A method of mounting and adjusting a printing plate on a plate cylinder of a multicolor offset printing press is described. The printing plate is clamped between front and rear clamping bars, the rear clamping bar being movable under the application of a tensioning force and occupying, upon clamping of the trailing end of the printing plate, a tension-release position. Tensioning of the printing plate is carried out by initially applying a nominal tensioning force to the rear clamping bar. A print register of the tensioned printing plate is then measured and compared to a target print register to determine a corrected tensioning position of the rear clamping bar corresponding to the target print register. The tension of the printing plate is thereafter released. The correct tensioning position is set as new reference position of the rear clamping bar before or after tensioning again the printing plate.