A magnetic cylinder for holding printing plates, embossing plates, die-cutting plates or the like has a plurality of pockets or recesses formed on its outer surface, each of the pockets or recesses containing magnetic elements of permanent bar magnets and interposed pole pieces with the pockets offset circumferentially from one another so that the magnetic holding field will armature with the plate placed on the cylinder at least in part over the entire width and length or breadth of the plate to ensure that the entire plate including the leading and trailing edges are held securely in place while the cylinder rotates.