A forme cylinder is supported and adjusted in a printing group of a rotary printing press, which group includes a transfer cylinder and a counter-pressure cylinder, which two cylinders include interacting support elements. The forme cylinder does not include a support element which interacts with the transfer cylinder. The forme cylinder has a shaft distance that can be adjusted during printing to adjust a contact pressure between the forme cylinder and the transfer cylinder. The forme cylinder may be covered with a waterless printing forme. The contact pressure between the forme cylinder and the transfer cylinder can be adjusted to a property, such as the compressibility, of the waterless printing forme.