around 80 employees — has seen customer demand shift toward shorter runs and increased customisation and personalised printing. That pattern pushed management to add industrial digital capacity so more jobs can be produced profitably without relying solely on offset or toner-based output.

The company evaluated technologies at drupa 2024 and priced the Jetfire 50 in detail with Heidelberg based on Rautenberg's order mix. Management concluded the numbers favoured the investment both economically and for application fit, especially when the Jetfire works alongside the Speedmaster XL 106.

# Operational changes made Before the Jetfire arrived, Rautenberg trained staff, adjusted site infrastructure, and reviewed prepress procedures. The company also expanded its use of Heidelberg's Prinect workflow to increase automation as production becomes more fragmented across formats and run lengths.

Rautenberg plans to adopt the Prinect Touch Free workflow in the coming months. That system is designed to manage hybrid digital and offset production and to determine the most cost-effective production method for individual jobs, supporting automated job routing between offset and digital systems.

# Where the Jetfire fits into production

# What company leaders said Stefan Schulz, a member of Rautenberg's management board, said they evaluated the Jetfire 50 technically and financially with Heidelberg and found the investment advantageous both economically and application-wise when paired with their Speedmaster XL 106. Dr. David Schmedding, CSO at Heidelberg, framed the installation as evidence that combining industrial digital solutions with modern offset presses improves printers' competitiveness.

# Practical implications for customers and workflow

• Shorter runs and personalised jobs can move to the Jetfire for faster, cost-effective production.

• Implementing Prinect Touch Free should reduce manual decision-making by automatically recommending or routing jobs to the most economical production path.

# Bottom line Rautenberg's Jetfire 50 installation is a targeted capacity expansion to handle growing demand for variable, personalised, and short-run print work. The investment sits within an existing hybrid ecosystem and is paired with workflow automation plans to improve job routing and overall efficiency.