text: referring now more particularly to fig1 of the drawings , there is shown an illustrative sheet - fed rotational offset printing machine having an inking system in accordance with the invention . the illustrated inking system has an inking unit with an ink fountain roller 1 associated with an ink fountain 90 which contains a liquid printing medium , such as printing ink or lacquer , with an ink metering device 8 for governing the flow of the printing medium onto the surface of the ink fountain roller 1 as it is rotated in a printing direction , as indicated by the arrow . the illustrated ink fountain roller is in contact with a downstream roller , which in the illustrated embodiment is a vibrating roller 2 or a film roller 6 , which in turn communicates with a first inking unit roller 3 , which may be a friction roller driven for rotational and transverse axial movement the first inking roller 3 in turn communicates with a subsequent ink train 7 that leads to an appropriate printing cylinder , in the form of a plate cylinder or form cylinder of a conventional type . the roller train 7 in this case includes a second inking unit friction roller 5 , that can be rotatably and axially driven , together with a plurality of transfer rollers 4 . as is known in the art , the cylinders of the inking unit are adapted for contact with each other in respective contact zones 10 where ink is separated and pulled off between contacting cylinders as the respective surfaces thereof arc rotated through the contact zone . for purposes herein , it will be understood that the inking system may be used for delivering ink or lacquers to the printing cylinder . for purposes herein , printing medium and / or printing ink is intended to include both printing inks and lacquers . likewise , the term “ printing cylinder ” as used herein , is intended to encompass both plate and form cylinders . in accordance with the invention , a plating device is associated with at least one of the inking unit rollers adjacent its outer surface for leveling and smoothing the ink on the surface of the roller . to this end , in the illustrated embodiment , a plating device 12 is located adjacent the form cylinder 1 after the contact zone 10 with the downstream cylinder ( in this case the vibrating cylinder 2 or form cylinder 6 ) in the direction of rotation of the roller 1 . the plating device 12 includes a plate - like element or elements that extends parallel across the full longitudinal length 15 of the roller 1 and is adjustably positionable with respect to the outer surface of the roller 1 . the plating device 12 preferably can be adjusted so that a predetermined force f is applied against the outer surface of the ink fountain roller 1 . hence , the plating device , preferably with a uniform surface pressure acting along the length 15 of the roller 1 , will level and smooth remaining ink on the surface of the form cylinder 1 after passing through the contact zone 10 with the downstream cylinder 2 , 6 . preferably , the plating device is adjustable in a tangential direction relative to the outer surface of the roller 1 in the direction of rotation . alternatively , the plating device may be adjustable in a direction that forms a secant to the outer surface of the roller 1 . the plating device 12 in this instance includes a plate or plating element 19 which extends across the roller length 15 and is set at a tangent in the direction of rotation of the roller 1 . the plating element 19 is held in a support 20 which in turn is supported at opposite ends by hinges 21 mounted on a frame . hence , the plating element 19 is pivotal about the axis of the hinges 21 into and out of predetermined position with respect to the outer surface of the cylinder 1 . the plating element 19 preferably is adjustably positionable with the assistance of a compression spring mounted on the frame such that the plating element 19 is loaded against the roller by a force f . alternatively , instead of a compression spring , a cylinder , such as a pneumatic cylinder , or other means may be used , for urging the plating element against the roller with the force f . likewise , depending upon the form of the plating element , its own weight could be used for positioning the plating element against the cylinder , without generating a shearing effect on the outer surface on the remaining ink . alternatively , the plating device 12 can be arranged with the plating element at a predetermined small minimum distance to the outer surface of the roller in order to achieve the desired even surface of the printing ink on the roller . the plating element 19 preferably has its outer free end acting in a direction normal in to the tangent or secant point of the roller 1 . alternatively , the plating element can extend tangentially in the direction of rotation of the roller 1 slightly beyond its outer surface , which prevents pulling off of ink or lacquer . preferably , a plating device 12 according to the invention as depicted in fig1 and 2 , is adjacent at least to the ink fountain roller 1 which can be inked with an offset printing ink . here , the plating device 12 is arranged so that it can be adjusted tangentially in the direction of rotation of the ink fountain roller 1 after a contact zone 10 with an adjacent vibrating roller 2 or film roller 6 and before the ink metering system 8 . hence , the plating device 12 levels the uneven surface structure of the remaining ink on the outer surface of the ink fountain roller 1 after the contact zone 10 of the vibrating roller 2 or film roller 6 , before the remaining ink comes into renewed contact with ink in the ink fountain 9 and the ink metering system 8 . thus , in the direction of rotation of the ink fountain roller 1 there is a leveled surface structure of ink on the outer surface of the ink fountain roller 1 before the ink metering system 8 and possible ink passage into the region of the ink metering system 8 is noticeably reduced . in addition , by the use of the metering system 8 already at the ink fountain roller 1 , possible ink thickness variations on the printing material can be noticeably reduced . the even surface structure leads , in turn , to the same ratios in a contact zone for the subsequent metering of printing ink in the ink fountain 9 with an ink metering system 8 or to the same ink separation ratios in a contact zone 10 of two rollers , e . g ., of ink fountain roller 1 and vibrating roller 2 . the use of a plating device 12 is not limited to use with the ink fountain roller 1 . the plating devices 12 can also be used at other rollers 2 - 6 of the