The invention relates to a guard on ink ducts of printing machines to prevent ink soiling of the adjusting and supporting elements. The aim of the invention is to increase the printing quality, in particular to prevent deviations in colour. The invention is based on the object of preventing the formation of an ink film between the adjusting and supporting elements and the ink knife without thereby impairing the elasticity of the ink knife. The object is achieved in that a flexible metal or plastic guard shield is arranged on the ink duct, which guard shield is provided with slots and is bonded firmly and tightly to the underside of the ink knife by an elastic and non-compressible bonding layer.
