Gravure

In gravure (rotogravure) printing, printing is done using ink in recesses on the printing plate. The ink is removed from the higher surface using a thin steel plate, known as a squeegee.

The copper surface of the printing rolls is engraved directly and then plated with chromium. One characteristic of gravure printing is that halftones can be obtained due to the fact that printing rolls can be engraved in a single step, something which is unattainable for other printing messages. Therefore, gravure printing is often used for glossy magazines and flexible packaging, as well as for printing security products and labels.

The use of volatile, fast-drying, solvent-based inks allows for fast print speeds. Moreover, this method ensures the image can be repeated perfectly and is the most cost-effective printing method.