Method for operating a sheet separator (01) for separating sheets of a substrate (02) stacked in a feeder of a sheet-fed
printing press, wherein at least one separating suction cup (08) and at least one front transport suction cup (09) and at least one rear transport suction cup (11) are provided in the transport direction (T) of the sheets, wherein a
control unit (18) controls the application of a
compressed air source generating a vacuum to the transport suction cups (09; 11), wherein the
control unit (18) controls the at least one front transport suction cup (09) by means of a first control element (16) and the at least one rear transport suction cup (11) by means of a second control element (17) separate from the first control element (16), wherein the first control element (16) and the second control element (17) are each designed as control cams (16; 17).wherein the at least one separating suction cup (08) is activated with reference to the first control
cam (16) at a first control angle and grasps the sheet
lying on top of the stack for the injection of loosening air, wherein the at least one front transport suction cup (09) and the at least one rear transport suction cup (09) are each in their respective starting position with reference to the first control
cam (16) at a second control angle that is larger than the first control angle and thus the sheets are each in their rearmost position in the transport direction (T), wherein the at least one rear transport suction cup (11) is activated by means of the second control
cam (17) at the second control angle referred to the first control cam (16), while the at least one front transport suction cup (09) is switched with the first control cam (16) and waits for its activation,until the currently gripped sheet has passed the previously
fixed position of the at least one front transport suction cup (09) with reference to the sheet separator (01), and wherein the at least one front transport suction cup (09) is activated with the first control cam (16) only at a larger third control angle, which is different from the second control angle and is referenced to the first control cam (16).