In-the-Round Plate Imaging

Bass comments that sleeves have other inherent advantages. Like savings on sticky back. Plus, since the plates are stored on the sleeve, printers don't run the risk of stretching or ripping them when they're removed from print cylinders.

Xymid makes a Mylar spiral wound plate sleeve with a heat-activated adhesive to form a composite in wall thicknesses from 10 to 120 mil. "Sleeves also provide the flexibility to cut down on inventory and tooling cost," says Bass. "For one thing, sleeves in varying thicknesses can be used to "build up" several desired repeat lengths for the same set of cylinders. Also, instead of having to buy 16 cylinders per repeat on an eight-color press, the printer can buy just nine—eight to fill the press and one to use as a base for mounting plates on a second set of sleeves."