Printing-machine drive system

A method of synchronizing a printing-machine drive system having a plurality of drives with drive motors, includes assigning to the drives local drive control units and a central operating and control unit with a data processing system having components connected to communicate with one another. The drive motors are operated decentrally by prescribed drive data via the respectively assigned drive control units. Respective drive data are calculated, with at least one of the components of the data processing system of one of the drive control units, in dependence on computing operations required in other components of the data processing system. System-induced differences between the drives or system-induced differences between the components of the data processing system are compensated, in a resulting calculation. A printing machine is also provided for performing the method.