Substrates with a coating, in particular a metal-containing coating, are freed of coating in some regions, in particular in the edge region, with the aid of plasma directed onto the coated side of the substrate. The width of the region in which the coating is removed may be set such that plasma from a number of plasma heads arranged next to one another in a row or from one plasma head with variable cross section is directed onto the substrate in the desired width from which the coating is to be removed, wherein the plasma head or heads is/are suitably aligned with respect to the substrate and/or the required number of plasma heads in each case are set in operation. It is also possible to remove coatings only partially in terms of the layer thickness.