Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a magnetic cylinder and image plate or blanket carrier plate of magnetic material are provided for printing. The cylinder has a peripheral surface and the image plate or carrier plate is wrapped around the cylinder with an inner surface of the plate being in direct contact with the cylinder peripheral surface. The blanket and carrier plate are subject to circumferential movement around the cylinder as the blanket is subject to localized pressure from another cylinder in a nip, plus forces due to ink tack. The cylinder peripheral surface is defined by circumferentially spaced, axially extending ridges for suppressing local sliding by surface gripping with the plate inner surface.

Abstract: A printing blanket is disclosed for use on a magnetic cylinder in a web offset press. The printing blanket comprises an elongate carrier plate of magnetic material having a length greater than a select circumference of the cylinder. An elongate blanket sheet has a length substantially equal to the select circumference of the cylinder. An adhesive secures the blanket sheet to an outer surface of the carrier plate with a trailing edge of the blanket sheet immediately adjacent a trailing edge of the carrier plate so that in use mounted to the cylinder at least a portion of the carrier plate overlaps a leading edge of the carrier plate.