Method for operating a multicolor ink printing machine having a minimum of seven printing stations wherein printing heads (1a to 8a) of the printing stations (1 to 7) print a printed image of a minimum of four colours at a print resolution defined in a direction of transport for the coloured portion of the printed image onto a printing material transported in the direction of transport, wherein to print a four-colour printed image, three printing stations print a first image portion of the printed image using coloured inks of a first colour system and printing at half the defined print resolution and wherein three further printing stations print a second image portion of the printed image, said second image portion complementary to the first image portion and printed using coloured inks of a second colour system that is the same as the first colour system and printed at half of the defined print resolution and in such a way that the first and second image portions complement one another to form the coloured portion of the printed image at the defined print resolution and wherein at least one further printing station prints a third image portion of the printed image using black ink and printing at half the defined print resolution, wherein the first colour system comprises the following coloured inks: - C (cyan), M (magenta), and Y (yellow) or - O (orange), G (green), and V (violet), and the second colour system comprises the following coloured inks - C (cyan), M (magenta), and Y (yellow) or - O (orange), G (green), and V (violet), wherein the printing stations are arranged to succeed one another in one of the following configurations (A, B, C, D, E, F) - K C M Y C M Y or - KCMYYMC or - K C M Y O G V or - K C C M M Y Y, wherein an ink change occurs between two print jobs, wherein the configuration of the printing stations changes as follows: - from K C M Y C M Y to K C M Y O G V or vice versa (C, A) or - from K C M Y Y M C to K C M Y O G V or vice versa (C, B) or - from K C C M M Y Y to K C M Y O G V or vice versa (C, E), wherein in the K C M Y O G V configuration, a seven-colour printed image is printed at half the print resolution and wherein a switch is made from a first mode for producing seven-colour printed products in the K C M Y O G V configuration at a maximum first production speed v1 to a second mode for producing four-coloured printed products in one of the K C M Y C M Y, K C M Y Y M C, or K C C M M Y Y configurations at a maximum second production speed v2 or vice versa, wherein v2 = 2 ∗ v1. - C (cyan), M (magenta), and Y (yellow) or - O (orange), G (green), and V (violet), and the second colour system comprises the following coloured inks - C (cyan), M (magenta), and Y (yellow) or - O (orange), G (green), and V (violet), wherein the printing stations are arranged to succeed one another in one of the following configurations (A, B, C, D, E, F) - K C M Y C M Y or - KCMYYMC or - K C M Y O G V or - K C C M M Y Y, - from K C M Y C M Y to K C M Y O G V or vice versa (C, A) or - from K C M Y Y M C to K C M Y O G V or vice versa (C, B) or - from K C C M M Y Y to K C M Y O G V or vice versa (C, E), wherein in the K C M Y O G V configuration, a seven-colour printed image is printed at half the print resolution and wherein a switch is made from a first mode for producing seven-colour printed products in the K C M Y O G V configuration at a maximum first production speed v1 to a second mode for producing four-coloured printed products in one of the K C M Y C M Y, K C M Y Y M C, or K C C M M Y Y configurations at a maximum second production speed v2 or vice versa, wherein v2 = 2 ∗ v1.