A method of printing with a rotary printing press having a plurality of printing cylinders that are adapted to be adjusted on and off from a running web, with a length of a printed image being larger than a peripheral length of the largest one of the printing cylinders, the method including the steps of subdividing the printed image into elements, printing these elements with different printing cylinders, and periodically shifting at least one of the printing cylinders off from the web, each time for at least a duration of one turn of the printing cylinder.