If You're Interested in Lithographic Printing You Should Read This

[steve B]

This patent and the press Brett was apparently using fall in between the 1875 rotary offset presses that used cardboard as the offset mat, and Rubels 1901 press.

https://www.aptpressdirect.com/blog/...printing-press

This press is using a solid roller as the plate, and arranging multiple watering/inking systems around a fairly large central cylinder that the paper travels on. Each inking station has it's own "plate" and prints a different color. Very similar to a non- lithographic press Hoe made back in the mid 1800's

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_printing_press

As a practical arrangement, making adjustments etc to more than 2-3 inking stations would be a challenge, and those adjustments in inking and watering are usually made while the press is running. Which would make more than 2-3 stations more than a bit dangerous.

Newer multi color presses are pretty much just multiple regular presses built on the same frame so the paper goes into each one sequentially. Even then the operator sometimes has to reach between two somewhat closely spaced running presses to adjust things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhPgr6nIgJ0&t=3s

These setups can be something like 10 colors.