Color-gradient printing system

A method of applying ink to a transfer roll of a printing machine having

• an inking chamber extending longitudinally along the transfer roll and having an outlet also extending longitudinally along the transfer roll and open against the transfer roll;
• and
• a first mixing chamber extending on an axis, spaced transversely from and extending longitudinally along the transfer roll,
• the method comprising the steps of:
• forming the mixing chamber cylindrical and centered on the axis;
• partitioning the mixing chamber into a plurality of axially spaced mixing compartments by at least one partition;
• feeding at least two different inks into each mixing compartment;
• and
• rotating the partitions about the axis so as to mix the inks in the mixing compartments and to feed the mixed inks from the mixing compartments into the inking compartment for application to the transfer roll.