A printing method which utilizes engraved cylinders or, infrequently, cylinder-mounted plates as the image carriers. The image areas are etched into the surface of the cylinder as a collection of tiny cells. The cylinder rotates in an ink fountain and ink collects in the cells, the excess ink being scraped from the non-image areas by a doctor blade. The film is passed between the gravure cylinder and a rubber-coated impression roller, and ink is transferred by a combination of capillary action and the pressing of the substrate into the engraved cells of the cylinder, helped by the rubber surface of the impression roller. Most gravure printing performed today is web-fed rotogravure printing
Gravure printing is also called as Reverse printing, after the film is printed, the printed face will be laminated with another sheet of film. The printed face is kept in the middle of two film, just like the meat in a sandwich, which printed face can’t be scrubbed off on the outside, and can’t have contact with the food packed inside.