How printing is changing

Print runs are falling, expectations are rising: The printing industry is facing major challenges. At Schmid-Fehr, however, digitisation is not seen as a threat, but as an opportunity to make processes leaner, to develop creative solutions and to open up new areas of business. A visit to Goldach.

«Excuse me?» I have to keep asking as Matthias Schmid gives me a tour of his family business. There are clicks and hisses all around us as we walk between the heavy-duty printing machines.

We’re visiting Goldach, where a traditional company founded in 1905 demonstrates how it’s possible to balance decades of craftsmanship with modern process intelligence. What began as a small stationery shop with a hand press has grown into a company that today not only produces high-quality printed materials but also offers design and process solutions. Instead of hiding away in a niche, Schmid-Fehr has structured itself into three independent yet interconnected divisions: the traditional printing business, a studio for digital communication and design, and a highly efficient shipping and logistics department.

The managing director proudly shows me his latest acquisition, the Jetfire 50. As the name suggests, the printing process on this machine takes place at a speed that has never been attained before. The machine is the first to combine high-quality inkjet printing with industrial efficiency and is therefore able to deliver individual print jobs economically from the very first print run. It marks a milestone in the development of printing technology. «We were one of the first companies in the world to invest in this machine,» says Schmid.

With its 35 employees, ideal transport links by Lake Constance and a long family tradition, Schmid-Fehr AG is the embodiment of what you would imagine a typical Swiss SME to be. It’s a company that doesn’t simply rest on its impressive history, but constantly seeks to find new ways to evolve. This innovative spirit is exemplified by the paper shredding machine developed by the technical department itself. Because one of the printing systems repeatedly caused malfunctions when the trimming residues were removed, they invented a device on their own that put an end to the paper jam. «There was simply no satisfactory solution to this problem available on the market, so we took up the challenge ourselves,» says Schmid.

Progress was embraced in Goldach at a very early stage. In 1997, Schmid-Fehr launched its own Online Shop, which was a novelty in the industry. At the time, they were ridiculed. «We never listened to what other people said,» says Schmid.

We stop in front of a great relic from another era. A printing press from the 1950s. It still functions, as Schmid emphasises. This is where the company’s decades-old craftsmanship is revealed. A few metres further on, we come across a fully automated Heidelberg Speedmaster with AI control. Schmid points to the data flickering across the huge monitor. Colour values, capacity, paper feed. In the past, this was all done by hand.

Today, calibration and maintenance are largely automated. To do this, it’s vital to be able to process vast amounts of data in real time. «Without AI control, we wouldn’t stand a chance in production today, and we definitely wouldn’t be able to meet our delivery deadlines,» says Schmid. «We wouldn’t have the productivity that we need to survive in the market.»

Schmid emphasises that the consistency of the machines is also important. «We have to be able to rely on them blindly, we can’t afford any downtime.» The manufacturer’s support team can access the machines at any time . The Heidelberg company is permanently connected to the manufacturer’s system and it’s essential to have a seamless data connection for this to happen. Predictive maintenance allows for immediate intervention if necessary. This means that they have much higher availability today than they did in the past.

Schmid-Fehr is now thinking about even more automation. The next step is to have its own AI, which could even replace the existing ERP system in the long term. Schmid talks about having an in-house LLM, which will not only process data, but could also control entire business processes in a smart way in the future.

Without the Sunrise network , fast data transmission in real time and the low latency required for this would not be possible. Smooth processes and innovative strength on this scale would be simply unthinkable. The Swiss telecommunications provider has supported Schmid-Fehr as a full-service provider for more than twenty years and provides the foundation for the company’s automated processes. For Schmid, the fact that Sunrise Business offers solutions that are designed specifically to cater for the needs of Swiss SMEs is a key success factor. «The digital infrastructure from Sunrise Business is crucial for us,» he says.

 Away from the production halls, it’s vital that everything else also works smoothly at Schmid-Fehr. Some of our employees work from home and travel frequently both in Switzerland and abroad. This means they depend on a reliable mobile network, simple tools for digital interaction and suitable mobile plans including roaming services .

The family-run business from Eastern Switzerland has long been more than just a traditional printing company. The studio, as the in-house design and digital agency is called, now makes up a significant part of the business. Here, too, high transmission speeds are essential. For example, file sharing, virtual collaboration and landline telephony via Microsoft Teams. «We work in the web and online sector,» explains Diana Fuchs-Schmid, daughter of the managing director and head of the creative department. «Our team consists of polygraphers, mediamaticians and multimedia producers. We create everything from landing pages to the design of brochures and animations.» This new business segment has grown organically. Design has always been part of the printing trade, but at Schmid-Fehr this area has simply been taken a step further with a consistent vision.

In the studio, we encounter a different vibe altogether. While the printing cylinders pound away at the paper outside, there’s a calm, relaxed atmosphere in here. It’s all about content, designs, creativity. «My background is in the digital world,» says Diana. And yet, she loves beautiful printed products. That remains the case. The plan is for Diana to take over the company fully in the near future. Her father deliberately gives her the freedom to break new ground – knowing full well that the best way for change to succeed is when it is done out of conviction.

Printers are experiencing upheaval. Smaller print runs, digital alternatives and growing pressure on prices have forced many businesses to give up or radically reinvent themselves. These changes are also noticeable at Schmid-Fehr. But sometimes the best ideas are created under pressure. Rather than simply reacting, the Goldach-based company has long since taken the initiative: with a creative communications department, a fully automated production chain, and the implementation of AI-based systems that are driving the company forward and giving it a real edge.

What is striking is that at Schmid-Fehr innovation doesn’t just happen for its own sake. It forms part of what’s grown over many decades. It stems from something that has always been there: the relentless drive to do things better.