A method for handling printing plates on a web-fed printing press, in particular on a newspaper printing press, comprising at least the following steps: a) printing plates are exposed on an exposure device, wherein each printing plate is assigned a coding relating at on which plate cylinder position of which printing couple of which printing unit of a web-fed printing press the respective printing plate is used; b) exposed printing plates are inserted into cassettes in such a way that printing plates for a plurality of printing couples are positioned in each cassette, wherein each cassette is assigned a data set relating to at which position within the respective cassette which printing plate is arranged, and wherein the printing plates are hereby positioned automatically and unambiguously in the cassettes with the help of a first manipulator arm, namely in such a way that, on the one hand, the coding assigned to the respective printing plate is read out outside of the respective cassette prior to the insertion of a printing plate into the cassette, in order to verify, whether the correct printing plate is supplied to the correct cassette, and that, on the other hand, it is verified, into which accommodating position of the cassette a printing plate, which is inserted into said cassette, reaches; c) the cassettes, which are equipped with printing plates, are conveyed into the region of the printing couples, for which printing plates are positioned therein, namely in such a way that the cassettes, which are equipped with printing plates, are automatically displaced vertically into a horizontally-running conveyance plane (21, 22) of a cassette conveyor with the help of a cassette pin, that, with the help of the cassette conveyor, the cassettes are automatically conveyed into the region of the printing unit, for which printing plates are arranged in said cassettes, and that, starting at the cassette conveyor, the cassettes are removed from the cassette conveyor with the help of a second manipulator arm and are positioned laterally next to the printing couples of the printing unit, for which printing plates are arranged in said cassettes, wherein the data set assigned to the cassettes, is also provided in the region of the printing couples; d) the printing plates are automatically removed from the cassettes with the help of a third manipulator arm and are automatically supplied to the respective printing couples in order to execute a printing plate change by adjusting to the data set, which is assigned to the respective cassette. a) printing plates are exposed on an exposure device, wherein each printing plate is assigned a coding relating at on which plate cylinder position of which printing couple of which printing unit of a web-fed printing press the respective printing plate is used; b) exposed printing plates are inserted into cassettes in such a way that printing plates for a plurality of printing couples are positioned in each cassette, wherein each cassette is assigned a data set relating to at which position within the respective cassette which printing plate is arranged, and wherein the printing plates are hereby positioned automatically and unambiguously in the cassettes with the help of a first manipulator arm, namely in such a way that, on the one hand, the coding assigned to the respective printing plate is read out outside of the respective cassette prior to the insertion of a printing plate into the cassette, in order to verify, whether the correct printing plate is supplied to the correct cassette, and that, on the other hand, it is verified, into which accommodating position of the cassette a printing plate, which is inserted into said cassette, reaches; c) the cassettes, which are equipped with printing plates, are conveyed into the region of the printing couples, for which printing plates are positioned therein, namely in such a way that the cassettes, which are equipped with printing plates, are automatically displaced vertically into a horizontally-running conveyance plane (21, 22) of a cassette conveyor with the help of a cassette pin, that, with the help of the cassette conveyor, the cassettes are automatically conveyed into the region of the printing unit, for which printing plates are arranged in said cassettes, and that, starting at the cassette conveyor, the cassettes are removed from the cassette conveyor with the help of a second manipulator arm and are positioned laterally next to the printing couples of the printing unit, for which printing plates are arranged in said cassettes, wherein the data set assigned to the cassettes, is also provided in the region of the printing couples; d) the printing plates are automatically removed from the cassettes with the help of a third manipulator arm and are automatically supplied to the respective printing couples in order to execute a printing plate change by adjusting to the data set, which is assigned to the respective cassette.