Method for zonally controlling and regulating inking in a printing machine having a plurality of printing units includes photo-electrically measuring, at least at one location of each inking zone, a printed product provided in the printing machine, determining an actual color locus from the measurements, comparing the determined actual color locus with a prescribed setpoint color locus of the respective location and, in the event of a spacing between the compared color loci, calculating corrective control data for inking elements of the printing machine and transmitting the control data to the printing units so as to minimize the spacing between the actual and setpoint color loci, the actual color locus meeting tolerance requirements by lying within a prescribed color tolerance and within a permissible region at a setpoint color locus characterized by an absence of color change; and device for performing the method.