A method for operating presses with a ram and a tool (2.1), such as forming presses or cutting presses, using matched, cycled strokes for forming or cutting parts (2.2), ▪ wherein, in order to achieve smaller strokes in relation to an optimized and sufficient freedom of motion, the press is operated with a specified stroke rate of the ram, with a defined time-dependent or progression-dependent position of the ram and by actively influencing one or several values including a driving force of the plunger, a speed or acceleration of the plunger, a minimum freedom of motion of the press or a transfer movement from one press to another press, ▪ wherein the strokes of the plunger are controlled according to the function f ( x) = a /2 + a * cos(1* x) + a * cos(2 * x) +... + a ( n) * cos( n * x) + b * sin(1 * x) + b * sin(2 * x) +... + b(n) * sin( n * x), wherein f(x) defines the stroke, x represents a value between 0 and 2*Pi and the coefficients are formed according to i a(i) b(i) 0 1354.227058823529000 0.000000000000000E+00 1 6,211087651786986E-014 -6,243906782879537E-014 2 290,202318413831200 -384,289975236601800 3 -2,715830852687821E-013 1,884187204349276E-013 4 49,316050906761640 173,327940214515400 5 -1,805616042677905E-013 -5,744078144460588E-014 6 -15,088290781260220 -5,845234989164741 7 -1,873716376516641E-013 8,198941002907585E-014 8 -1,986870683489189 1,230218243448128 9 -2,750407780154656E-013 8,918586271192693E-014 10 -2,564296084347008E-001 2,767316189620829 11 -2,059102420910321E-013 7,826053253200130E-014 12 1,046079698263193 9,536276480635638E-001 13 3,857297670670378E-014 -1,600336005800794E-015 14 -2,222227580962598E-001 4,154063286283567E-002 15 -3,169264053413094E-013 1,529856614009839E-013 ▪ wherein with the stroke of the ram being cycled according to the specified value and the press stroke rate increased by >1, a) a monitoring, an open-loop or a closed-loop control of the progression of the start of the stroke within a first path and a measurement of values of a time-dependent and first "position" of the driving force transmission to the ram or b) a monitoring, an open-loop or a closed-loop control of the progression of the run-out of the stroke at least within a second path and a measurement of values at least of a second "position" of separation of the driving force from the ram is implemented. ▪ wherein, in order to achieve smaller strokes in relation to an optimized and sufficient freedom of motion, the press is operated with a specified stroke rate of the ram, with a defined time-dependent or progression-dependent position of the ram and by actively influencing one or several values including a driving force of the plunger, a speed or acceleration of the plunger, a minimum freedom of motion of the press or a transfer movement from one press to another press, ▪ wherein the strokes of the plunger are controlled according to the function f ( x) = a /2 + a * cos(1* x) + a * cos(2 * x) +... + a ( n) * cos( n * x) + b * sin(1 * x) + b * sin(2 * x) +... + b(n) * sin( n * x), wherein f(x) defines the stroke, x represents a value between 0 and 2*Pi and the coefficients are formed according to i a(i) b(i) 0 1354.227058823529000 0.000000000000000E+00 1 6,211087651786986E-014 -6,243906782879537E-014 2 290,202318413831200 -384,289975236601800 3 -2,715830852687821E-013 1,884187204349276E-013 4 49,316050906761640 173,327940214515400 5 -1,805616042677905E-013 -5,744078144460588E-014 6 -15,088290781260220 -5,845234989164741 7 -1,873716376516641E-013 8,198941002907585E-014 8 -1,986870683489189 1,230218243448128 9 -2,750407780154656E-013 8,918586271192693E-014 10 -2,564296084347008E-001 2,767316189620829 11 -2,059102420910321E-013 7,826053253200130E-014 12 1,046079698263193 9,536276480635638E-001 13 3,857297670670378E-014 -1,600336005800794E-015 14 -2,222227580962598E-001 4,154063286283567E-002 15 -3,169264053413094E-013 1,529856614009839E-013 ▪ wherein with the stroke of the ram being cycled according to the specified value and the press stroke rate increased by >1, a) a monitoring, an open-loop or a closed-loop control of the progression of the start of the stroke within a first path and a measurement of values of a time-dependent and first "position" of the driving force transmission to the ram or b) a monitoring, an open-loop or a closed-loop control of the progression of the run-out of the stroke at least within a second path and a measurement of values at least of a second "position" of separation of the driving force from the ram is implemented. a) a monitoring, an open-loop or a closed-loop control of the progression of the start of the stroke within a first path and a measurement of values of a time-dependent and first "position" of the driving force transmission to the ram or b) a monitoring, an open-loop or a closed-loop control of the progression of the run-out of the stroke at least within a second path and a measurement of values at least of a second "position" of separation of the driving force from the ram