An automated method is provided for carrying out a production change, which is specific to the printing plate, on a printing press. After a first print job is printed on a printing press, the printing of the first print job is stopped automatically after a predefined print run level has been reached or another termination criterion for the first print job has occurred. Parameters required for printing a second print job which follows the first print job are loaded automatically by the printing press. Before or after the parameters of the second print job are loaded, a printing plate change is automatically carried out on the printing press, thus achieving production readiness for the second print job. The second print job is then either started automatically, or a production readiness signal for the second print job is generated automatically.