Abstract: A reusable printing sleeve for supporting flexible printing plates, the sleeve having a limited circumferential resilience, whereby when subjected to air jets emitted from the apertures in the wall of a printing cylinder, the sleeve is dilated to facilitate the application of the sleeve to the cylinder or its removal therefrom. The sleeve is constituted by four or five interlaminated layers. The innermost one or two layers are comprised of wide strips of plastic film helically wound about a cylindrical shape. The outer three layers of the sleeve are constituted of three interlaminated layers each formed by helically wound of synthetic plastic tape. All three outer layers are wound at helix angles substantially different from the innermost layer or layers.