Reimageable and reusable printing sleeve for a variable cutoff printing press

A method of forming printing sleeve for mounting on a cylinder and printing in a printing press comprising:

• providing a permanent hydrophilic tubular layer on a pneumatically expandable tubular base;
• selectively providing a first temporary hydrophobic layer on the hydrophilic tubular layer to form a first imaged printing sleeve, the temporary hydrophobic layer forming a first image, the first imaged printing sleeve including tubular base, the permanent hydrophilic tubular layer and the temporary hydrophobic layer;
• sliding the first imaged printing sleeve over the cylinder via pneumatic expansion of the tubular base;
• securing the tubular base on the cylinder with an interference fit;
• printing, by the first imaged printing sleeve, a first print job including the first image on a substrate;
• and
• removing the first temporary hydrophobic layer from the permanent hydrophilic layer such that the permanent hydrophilic layer remains intact on the tubular base.