Intaglio photogravure is a printmaking technique that combines photography and intaglio printing. It's a process used to create high-quality, finely detailed prints that reproduce photographs or other images with a rich tonal range and a distinct artistic quality.
 

The process involves several steps:
 

1. Plate Preparation:- A metal plate, typically copper or zinc, is coated with a light-sensitive emulsion, often a gelatin-based material. This emulsion can be exposed to light through a photographic negative to transfer the image onto the plate. (Please see notes below on how Photopolymer Plates are now more often used due to the ease and chemical-free handling)
 

2. Exposure:- The plate is exposed to light through a continuous tone photographic negative. The varying degrees of light exposure create different levels of chemical reactivity in the emulsion, which in turn produces different depths of etching on the plate.
 

3. Development:-After exposure, the plate is developed in a series of chemical baths to remove unexposed emulsion, leaving behind a finely textured surface with recessed areas that correspond to the tonal values of the original image.
 

4. Etching:- The plate is then immersed in an acid bath. The acid bites into the recessed areas of the plate that were exposed during the development stage. The longer the plate is left in the acid, the deeper the etching becomes, resulting in a range of tones in the final print.
 

5. Inking and Printing:- Ink is applied to the plate, and then wiped off the surface, leaving ink only in the etched recesses. The plate is then pressed against dampened paper under high pressure. The paper is forced into the etched areas, picking up the ink and creating the final print.
 

The process of intaglio photogravure allows for a remarkable level of detail and tonal variation, making it an attractive option for artists and photographers who want to reproduce their images in a fine art print format. The resulting prints have a distinctive tactile quality due to the ink being pushed into the paper under pressure, creating a slightly raised texture.

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Intaglio photogravure requires a skilled combination of photographic technique, plate preparation, and printmaking expertise. While it's a labour-intensive process, the results can be truly stunning and offer a unique and nuanced representation of photographic images.

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NOTE!
Now its a lot easier to make a photopolymer plate with your design. Photopolymer Plates are water washable which means there are no chemicals to use. There is no loss of quality when compared to a metal etched plate as the video below demonstrates.

Our customer, Lindsey Moran purchased our LED UV Vacuum Exposure Unit to expose photopolymer plates. as you can see in the video below, the results are outstanding! You can follow Lindsey on Instagram @lindseyemoran for more inspiration/
 

Our LED UV Vacuum Exposure Unit creates perfect plates as the built-in vacuum creates a perfect contact between the plate and the artwork, thus ensuring a clean and crisp print everytime.