A device one of adjusts and changes a dampening medium profile, which extends in the direction of a printing width, in a printing unit comprising at least one printing unit cylinder, at least one inking unit which inks the printing unit cylinder, and at least one dampening unit which interacts with one of the printing unit cylinder and the printing unit. A drying device, which extends over the printing width, is provided with a number I(Iε, 0>1) of drying elements, the influence of which, on a printing unit surface to be treated, allows moisture to be removed from a number of n(nε, n>1) axial portions aj(j=1, . . . , n) that are offset relative to one another in the direction of the printing width. One of an extent of the influence of the drying device with respect to the axial direction (aj) and the operating state of the drying device can be varied independently of one another. The drying elements are designed and arranged in the printing unit such that at least 20% of the width (bj), when seen in the direction of the printing width, of multiple or all of the axial portions (aj), which are designed as active portions (aj) with an active width (bj) of the drying elements in the printing unit, over the extension of those portions, overlaps with an adjacent axial portion of the axial portions (aj), which are axially offset relative to one another in the direction of the printing unit. A controller and one of a switching and an adjusting device, which are connected to the controller for signaling purposes, are provided. The controller and the one of the switching and adjusting devices are used to operate multiple or all of the drying elements during a stationary active operating state such that each of the drying elements is pulsed, i.e. is individually clocked between an “off” switching state and an “on” switching state.