2
production printing
gravure
Gravure is an intaglio style of printing, built upon two different processes. Photogravure uses a copper plate, coated with a light sensitive material and then etched, which creates a high quality plate suitable for photo reproduction and good tonal properties.
The process today is typically used by photographers as opposed to commercial printing, due to the high costs and labour intensive process. Commercial printers do still however usually offer the service when high quality reproductions are required by a client.
impression cylinder stock/ substrate doctor blade printing cylinder ink tray
Photogravure is the predecessor of rotogravure which is a speedier and more cost effective version, although only worthwhile if the quantity required is sufficient. The rotogravure process, pictured to the left, is used commonly today for commercial magazines, postcards and packaging. Although was once the main printing process for newspaper photo features.