Air cylinders are carrier cylinders for exposing flexo printing forms (elastomer or photopolymer endless sleeves) or gravure sleeves. They are used both in printing form manufacture and in the printing process. The axes of the air cylinder can be actuated with pressurised air (7-8 bar) via a temporary connection to the tap, which flows out at the ball edge of the cylinders via small drilled holes. If a printing form is moved onto the ‘air actuated’ cylinder, this creates an air cushion that which makes easy, precise orientation of the printing form possible. If the air feed is terminated, the air cushion disappears and the printing form sits in a shrunken position fixed onto the cylinder. Corresponding adapters can also be used depending on the special need during assembly.