An apparatus for automatically applying ejection rubber elements on a die-cutter, comprising a manipulator equipped with a needle gripper, wherein the gripper in turn comprises: - a front surface, - a plurality of needles movable with respect to the front surface between an extracted position, at which the needles cantileverly extend from the front surface to penetrate into an ejection rubber element to be withdrawn, and a retracted position, at which the needles remain flush with the front surface to disengage the ejection rubber element released on a die-cutter, wherein the needles can be stopped at an intermediate position in-between the extracted position and the retracted position, to lay down the ejection rubber element against the front surface, without disengaging the ejection rubber element, characterized by comprising a programmable control unit and an optical recognition station equipped with capturing and processing means to capture and process images, and wherein the control unit is programmed for: a) aligning the withdrawn ejection rubber element with the front surface by partially retracting the needles to the intermediate position up to bring a face of the ejection rubber element to lean against the front surface so as to allow an image of the ejection rubber element to be captured in that position, b) placing it at the optical recognition station and capturing an image thereof, c) comparing the captured image of each ejection rubber element withdrawn by the needles with images from a virtual library of templates of ejection rubber elements in order to identify the corresponding template, and/or with an image created by software and depicting the template of the ejection rubber element properly centered and oriented, and/or processing the image to take measurements of the withdrawn ejection rubber element, and d) based on said comparison and/or said processing, controlling the movement of the manipulator and placing the ejection rubber element on the die-cutter, next to the corresponding portion of either a cutting rule or a creasing rule. wherein the gripper in turn comprises: - a front surface, - a plurality of needles movable with respect to the front surface between an extracted position, at which the needles cantileverly extend from the front surface to penetrate into an ejection rubber element to be withdrawn, and a retracted position, at which the needles remain flush with the front surface to disengage the ejection rubber element released on a die-cutter, - a front surface, - a plurality of needles movable with respect to the front surface between an extracted position, at which the needles cantileverly extend from the front surface to penetrate into an ejection rubber element to be withdrawn, and a retracted position, at which the needles remain flush with the front surface to disengage the ejection rubber element released on a die-cutter, wherein the needles can be stopped at an intermediate position in-between the extracted position and the retracted position, to lay down the ejection rubber element against the front surface, without disengaging the ejection rubber element, characterized by comprising a programmable control unit and an optical recognition station equipped with capturing and processing means to capture and process images, and wherein the control unit is programmed for: a) aligning the withdrawn ejection rubber element with the front surface by partially retracting the needles to the intermediate position up to bring a face of the ejection rubber element to lean against the front surface so as to allow an image of the ejection rubber element to be captured in that position, b) placing it at the optical recognition station and capturing an image thereof, c) comparing the captured image of each ejection rubber element withdrawn by the needles with images from a virtual library of templates of ejection rubber elements in order to identify the corresponding template, and/or with an image created by software and depicting the template of the ejection rubber element properly centered and oriented, and/or processing the image to take measurements of the withdrawn ejection rubber element, and d) based on said comparison and/or said processing, controlling the movement of the manipulator and placing the ejection rubber element on the die-cutter, next to the corresponding portion of either a cutting rule or a creasing rule. a) aligning the withdrawn ejection rubber element with the front surface by partially retracting the needles to the intermediate position up to bring a face of the ejection rubber element to lean against the front surface so as to allow an image of the ejection rubber element to be captured in that position, b) placing it at the optical recognition station and capturing an image thereof, c) comparing the captured image of each ejection rubber element withdrawn by the needles with images from a virtual library of templates of ejection rubber elements in order to identify the corresponding template, and/or with an image created by software and depicting the template of the ejection rubber element properly centered and oriented, and/or processing the image to take measurements of the withdrawn ejection rubber element, and d) based on said comparison and/or said processing, controlling the movement of the manipulator and placing the ejection rubber element on the die-cutter, next to the corresponding portion of either a cutting rule or a creasing rule.