De-Mounting Instructions 

Removal of the Photopolymer Plates

Even when tape is only used once, the plate should always be removed from the tape and then the tape removed from the cylinder or sleeve.

Once removing the plate from the tape, there is always possibility of tearing or kniking of the plate, so particular care should be taken in making sure this is smooth controlled action, particularly as some references provide a strong bond over time.

The most appropriate de-mounting process is as follows:

• First, lift one corner of the plate and then gently lift the whole edge across the cylinder direction
• Then peel the cliché off the tape, without jerking, kniking or folding it over itself, which can always damage it, using a low angle of peel (it is always recommended with pressure sensitive adhesive to use an angles less than 90º to optimise clean removability)
• Don’t forget to thoroughly clean the cliché before it is stored, especially if you have used any coating on the backside. Remove any in build up

When tape is used more than once, it is recommended to protect the exposed side of the adhesive by re-wrapping the liner that has been initially peeled off.

Removal of the double sided mounting tape

Strip off tape from the cylinder, using a similar technique to the one used for the plate.

It is also important to run that process slowly and gently to avoid any excessive tearing of the tape which can lead to breaking and adhesive residue. If the bond is too high and / or if clichés are of larger dimensions, you can cut the tape into smaller sections for removal, although this can lead to some scratches on the cylinder or sleeve.

If any pieces of the tape remains on the cylinder or sleeves, they can be removed by rubbing them, but don’t use anything sharp as this can irremediably damage the surface of the cylinder or sleeve. Every single piece of the tape and adhesive are to be removed. This is much easier if the cylinder or sleeve have been carefully cleaned up and dried at the start.

Last but not least, do not forget to clean up the cylinder or sleeve if they are stored. Special care should be taken in removing the excess of ink if any.