To provide a control method of a shaftless newspaper rotary press which facilitates the adjustment of the changing rate (gradient) of speed setting.

At the time of acceleration/deceleration (S1) of the operation of a shaftless newspaper rotary press, it is judged (S2) whether the synchronism deviation of a variable speed controller operating in the control method of the rotary press in which machines of respective printing units are independently operated by individual variable speed controllers which has a printing speed setting signal in common is within an allowable range or not. If it is Yes, the acceleration/deceleration operation is continued (S3) and, if it is No, the acceleration/deceleration operation is interrupted and made to wait for re-start. With this constitution, ascending/descending time (gradient: as a result) can be automatically adjusted.