Abstract: A magnetic plate cylinder for a printing press includes an outer cylinder member having circumferentially and axially spaced plugs of magnetic material or axially spaced apart rings of magnetic material for directing a magnetic field in such a way as to hold a magnetic printing plate on the outer surface of the outer cylinder member. An inner cylinder member includes circumferentially and axially spaced permanent magnet members supported on a cylinder of nonmagnetic material or stacked circular ring magnets interposed between rings of magnetic or nonmagnetic material for generating a magnetic field passing through the plugs or rings of magnetic material on the outer cylinder member. The inner cylinder member is disposed to form a radial air gap between the outer cylinder member and an outer surface of the inner cylinder member.