Mounting of flexible printing plates

A method of mounting flexible printing plates in at least one of a rotary printing press and mounter-proofer, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) producing a set of exposed films each having an image and two registration holes formed therein at the same set distance from the film image and with the same hole size and centre distance,
• (b) providing a set of unexposed flexographic printing plates, at least one for each of said films,
• (c) drilling with a hollow drill two registration holes in the unexposed flexographic printing plates with a hole size and centre distance to match those of the registration holes of said exposed films,
• (d) passing register pins through the drilled registration holes in said unexposed flexographic printing plates and the registration holes in said exposed films, at least one film for each said unexposed flexographic printing plate,
• (e) exposing and processing said unexposed flexographic printing plates thereby to produce a set of exposed and processed flexographic printing plates each having its image in register to the said drilled registration holes therein,
• (f) providing at least one flexible carrier sheet for said exposed and processed flexographic printing plates,
• (g) forming first registration holes adjacent an edge of said at least one flexible carrier sheet,
• (h) forming second registration holes having the same hole size and centre distance as the drilled registration holes in said exposed and processed flexographic printing plates, in said at least one carrier sheet whereby said second registration holes in said at least one carrier sheet match said drilled registration holes in said exposed and processed flexographic printing plates and whereby a final position for each of said exposed and processed flexographic printing plates is obtained relative to its image in at least one of the printing press and mounter-proofer,
• (i) applying pressure-sensitive adhesive to one face of each of said exposed and processed flexographic printing plates,
• (j) passing register pins through said matching registration holes in at least one of said exposed and processed flexographic printing plates and said at least one carrier sheet thereby to locate said at least one exposed and processed flexographic printing plate on said at least one carrier sheet in an in-register position,
• (k) securing said at least one exposed and processed flexographic printing plate to said at least one carrier sheet in the in-register position by means of the adhesive,
• (l) removing the said register pins from the said matching registration holes in said at least one exposed and processed flexographic printing plate and said at least one carrier sheet,
• (m) locating said at least one exposed and processed flexographic printing plate in an in-register position in at least one of the printing press and mounter-proofer with the aid of said at least one carrier sheet,
• (n) and locating the remaining ones of said exposed and processed flexographic printing plates in turn in the same in-register position with the aid of said at least one carrier sheet.