Printing sleeves and methods for mounting and dismounting such printing sleeves

The invention relates to Printing Sleeves and methods for mounting and dismounting such printing sleeves. A unitary cylindrically-shaped printing sleeve (10) which is readily axially mountable on and dismountable from a complementary cylindrically-shaped printing cylinder (22). The sleeve (10) comprises a sleeve body, having a substantially constant cross-sectional diameter, a wall thickness of at least 0.015 inches and being substantially airtight when mounted onto the printing cylinder. The sleeve has substantially seamless inner and outer cylindrically-shaped wall surfaces (14, 15). The diameter of the printing sleeve is expandable by the introduction of a relatively low pressure fluid between the inner printing sleeve wall surface and the outer wall surface of the printing cylinder, the printing sleeve being contractable by the removal of the low pressure fluid, and having a stiffness factor of at least 7.26 x 10⁵ inch-­pounds.