The invention relates to a drying device (10) for a drying between inking units of a printing machine (1), with which a substrate (2) can be transported via rotating cylinders (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) and is printable with a coloring agent (4), with an air supply unit (11) for supplying of air (5) in direction of the substrate (2) in order to effect a drying of the coloring agent (4), a suction unit (12) for discharging the air (5), a control unit (20), which controls and/or regulates the air supply unit (11) in dependence of the operating parameters (B) in a way that altering drying areas (13.1, 13.2, 13.3) are adjustable at the substrate (2).