inking unit preferably , similar plating devices 12 ( in addition to at least one plating device 12 at the ink fountain roller ) provided for other of the rollers 2 - 6 of the inking unit , which are arranged at a distance upstream from the plate or form cylinder . this is because in the region of the film or vibrating roller 6 , 2 and the second ink friction roller 5 , a large layer thickness is transferred and level surface structures generated by single or several plating devices 12 reduce as much as possible ink thickness variations on the printing material . in this aspect , in addition to the plating device 12 at the ink fountain roller 1 , a plating device 12 is provided at the offset roller 2 or the film roller 6 . in the direction of rotation of the offset or film roller 2 , 6 , after the contact zone 10 with the ink fountain roller 1 and before the contact zone 10 of the subsequent inking unit roller 3 , another plating device preferably is tangentially mounted in the direction of rotation of the offset / film roller 2 , 6 . in another refinement , in addition to the arrangement of the plating device 12 as described , there also is another plating device 12 for the ink fountain roller 1 and in the direction of rotation of this inking unit roller 3 after the contact zone 10 with the vibrating roller 2 or film roller 6 and before the contact zone 10 of at least one roller arranged after the inking unit roller 3 , e . g ., at least one transfer roller 4 . in another refinement , in addition to the arrangement of the plating device 12 assigned at least to the ink fountain roller 1 , there also is another plating device 12 at least one drivable roller , preferably of the second ink friction roller 5 of the inking unit . in the direction of rotation of the ink friction roller 5 after their contact zone 10 with a directly adjacent roller , preferably a transfer roller 4 , and preferably before the contact zone 10 with another directly adjacent roller of the inking unit , there is at least one other plating device 12 that can be adjusted preferably tangentially in the direction of rotation of the corresponding drivable ink friction roller 5 . the effect first will be explained with a refinement shown in fig2 . in the ink fountain 9 , there is a storage container of printing ink , and an ink fountain roller 1 rotates into this container in its direction of rotation and is inked . in the following contact zone 10 in the direction of rotation , there is a pulling off of printing ink done by the ink metering device 8 and the inked ink fountain roller 1 leads the remaining printing ink to the next contact zone 10 . this contact zone 10 is formed by the ink fountain roller 1 and the vibrating roller 2 ( alternatively , the film roller 7 ). in this contact zone 10 , ink separation occurs so that an ink layer 13 remains in defined layer thickness as the remaining ink on the ink fountain roller 1 and an ink film of defined layer thickness is transferred onto the vibrating roller 2 or film roller 6 . after the contact zone 10 , as depicted in fig4 a , the remaining ink has an uneven surface structure in the form of ink peaks , ink cones 14 and also ink valleys 18 on the outer surface of the ink fountain roller 1 . fig4 a shows this surface structure along the roller width 15 with a first layer thickness h 1 and , e . g ., an ink zone 17 . the ink fountain roller 1 now moves in the direction of rotation the plating device 12 , which effects the form change ( plastic shaping ) of the ink peaks , ink cones 14 , and also ink valleys 18 , and , as a result , there is a relatively even surface structure with a second layer thickness h 2 . in this way , the ratio of layer thickness is always : h 1 & gt ; h 2 . the adjusted ink profile with , e . g ., the ink zone 17 , remains essentially preserved . it will be appreciated that the invention is not restricted to the present embodiments . the object of the invention starts from the observation that , in the direction of rotation of an inked roller 1 - 6 before a contact zone 10 , where pulling off or separation of ink occurs , the ink or the remaining ink or also lacquer is leveled on the outer surface of the roller ( s ) 1 - 6 by means of at least one plating device 12 . according to each configuration of the inking unit , a leveling of the ink or remaining ink or lacquer can be performed also before the first contact zone 10 where ink separation occurs . for example , as depicted in the embodiment of fig3 when ink / lacquer is fed by pulling off from a storage container of an ink dispensing device 11 , e . g ., of an ink cartridge , directly onto the outer surface of the associated roller , preferably the ink fountain roller 1 is inked , and in the direction of rotation of roller 1 , an ink metering system 8 is provided in which separation of ink ( lacquer ) occurs . in this embodiment , the plating device 12 is adjustable in the direction of rotation of the ink fountain roller 1 after the ink dispensing device 11 and before the ink metering system 8 of the ink fountain roller 1 . furthermore , in the direction of rotation of the inked ink fountain roller 1 ( and / or other rollers 2 - 5 ) after the first contact zone 10 , where pulling off or separation of ink occurs , the uneven surface structure of ink or remaining ink can be leveled on the outer surface of this ink fountain roller 1 by means of plating device 12 and subsequently the surface structure leveled on the outer surface can be fed to a second contact zone 10 , where pulling off of ink ( lacquer ) or renewed ink / lacquer separation occurs . in a further refinement , in the direction of rotation at least one inked roller 1 - 6 after the second contact zone 10 , where a pulling off / separation of ink occurs , and before the first contact zone 10 where a pulling off or separation of ink occurs , the remaining ink or the remaining lacquer is leveled on the outer surface of this roller ( 1 - 6 ). if the roller 1 - 6 is in contact at several contact points 10 , where pulling off of the ink or the lacquer occurs , then at least one , and preferably several , plating devices 12 are provided for the corresponding roller 1 - 6 in the direction of rotation of the corresponding roller 1 - 6 before the next contact point 10 . for the arrangement of at least one plating device 12 in the region of the ink fountain roller 1 in the direction of rotation before the ink metering system 8 , the plating device 12 also can be immersed in the ink fountain 9 . the plating system 12 is preferably arranged so that it can be set and adjusted to each roller 1 - 6 .