A printing unit for a rotary printing machine with reversible image setting
and digital changeover by means of thermal transfer, having an
image-setting unit, an erasing or cleaning component and at least one
inking unit. In order to achieve further cost advantages and
miniaturization for such a printing unit, in particular for use in small
edition color printing (digital offset press), the form cylinder and
blanket cylinder are combined into one cylinder. In order to produce the
reversible setting of an image (form production), this cylinder is
provided with a hydrophilic surface and interacts directly with an
impression cylinder in order to print on a substrate. The image-setting
unit and erasing or cleaning component and inking unit are set against
this cylinder.
