Abstract: A complaint drive for use in a printing press. The compliant drive is coupled to a driving gear which can be on the plate cylinder of the printing press. The compliant drive includes an input gear meshing with the driving gear. A compliant coupling is connected between the input gear and a first output gear. The compliant coupling includes circumferentially-spaced compression springs between the input gear and the first output gear. The first output gear can drive a driven gear which in turn drives a vibrator in a dampener. The first output gear can also drive a second output gear. Each of the input gear, first output gear and second output gear are mounted on rolling contact bearings, which improves efficiency of the drive and, with the compliant coupling, prevents transmission of transient forces, shocks or vibrations to the plate cylinder, thereby eliminating doubling of the printed images.