Method for separating printed products that are printed together onto a sheet

A method for separating printed products (03) that are printed together onto a sheet (01), wherein printed products (03) that are printed together onto the sheet (01) in a printing press (06) are separated by means of a cutting device (11) in a cutting system (07) located downstream of the printing press (06), wherein each of these printed products (03) has an identification feature (09) that identifies its respective position on the sheet (01), wherein the unprinted sheet (01) is rectangular in shape and becomes deformed as it passes through the printing press (06), characterized in that the separated printed products (03), which are likewise deformed as a result of the deformation of the sheet (01), are inspected in a quality control device (08) located downstream of the cutting system (07) for compliance with a permissible preset tolerance, at least with regard to the respective length (103) and/or width (b03) of said printed products, wherein for each printed product (03) that has been identified in terms of its position based on its identification feature (09), the quality control device (08) detects information relating to an exceeding of the permissible tolerance at least for the length (103) and/or width (b03) of the printed product (03) in question, wherein the quality control device (08) transmits this information detected by it, assigning said information to the position identified on the sheet (01), to a control unit (21) of the cutting system (07), wherein, based on the information transmitted by the quality control device (08), for similar printed products (03) that are arranged in the same position on the sheet (01) and will be separated subsequently in the cutting system (07), the control unit (21) of the cutting system (07) adjusts the relevant sheet (01) and the cutting device (11) in their respective positions relative to one another in such a way that each of the printed products (03) to be separated complies optimally with the respective preset tolerance, wherein the optimal compliance with the relevant tolerance is achieved in that the position of the sheet (01) and the cutting device (11) to be adjusted relative to one another is calculated in the control unit (21) using a mathematical optimization method, wherein the sheet (01) containing the printed products (03) to be separated is placed on a cutting table (13) in the cutting system (07), and wherein the control unit (21) of the cutting system (07) adjusts the position of the sheet (01) to be cut, which is lying on the cutting table (13), in relation to the cutting device (11) of the cutting system (07) in accordance with the position calculated by means of the mathematical optimization method.