What Orell Füssli Security Printing does

Orell Füssli Security Printing is a division of the publicly listed Swiss conglomerate Orell Füssli AG (SIX Swiss Exchange: OFN) and operates as a specialist high-security printer with roots dating to 1519. The company runs a sole production facility at Dietzingerstrasse 3 in Zurich staffed by approximately 160 artisans and engineers, producing counterfeit-resistant banknotes, passports, visas, identity cards, and driving licences for Central Banks and government issuing authorities worldwide. The Swiss National Bank holds a 33% equity stake, serving simultaneously as anchor shareholder and primary home-market customer.

The company's underlying technology stack combines traditional intaglio (copper plate) printing — legally restricted from commercial printers — with proprietary direct laser engraving systems (S-DLE® and the SecuriX Engraver, co-developed with DROP AG and reaching 10,160 dpi resolution), 3D intaglio portrait design workflows (Escher®), and a next-generation smartphone-based authentication feature (JAGUAR) that uses deep learning to detect print-degradation artifacts in embedded Secure-Graphic patterns licensed from Scantrust SA. Supporting services include design, origination, advisory consulting, and the BEES® environmental impact modeling software offered to central banks during banknote design. The subsidiary Procivis AG extends the portfolio into digital identity, including ISO 18013-5-certified mobile driving licences.

Commercially, the company operates on a direct, relationship-based enterprise sales model with sovereign counterparties, generating one-time, project-based revenue from banknote and identity document production contracts alongside professional services revenue from advisory and visa management engagements. Pricing is bespoke and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is premium-partner positioned, emphasizing Swiss precision, sustainability credentials, and 500 years of accumulated expertise rather than competing on price or scale.

Name

Orell Füssli Security Printing

Legal name

Orell Füssli AG

Website

https://ofs.ch

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Orell Füssli Security Printing is a Zurich-based division of Orell Füssli AG that designs and produces high-security banknotes and identity documents for central banks and government authorities worldwide, leveraging proprietary intaglio, laser-engraving, and AI-based digital authentication technologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Security Printing

NAICS

Commercial Screen Printing (323113)

akta.pro primary industry

Security, Tamper-Evident & Track-and-Trace Printing (IMALAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lottery Ticket & Instant Games (Scratch-Off) Publishing/Printing (MPAEAFAC), Printing & Business Forms (continuous forms, checks, tickets) (IMAMAHAH)

Keywords

• Security printing
• Banknote production
• Identity documents
• Intaglio printing
• Passport printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Banknote Production: Design, printing, and delivery of high-security banknotes to Central Banks worldwide. One-time production contracts for national currencies.
2. Identity Documents: Design, printing, and delivery of passports, visas, identity cards, and driving licenses. Includes e-passport booklets with polycarbonate and paper-based data pages.
3. Visa Management Systems: Modular end-to-end identity management solutions for visa issuance, including centralized data management and decentralized issuance capabilities.
4. Advisory Services: Consulting services for operational excellence in currency printing, independent project management for new series designs, sustainability assessments through life cycle analyses, and business continuity management.
5. BEES Environmental Consulting: Software-based consulting service for evaluating environmental impact of banknote designs during development phase.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Orell Füssli Security Printing designs, produces, and delivers high-security banknotes for central banks worldwide, and manufactures identification documents including passports, visas, identity cards, and driving licences for government authorities. All production is performed at its single facility in Zurich using intaglio, offset, and silk-screen security printing techniques, supplemented by advisory services and proprietary software such as BEES® for environmental impact assessment.

