gravure

Gravure image areas consist of cells or wells engraved into a copper cylinder and the unetched surface of the cylinder represents the non-printing areas. The image cylinder rotates in a bath of ink. The excess is wiped off the surface by a flexible steel doctor blade. The ink remaining in the thousands of recessed cells forms the image by direct transfer to the paper as it passes between the plate cylinder and the impression cylinder. Gravure printing produces excellent reproductions of pictures, but slightly scruffy type.