A large-diameter impression cylinder used in multicolor sheetfed and web offset printing presses that contacts the blanket cylinder of more than one satellite press (or printing unit), passing a printed sheet beneath successive blankets which lay down successive colors.
A common impression cylinder is also used on a central impression press for multicolor flexographic printing. On such a press, the substrate is carried around a large-diameter cylinder where it contacts four to eight different plate cylinders, each of which lays down a separate color.
See Impression Cylinder.