Product overview

Orell Füssli Security Printing is a division of the listed Orell Füssli Group (SIX Swiss Exchange) offering a portfolio of high-security printing products and services for central banks and government issuing authorities. The core product lines are Banknotes and Identification Documents and Systems. The banknote product covers the full lifecycle from design and origination through printing (intaglio, offset, silk-screen) to distribution. The identification product covers visas (Visa Management System), passports (E-Passport Booklets), and driving licences (physical and mobile/mDL). Cross-cutting security features include JAGUAR (a next-generation digital security feature for smartphone-based banknote authentication, developed with Scantrust SA technology) and Escher® Portraits (3D portrait design methodology). Supporting services span design, origination, and advisory consulting. The company also offers BEES® environmental evaluation software as a consulting tool for central banks during banknote design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Banknotes Design, production, and delivery of counterfeit-resistant banknotes for central banks worldwide, using intaglio, offset, and silk-screen security printing across the full lifecycle from design and origination through printing to final distribution.
• Identification Documents and Systems End-to-end identification solutions including design, printing, and delivery of high-security documents such as passports, visas, identity cards, and driving licences, serving both centralized and decentralized systems, with associated identity management technology platforms.
• Visa Management System Modular end-to-end identity management solution for visa issuance, providing centralized data management and decentralized visa issuance with country-specific customization for secure and efficient visa processing.
• E-Passport Booklets Passports designed and produced by Orell Füssli featuring polycarbonate and paper-based data pages with anti-counterfeiting features and Swiss precision, compliant with international standards for secure travel.
• Mobile Driving Licence (mDL) Digital driving licence accessible via smartphone, developed by Orell Füssli subsidiary Procivis AG, certified according to ISO 18013-5, extending the company's identity credentials offering beyond physical documents.
• Cypher Evo House Note Demonstration banknote jointly developed by Orell Füssli Security Printing and Koenig & Bauer Vision and Protection, designed to showcase the combination of traditional security printing elements with multiple digital security features for smartphone-based authentication.
• JAGUAR Digital Security Feature Next-generation digital security feature for banknotes, embedded within the Cypher Evo note, that enables authentication via a smartphone app by analyzing the Secure-Graphic pattern (patented by Scantrust SA) for print degradation indicative of counterfeiting.
• Escher® Portraits — Digital 3D Portrait Design 3D intaglio portrait design methodology supporting both artist-designed 3D models and 3D-scanned objects composed of polygon meshes and photographic textures, with origination workflow for intaglio and offset printing.
• BEES® Banknote Environmental Evaluation Software Consulting software tool for central banks providing modular estimation of a banknote's environmental impact during the design process, with a user-friendly graphical interface for selecting materials and security features, generating indicators for non-renewable energy, renewable energy, and CO2 equivalents.
• Design Services Specialized design services creating banknote designs with maximum counterfeit protection, expressing each country's cultural identity, history, and traditions through colors, ornaments, patterns, motifs, and symbolism for central banks and governments.
• Origination Services Origination process that transforms banknote designs into printable, secure documents, bridging design and printing through deep knowledge of print-plate-making, security features, and the functioning of printing machines and processes.
• Advisory Services Consulting services for central banks and state printing works, covering operational excellence for currency printing, independent project management for new series designs and special technologies, sustainability improvements through life cycle analyses, and business continuity management.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% recovery rate for wiping solution recycling system (HIREC)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Koenig & Bauer Vision and ProtectioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Jointly introduced Cypher Evo House Note in March 2025, demonstrating combination of traditional security elements with digital security features. The partnership showcases integration of high-security printing with digital authentication technologies.
• DROP AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-development of SecuriX Engraver, a patented direct laser engraving solution for printing plate production. Orell Füssli serves as global hub for testing, innovations, and plate-making advancements. The partnership combines DROP AG's precision laser systems with OFS's security printing expertise to advance both sustainability and design precision in prepress processes.
• JuracoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Jura developed S-DLE® Steel Direct Laser Engraving technology in collaboration with Austrian Banknote Printing Works (OeBS). OFS integrated this technique into intaglio plate production. The DLE technique was originally developed in early 2000s with Dr. Daniel Schwarzbach (now OFS Director of Innovation) and Thomas Scholler (now OFS Head of Operations) involved in the original development team.
• Austrian Banknote Printing Works (OeBS)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2000Co-developed S-DLE Steel Direct Laser Engraving technique with Jura. OFS Director of Innovation Dr. Daniel Schwarzbach was Director R&D at OeBS during the original development. The partnership established foundational technology now deployed in OFS production.
• Scantrust SAcoreTechnology or IntegrationScantrust SA provides patented Secure-Graphic technology at the core of JAGUAR digital security feature. This technology has been enhanced and extended for use in high-security documents. Enables smartphone-based authentication of banknotes through AI analysis of print degradation patterns.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• De La Rue: British-based global security printer and longest-standing direct competitor in banknote printing and identity documents. Overlaps with OFS in central bank contracts, passport production, and security feature innovation, with comparable intaglio capabilities and similar sovereign customer base.
• Giesecke+Devrient (G+D): German security technology group operating banknote printing, identity solutions, and digital security. Direct competitor in central bank currency production and e-passport/government ID markets with broader product portfolio and larger scale than OFS.
• Crane Currency: US-based currency paper and security feature supplier producing banknote substrates, security threads, and advanced security features. Comparable to OFS as a tier-1 supplier to central bank printing operations and complements OFS's intaglio production.
• Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions: German printing press manufacturer and security printer. Already a strategic partner of OFS on Cypher Evo, it also competes in banknote printing systems and high-security print technology for central banks globally.
• OeBS (Oesterreichische Banknoten- und Sicherheitsdruck): Austrian Banknote Printing Works co-developed the S-DLE technology with OFS and Jura. Both an R&D partner and direct competitor in European central bank banknote printing contracts, serving similar sovereign clients.
• Bundesdruckerei: German government-owned security printer producing passports, ID cards, visas, and banknotes. Directly comparable to OFS's identification documents business and a competitor for European national ID and travel document contracts.
• SICPA: Swiss-headquartered provider of security inks and authentication features used in banknotes and identity documents. Adjacent competitor supplying features to many of the same central banks OFS serves, with overlapping capabilities in security printing materials.
• Royal Joh. Enschedé: Dutch security and banknote printer with deep heritage serving European central banks. Comparable mid-sized peer offering intaglio printing, identity documents, and security features with similar customer profile to OFS.

Broad incumbents

• CCL Industries (Security Division): Large diversified packaging and specialty label company whose security division produces authentication features and secure documents. Broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities in security printing and track-and-trace but not specialized in banknotes.

Emerging players

• Leonhard Kurz Stiftung: German specialist in security foils, transfer films, and authentication features for banknotes and identity documents. Comparable supplier to OFS-adjacent security feature ecosystem, focused on substrate and feature layers rather than full banknote printing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/orellfusslisecurityprinting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Orell Füssli Security Printing