Method of printing a plurality of sections of a complete image

A method for printing on a strip-shaped printing material including:

• providing a web-fed printing machine having at least one first printing unit including at least one printing element;
• providing at least one component of the at least one first printing unit and which determines at least one form of printing images to be printed on the strip-shaped printing material using the at least one first printing unit;
• providing stored template image data of at least one complete printing image;
• generating output data for actuating the at least one component to produce at least one printed complete printing image using the stored template image data of the at least one complete printing image;
• describing the at least one complete printing image in a primary data packet;
• assigning at least one complete printing image dimension, measured in one of a width and a length of the at least one complete printing image, to the at least one complete printing image in one of the stored template image data and in the primary data packet;
• comparing the at least one complete printing image dimension with at least one threshold value;
• dividing the at least one complete printing image, with respect to the one of the width and length of the at least one complete printing image, into a plurality of sections of the at least one complete printing image, when the at least one complete printing image dimension exceeds the at least one threshold value;
• describing the plurality of sections in a plurality of secondary data packets;
• using the plurality of secondary data packets for creating secondary output data;
• and
• carrying out the printing process, using the at least one printing unit, for producing the plurality of sections of the at least one complete printing image on the strip-shaped printing material by processing the secondary output data based on at least one of the secondary data packets and creating at least one printed complete printing image.