A method for changing printing formes in a printing machine having a printing tower which comprises one or more first and one or more second printing couples arranged one above the other, wherein the second printing couple or couples lie outside of an access zone of a first machine plane and are spaced vertically from the first printing couple, wherein - in a removal process one or more printing formes arranged on a forme cylinder of the second printing couple are removed and fed to a storage unit (124.2) located in a loading position (P124.2B) or to a holding means situated upstream of the storage unit (124.2) on the conveying path, this process is repeated until all the printing formes or sets of printing formes to be removed for the current printing forme changeover have been removed from the second printing couple or couples and fed to the storage unit (124.2) in a loading process for removed printing formes, - overlapping with the removal process or preceding or following said process, in a loading process for new printing formes, a storage device (17.2) located in the loading position (P17.2A) and different from the storage unit (124.2) is loaded with a plurality of printing formes intended for the second printing couple or couples or with at least one carrier element that has been preloaded with printing formes intended for the second printing couple or couples, - once the process for loading new printing formes to be fed to the second printing couple or couples has been completed, the storage device (17.2) loaded with new printing plates is conveyed on a first conveying path, which lies within a printing couple alignment formed by the space between the two planes which intersect perpendicularly at the front of the forme cylinder axes of the forme cylinder of the printing tower, by a conveyor device for new printing formes from the loading position (P17.2A) to an advanced position (P17.2B) assigned to the second printing couple or couples with respect to the infeed of printing formes, - and at a time immediately following completion of the removal process and completion of the infeed to and acceptance by the storage unit (124.2), or some time thereafter, the storage unit (124.2), loaded with removed printing formes, is conveyed over a conveying path which is different from the first conveying path and which likewise lies within the printing couple alignment, by a conveyor device for removed printing formes, which is different from the conveyor device for new printing formes, to an unloading position (P124.2A) assigned to the first machine plane. - in a removal process one or more printing formes arranged on a forme cylinder of the second printing couple are removed and fed to a storage unit (124.2) located in a loading position (P124.2B) or to a holding means situated upstream of the storage unit (124.2) on the conveying path, this process is repeated until all the printing formes or sets of printing formes to be removed for the current printing forme changeover have been removed from the second printing couple or couples and fed to the storage unit (124.2) in a loading process for removed printing formes, - overlapping with the removal process or preceding or following said process, in a loading process for new printing formes, a storage device (17.2) located in the loading position (P17.2A) and different from the storage unit (124.2) is loaded with a plurality of printing formes intended for the second printing couple or couples or with at least one carrier element that has been preloaded with printing formes intended for the second printing couple or couples, - once the process for loading new printing formes to be fed to the second printing couple or couples has been completed, the storage device (17.2) loaded with new printing plates is conveyed on a first conveying path, which lies within a printing couple alignment formed by the space between the two planes which intersect perpendicularly at the front of the forme cylinder axes of the forme cylinder of the printing tower, by a conveyor device for new printing formes from the loading position (P17.2A) to an advanced position (P17.2B) assigned to the second printing couple or couples with respect to the infeed of printing formes, - and at a time immediately following completion of the removal process and completion of the infeed to and acceptance by the storage unit (124.2), or some time thereafter, the storage unit (124.2), loaded with removed printing formes, is conveyed over a conveying path which is different from the first conveying path and which likewise lies within the printing couple alignment, by a conveyor device for removed printing formes, which is different from the conveyor device for new printing formes, to an unloading position (P124.2A) assigned to the first machine plane.