An apparatus for pressing a cover onto a printing material block that is moved in a transport direction has a first pressing element that can be moved in a first direction and one or more second pressing element that can be moved transversely to the first direction. The first pressing element, in particular, is a pressing table moving in the vertical direction and the second pressing element one or two pressing rail(s) that can be moved in the horizontal direction. The apparatus has a drive unit, in particular with a servo motor, to which a variable control profile can be applied via a connection to a control unit. The variable control profile allows the movement of the pressing rails, for example their stroke or the course of their stroke, to be adapted to the current processing job. The apparatus is particularly suited for use in adhesive binders.